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Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) have been implicated in many physiological processes and play important roles in the response to various stresses. In this study, the full-length sequences of six sHSPs: OcHSP19.1, 19.8, 20.4, 20.7, 21.1, and 23.8 were obtained from the rice grasshopper Oxya chinensis transcriptome database. The deduced amino acid sequences of the six OcsHSPs contain a typical α-crystallin domain, which consists of approximately 100 amino acid residues and five β-strands. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that OcHSP23.8 was orthologous to the sHSPs of other species and that OcHSP19.1, 20.4, 20.7, and 21.1 were species specific, whereas OcHSP19.8 did not cluster closely to Orthoptera but was placed on the basal end of the cluster. Developmental stage-dependent and tissue-specific expression patterns were evaluated using quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction. The six genes were expressed in all developmental stages and showed clear tissue specificity. The cadmium acute experiment indicates that Cd2+ can induce the six genes. However, various response patterns were observed among these genes under Cd2+ stress conditions. OcHSP19.1, 19.8, 20.4, and 20.7 were highly induced by 2.61mM Cd2+ at 24 h. OcHSP23.8 was significantly upregulated by 2.61mM Cd2+ at 6 h. For OcHSP21.1, the highest expression levels were found after treatment with 0.87mM Cd2+ for 24 h, 1.74mM Cd2+ for 36 h, and 2.61mM Cd2+ for 12 h. These differential characteristics will facilitate future investigations into the physiological functions of sHSPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the basic electronic structures and elastic properties of Ni3Al doping with alloying elements (Re, Cr, and Mo) under different pressures have been investigated using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. It is shown that both alloying elements and external applied pressure contribute positively to the elastic properties of Ni3Al, and the configurations of the compounds remain almost unchanged. The calculated elastic constants and moduli increase linearly with the pressure increasing from 0 and 40 GPa. Among the alloying elements studied in the present work, Re exhibits the most significant effect compared with the other elements, showing its practical importance. Especially, if both alloying elements doping and pressure effects are considered simultaneously, which has not been considered previously, the studied compounds exhibit an even better elastic property than the simple superposition of the two influences. Such synergistic effect demonstrates promising applications of Ni-based single crystal superalloys in possible extreme mechanical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Despite the amply evidence and guidelines in treating coronary artery disease (CAD) with lipid-lowering therapy, physicians still have concerns in treating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients who have the low serum lipid level. We explored the adequacy of lipid-lowering therapy in treating AMI patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Over 3000 CAD lipid profile data were collected, their data were divided into 3 groups (AMI; stable angina pectoris (SAP) and unstable angina pectoris (UAP) group) based their clinical characteristics. Statistical analyses were performed to compare their baseline lipid levels and clinical feature. RESULTS: The total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) level in AMI patients were the lowest, followed by UAP patient group and SAP patient group. There were significant differences in white blood count (WBC) and ejection fraction (EF) between 3 groups. A good correlation was confirmed between EF% and the lipid parameters of TC, LDLc, HDL-c, non-HDL-c.WBC did not correlate with the lipid except HDL-c. AMI is an acute inflammatory reaction that is accompanied with the change of lipid level. CONCLUSIONS: Although the level of TC, LDLc and HDL-c are lower in AMI, but it is related with acute inflammatory reaction during the rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. Lipid-lowering therapy should not be delayed in treating AMI patients with lower lipid level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of first-principles calculations, we investigate the structural and electronic properties of graphene in contact with as well as sandwiched between WS2 and WSe2 monolayers. We report the modification of the band characteristics due to the interaction at the interface and demonstrate that the presence of the dichalcogenide results in quantum spin Hall states in the absence of a magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of first-principles calculations, we investigate the structural and electronic properties of graphene in contact with as well as sandwiched between WS2 and WSe2 monolayers. We report the modification of the band characteristics due to the interaction at the interface and demonstrate that the presence of the dichalcogenide results in quantum spin Hall states in the absence of a magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies oxidized Al[subx]Ga[sub1-x]As semiconductor heterostructure planar wave guides. Prism coupler mode profile for oxidized AlGaAs single heterostructure planar wave guide; Secondary ion mass spectroscopy depth profiles for the oxide wave guide; Propagation loss for the oxide wave guide.

Studies prism coupling measurements on Al[sub x]Ga[sub 1-x]As native oxides showing the dependence of refractive index on composition, oxidation temperature and carrier gas purity. Range of index values; Adsorption of moisture by the oxides; Higher index values attributed to a transition from a hydroxide to a denser oxide phase.

Data are presented demonstrating 300 K, continuous wave (cw) photoluminescence near λ=1.53 μm from Er-implanted Al[sub 0.8]Ga[sub 0.2]As films oxidized in water vapor (N[sub 2]+H[sub 2]O, 500 °C) and annealed (1 h, 700 °C) in Ar+O[sub 2]. The 40 nm full width at half-maximum (FWHM) spectra are 1.5× broader and ∼10× more intense relative to spectra from unoxidized but annealed samples. The fluorescence decay shows a τ=7 ms lifetime, with a faster τ=1.9 ms component characteristic of a cooperative upconversion mechanism. The data suggest that Al[sub x]Ga[sub 1-x]As native oxides may provide a suitable host for rare-earth optical activity. © 1998 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion motivates behavior. Investigating the correlation between behavior and emotion, an often overlooked perspective, plays a significant role in uncovering the underlying motives behind behaviors and the intrinsic cause-effects of social events. This article proposes a methodology for mining the correlation between public behavior and emotion using daily news data. Initially, aspect-emotion-reaction (A-E-R) triplets are extracted and generalized, encompassing both explicit and implicit patterns. Then, a knowledge representation model based on hypothetical context (KRHC) with a self-reflection mechanism is proposed to uncover implicit relationships between emotion and behavior through attention mechanisms. By combining rule-based methods for explicit relationships and deep learning for implicit ones, an understanding of emotion-behavior patterns is achieved. In this study, the behaviors are divided into three categories of prosocial, antisocial, and normal behaviors with ten secondary types. Seven categories of emotions are adopted. The proposed deep learning model KRHC is validated on A-E-R datasets and public KINSHIP datasets. The experiment results are concluded; for example, when "fear", "sad", and "surprise" emotions appear, it drives behavior "panic" with most probability. These findings could provide insights for both human-computer interaction and public safety management applications.

Evidence regarding the role of dietary patterns in metabolic syndrome (MetS) is limited. The mechanistic links between dietary patterns, insulin resistance, and MetS are not fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between dietary patterns and the risk of MetS in a Chinese population using a longitudinal design. Data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, a nationally representative survey, were analyzed. MetS cases were identified based on biomarker data collected in 2009. Factor analysis was employed to identify dietary patterns, while logistic regression models were utilized to examine the association between dietary patterns and MetS. Mediation models were applied to assess multiple mediation effects. Two dietary patterns were revealed by factor analysis. Participants in the higher quartiles of the traditional Chinese dietary pattern had lower odds of MetS than those in the lowest quartile (Q1) (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.48, 0.69 for Q4; OR = 0.75, 95%CI: 0.63, 0.89 for Q3). Conversely, participants in the higher quartiles of the modern Chinese dietary pattern had higher odds of MetS compared to those in the lowest quartile (Q1) (OR = 1.40, 95%CI: 1.17, 1.68 for Q4; OR = 1.27, 95%CI: 1.06, 1.52 for Q3). Significant associations between dietary patterns and MetS were mediated by insulin resistance. Therefore, dietary patterns in Chinese adults are associated with MetS, and these associations appear to be mediated through insulin resistance. These findings underscore the critical role of dietary patterns in the development of MetS and establish a foundation for culturally tailored dietary interventions aimed at reducing rates the prevalence of MetS among Chinese adults., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Kou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), as a relatively rapid and effective minimally invasive treatment for coronary heart disease (CHD), can effectively relieve coronary artery stenosis and restore myocardial perfusion. However, the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) is a significant challenge for post PCI care. To better understand risk/benefit indicators and provide post PCI MACE prediction, 408 patients with CHD who had undergone PCI treatment from 2018 to 2021 in Tianjin Chest hospital were retrospectively studied for their clinical characteristics in relation with the MACE occurrence during a 12-month follow-up. In the study, 194 patients had MACE and 214 patients remained MACE-free. Using uni- and multivariate regression analyses, we have shown that smoking history, elevated serum C-reactive protein levels (hs-CRP), and high haemoglobin levels A1c (HbA1c) are all independent risk factors for MACE after PCI. Furthermore, we have discovered that the serum level of IL-38, one of the latest members identified in the IL-1 cytokine family, is another predictive factor and is reversely related to the occurrence of MACE. The serum level of IL-38 alone is capable of predicting non-MACE occurrence in subcategorized patients with abnormal levels of hs-CRP and/or HbA1c., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Kou, Yang, Dong and Qin.)

Rice tillering is one of the most important agronomical traits largely determining grain yield. Photosynthesis and nitrogen availability are two important factors affecting rice tiller bud elongation; however, underlying mechanism and their cross-talk is poorly understood. Here, we used map-based cloning, transcriptome profiling, phenotypic analysis, and molecular genetics to understand the roles of the Decreased Tiller Number 1 (DTN1) gene that encodes the fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase and involves in photosynthesis required for light-induced axillary bud elongation in rice. Deficiency of DTN1 results in the reduced photosynthetic rate and decreased contents of sucrose and other sugars in both leaves and axillary buds, and the reduced tiller number in dtn1 mutant could be partially rescued by exogenous sucrose treatment. Furthermore, we found that the expression of nitrogen-mediated tiller growth response 5 (NGR5) was remarkably decreased in shoot base of dtn1-2, which can be activated by sucrose treatment. Overexpression of NGR5 in the dtn1-2 could partially rescue the reduced tiller number, and the tiller number of dtn1-2 was insensitive to nitrogen supply. This work demonstrated that the sugar level regulated by photosynthesis and DTN1 could positively regulate NGR5 expression, which coordinates the cross-talk between carbon and nitrate to control tiller bud outgrowth in rice., (© 2024 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of ternary systems consisting of meloxicam with cyclodextrins (HP-β-CD or SBE-β-CD) and different polymers (HA, HPMC and PVP) on the stability of meloxicam. The t 0.9 values of meloxicam were determined within all the aforementioned systems and the influence of various polymers on the alteration in meloxicam's stability was evaluated. All three polymers altered the stability of meloxicam to varying degrees, with the extent of the effect being related to hydrophilicity, concentration of components, and the interaction of the newly formed ternary system. Among them, meloxicam demonstrated its highest degree of stabilization within the ternary system formed by SBE-β-CD&HPMC and HP-β-CD&HA. We characterized the ternary system of meloxicam using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy analysis, which determined the presence of ternary system inclusions. In addition, we investigated the optimized prescription of eye drops of meloxicam using the ternary system and further determined that the ternary system improved the stability of the drug in liquid formulations., Competing Interests: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Objective: To review the efficacy, symptoms, inflammatory factors and pulmonary function of different doses of budesonide aerosol inhalation in the treatment of patients with asthma., Methods: The Chinese and English literature databases were searched with "Effects of different doses of budesonide aerosol inhalation on the efficacy, lung function, inflammation, symptoms and adverse reactions in patients with asthma" as the search direction, and a Meta-analysis was performed., Results: Compared with the low dose group, the efficacy, PEF and FEV1 were significantly increased and the clinical symptom score, TNF-α and IL-4 were significantly decreased in the high dose group ( p  < 0.05). There was no significant difference in IFN-γ level and the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups ( p  > 0.05)., Conclusion: High-dose budesonide aerosol inhalation therapy can improve the efficacy and lung function of patients, reduce inflammation and clinical symptoms, and does not increase the risk of adverse reactions, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

To explore the role of the membrane permease ⅡB (EⅡB) gene of Listeria pathogenicity island 4 (LIPI-4) in the virulence of Listeria monocytogenes , both an EⅡB deletion strain (∆EⅡB) and a complemented strain were constructed. In vitro experiments demonstrated that EⅡB deletion affected the biofilm formation ability of the wild-type strain (Lm928). Moreover, this deletion decreased the intracellular proliferation abilities of L. monocytogenes . Mice infected with ∆EⅡB survived longer and experienced less weight loss on days 1, 2, and 3 post-infection. The bacterial load in the liver tissue of ∆EⅡB-infected mice was significantly reduced, and a considerable decrease in the blood levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-β, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α were observed. Following EⅡB deletion, 65% (13/20) of genes were downregulated, 25% (5/20) were upregulated, and 10% (2/20) showed no change. These findings suggest that EⅡB deletion may reduce both the in vivo and in vitro virulence levels as well as the biofilm formation ability of Lm928 by downregulating the transcription levels of genes associated with virulence and biofilm formation. These findings provide a foundation for further examining the pathogenic mechanisms of LIPI-4 and EⅡB in L. monocytogenes .