Search

• CT-based 3D radiomics is superior to 2D for predicting BAP1 mutation status in malignant pleural mesothelioma. • 3D radiomic features have better repeatability than 2D on malignant pleural mesothelioma research. • Clinical factors have no correlation with BAP1 mutation status in malignant pleural mesothelioma. We aimed to explore the feasibility of 2D and 3D radiomics signature based on the unenhanced computed tomography (CT) images to predict BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) gene mutation status for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients. 74 patients with MPM were retrospectively enrolled (22 mutant BAP1, 52 wild-type BAP1 demonstrated by Sanger sequencing). The radiomic features were extracted respectively from the 2D and 3D segmentation of unenhanced pre-treatment CT images, and the dataset was randomly divided into training (n = 51) and test (n = 23) sets for radiomics model development and internal validation. The synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) was used for data balancing in the training set. 2D or 3D features were sequentially selected by ICC > 0.8, correlation analysis (cut-value 0.7), univariate analysis or univariate logistic regression (LR), which were involved into multivariate LR for LR model construction. Following the comparison of the 2D and 3D models by the ROC analysis and Delong test for AUC, the calibration and clinical utility of 2D and 3D models were evaluated. 3D radiomic features showed better ICCs compared with 2D in both intra- (P < 0.001) and inter-observer (P < 0.001) analysis. 3D radiomic model based on selected features developed from a balanced training dataset presented a favorable predictive performance with AUC of 0.786 and 0.768 in the training and test sets, respectively. The predictive performance of 3D model was superior to 2D model (1 feature) both in the training (AUC 0.786 vs. 0.683, P = 0.036) and the test (AUC 0.768 vs.0.652, P = 0.441) set. The calibration curve and decision curves also indicate a better BAP1 prediction performance and clinical benefit for 3D model than that of 2D model. The developed unenhanced CT-based 3D radiomics signature is potential as a noninvasive marker for predicting BAP1 mutation status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 100 kinds of proteins are expressed as glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) on the cell surface in mammalian cells. GPI-APs possess unique properties in terms of their intracellular trafficking and association with lipid rafts. Although it is clear that GPI-APs play critical roles in various biological phenomena, it is poorly understood how the GPI moiety contributes to these mechanisms. More than 30 genes are involved in the correct biosynthesis of GPI-APs. We here constructed a cell library in which 32 genes involved in GPI biosynthesis were knocked out in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Using the cell library, the surface expression and sensitivity to phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C of GPI-APs were analyzed. Furthermore, we identified structural motifs of GPIs that are recognized by a GPI-binding toxin, aerolysin. The cell-based GPI-knockout library could be applied not only to basic researches, but also to applications and methodologies related to GPI-APs. Liu et al. construct a knock out cell library of genes involved in the biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein (GPI-APs) from HEK-293 cells and analyzed the surface expression and sensitivity to phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. Furthermore, the authors also identify structural motifs of GPIs that are recognized by a GPI-binding toxin, aerolysin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considering the high morbidity and mortality of lung cancer and the high incidence of pulmonary nodules, clearly distinguishing benign from malignant lung nodules at an early stage is of great significance. However, determining the kind of lung nodule which is more prone to lung cancer remains a problem worldwide. Methods: A total of 480 patients with pulmonary nodule data were collected from Shandong, China. We assessed the clinical characteristics and computed tomography (CT) imaging features among pulmonary nodules in patients who had undergone video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy from 2013 to 2018. Preliminary selection of features was based on a statistical analysis using SPSS. We used WEKA to assess the machine learning models using its multiple algorithms and selected the best decision tree model using its optimization algorithm. Results: The combination of decision tree and logistics regression optimized the decision tree without affecting its AUC. The decision tree structure showed that lobulation was the most important feature, followed by spiculation, vessel convergence sign, nodule type, satellite nodule, nodule size and age of patient. Conclusions: Our study shows that decision tree analyses can be applied to screen individuals for early lung cancer with CT. Our decision tree provides a new way to help clinicians establish a logical diagnosis by a stepwise progression method, but still needs to be validated for prospective trials in a larger patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hodge-FVH correspondence establishes a relationship between the special cubic Hodge integrals and an integrable hierarchy, which is called the fractional Volterra hierarchy. In this paper we prove this correspondence. As an application of this result, we prove a gap condition for certain special cubic Hodge integrals and give an algorithm for computing the coefficients that appear in the gap condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auroral kilometric radiations (AKR) are strong radio emission phenomena, and can produce significant acceleration or scattering of radiation belt electrons. The variation of AKR wave amplitude with the latitude (λ) has not been reported so far owing to lack of measurements. Here, using observations of the Arase satellite and Van Allen Probes from March 23, 2017 to July 31, 2019, we present the first statistical study on the AKR electric field amplitude (Et) in the radiation belts for |λ| = 0° − 40° and L‐shell L = 3.0–6.2. Results (totally 14,770 samples) show that Et can be described by a concise formula: Et(λ) = E0 exp(ξ sin |λ|), decreasing with decreasing latitude. Fitting parameters E0 and ξ are limited in the ranges: E0 = 0.054–0.340 mV/m and ξ = 3.0–4.2. Wave amplitudes are greater (smaller) under intense (weak) geomagnetic conditions. This study helps to better quantify the gyroresonance between AKR and radiation belt electrons. Plain Language Summary: Auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) is a strong radio emission phenomenon which is generated in the low density polar cavity. They can propagate downward into radiation belts and produce significant acceleration or pitch angle scattering of energetic electrons. Those electrons can yield serious damage to spacecraft or ozone destruction. Because wave‐particle interaction generally occurs at each point along the field line and diffusion coefficients are directly proportional to the square of wave amplitude, it is necessary to specify the field‐aligned wave amplitude. However, previous calculations of AKR‐electron interaction were based on the assumption of the constant field‐aligned wave amplitude. Here, using observations of the Arase satellite and Van Allen Probes from March 23, 2017 to July 31, 2019, we report a field‐aligned distribution of AKR wave amplitude for the first time. Gaussian fitting for the electric field power spectral density is performed to obtain the wave amplitude of each AKR sample. We calculate averaged wave amplitudes of total 14,770 samples on the dayside and nightside. Results show that wave amplitude can be described by a concise formula, decreasing obviously with decreasing latitude. Wave amplitudes are greater (smaller) under intense (weak) geomagnetic condition. This paper provides the further understanding of AKR‐electron interaction. Key Points: The field‐aligned distribution of AKR wave amplitude is presented for the first time based on Arase satellite and Van Allen ProbesWave amplitudes can be approximately described by a concise exponential formula and decrease obviously with decreasing latitudeThe AKR sample and amplitude are roughly symmetric around the equator, wave amplitudes increase with increasing geomagnetic activities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of acute and chronic wound diseases is rising due to various reasons. With complicated pathogenesis, long course, difficult treatment and high disability, wound diseases have become a major burden for patients, their families, and society. Therefore, the focus of research is to identify new ideas and methods for treatment. Fat grafting has gained increased attention because of its effectiveness in wound treatment, and further analysis has uncovered that the stem cells derived from fat may be the main factor affecting wound healing. We summarize the function of adipose stem cells and analyze their possible mechanisms in tissue repair, helping to provide new ideas for the treatment of wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and its G-protein-coupled receptors (Lpar1–Lpar6) mediate a plethora of activities associated with cancer growth and progression. However, there is no systematic study about whether and how LPA promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Here, we show that autotaxin (ATX), a primary LPA-producing enzyme, is highly expressed in ESCC, and overexpressed ATX is associated with the poor outcome of ESCC patients. Meanwhile, the expression of Lpar1 was much higher in ESCC cells compared with Het-1a (human esophagus normal epithelial cells). Functional experiments showed that LPA remarkably increased the proliferation and migration of ESCC cells. Furthermore, Lpar1 knockdown abolished the effect of LPA on ESCC cell proliferation and migration. Mechanistic studies revealed that LPA promoted ESCC cell lines proliferation and migration through PI3K/Akt pathway. Treatment of KYSE30 cell xenografts with Lpar1 inhibitor BMS-986020 significantly repressed tumor growth. Our results shed light on the important role of LPA in ESCC, and Lpar1 might be a potential treatment target for ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a method which based on Bell inequalities, to study quantum phase transitions. By using the non-linear programming, we compare two different kinds of Bell inequalities, the original Bell inequality and Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality. And we find that the original Bell inequality is more accurate in detecting the Bell non-locality. By defining the maximal violation of Bell inequalities, we calculate two kinds of transitions, the one is magnetic transition in the spin- 1 2 XX model and the other is topological transition in the Kitaev honeycomb model. The critical points are detected successfully. Compared with traditional methods, our method requires no prior knowledge of order parameters and it is base-free. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development of lateral depletion-mode n-channel 4H-SiC junction field-effect transistors (LJFETs) using double-mesa process toward high-temperature integrated circuit (IC) applications. At room temperature, the fabricated LJFETs show a drain-to-source saturation current of 23.03 μA/μm, which corresponds to a current density of 7678 A/cm2. The gate-to-source parasitic resistance of 17.56 kΩ ⋅ μm is reduced to contribute only 13.49% of the on-resistance of 130.15 kΩ ⋅ μm, which helps to improve the transconductance up to 8.61 μS/μm. High temperature characteristics of LJFETs were performed from room temperature to 400 °C. At temperatures up to 400 °C in air, it is observed that the fabricated LJFETs still show normally-on operating characteristics. The drain-to-source saturation current, transconductance and intrinsic gain at 400 °C are 7.47 μA/μm, 2.35 μS/μm and 41.35, respectively. These results show significant improvement over state-of-the-art and make them attractive for high-temperature IC applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regio‐ and enantioselective (3+3) cycloaddition of nitrones with 2‐indolylmethanols was accomplished by the cooperative catalysis of hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) and chiral phosphoric acid (CPA). Using this approach, a series of indole‐fused six‐membered heterocycles were synthesized in high yields (up to 98 %), with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 96 % ee) and exclusive regiospecificity. This approach enabled not only the first organocatalytic asymmetric (3+3) cycloaddition of nitrones but also the first C3‐nucleophilic asymmetric (3+3) cycloaddition of 2‐indolylmethanols. More importantly, theoretical calculations elucidated the role of the cocatalyst HFIP in helping CPA control the reactivity and enantioselectivity of the reaction, demonstrating a new mode of cooperative catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regio‐ and enantioselective (3+3) cycloaddition of nitrones with 2‐indolylmethanols was accomplished by the cooperative catalysis of hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) and chiral phosphoric acid (CPA). Using this approach, a series of indole‐fused six‐membered heterocycles were synthesized in high yields (up to 98 %), with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 96 % ee) and exclusive regiospecificity. This approach enabled not only the first organocatalytic asymmetric (3+3) cycloaddition of nitrones but also the first C3‐nucleophilic asymmetric (3+3) cycloaddition of 2‐indolylmethanols. More importantly, theoretical calculations elucidated the role of the cocatalyst HFIP in helping CPA control the reactivity and enantioselectivity of the reaction, demonstrating a new mode of cooperative catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 12 new oligomeric phloroglucinols were isolated from tropic Rhodomyrtus tomentosa. • An enantiomeric mixture of 3a and 3b is an excellent h AChE inhibitor with an IC 50 value of 1.21 μM. • Molecular docking was used to uncover the possible mechanism of 3a and 3b with h AChE. • The racemic mixture of 3a and 3b showed the most anti-MRSA activity with MIC and MBC values of 0.50 μg/mL. • The SEM studies revealed that 3a and 3b could destroy the biofilm structures of MRSA. Alzheimer's diseases (AD) and other infectious diseases caused by drug-resistance bacteria have posed a serious threat to human lives and global health. With the aim to search for human acetylcholinesterase (h AChE) inhibitors and antibacterial agents from medicinal plants, 16 phloroglucinol oligomers, including two new phloroglucinol monomers (1a and 1b), four new phloroglucinol dimers (3a , 3b , 4b , and 5a), six new phloroglucinol trimers (6a , 6b , 7a , 7b , 8a , and 8b), and two naturally occurring phloroglucinol monomers (2a and 2b), along with two known congeners (4a and 5b), were purified from the leaves of tropic Rhodomyrtus tomentosa. The structures and absolute configurations of these new isolates were unequivocally established by comprehensive analyses of their spectroscopic data (NMR and HRESIMS), ECD calculation, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Structurally, 3a / 3b shared a rare C-5 ′ formyl group, whereas 6a / 6b possessed a unique C-7 ′ aromatic ring. In addition, 7a / 7b and 8a / 8b were rare phloroglucinol trimers with a bis-furan and a C-6 ′ hemiketal group. Pharmacologically, the mixture of 3a and 3b showed the most potent human acetylcholinesterase (h AChE) inhibitory activity with an IC 50 value of 1.21 ± 0.16 μM. The molecular docking studies of 3a and 3b in the h AChE binding sites were performed, displaying good agreement with the in vitro inhibitory effects. In addition, the mixture of 3a and 3b displayed the most significant anti-MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) with MIC and MBC values of both 0.50 μg/mL, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies revealed that they could destroy the biofilm structures of MRSA. The findings provide potential candidates for the further development of anti-AD and anti-bacterial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel members using nonsymmetric sections are envisioned as popular because of the advancement in manufacturing techniques, in which frame analysis method under extreme scenarios, such as fire hazards, has not been thoroughly established. The element formulation for those members has been commonly derived based on either the updated-Lagrangian (UL) or the total-Lagrangian (TL) methods. However, the UL method is difficult to analyze the steel member exposed to fires because the previous equilibrium conditions may be destroyed due to the material stiffness degradation at elevated temperatures. Nevertheless, the TL method can be used for studying steel members under fire, but it is inefficient, time-consuming, and requires starting-over computation at every temperature increment. To this, the co-rotational (CR) method could be a promising solution for tackling the analysis problems of steel members in fire efficiently and accurately. The CR method separately describes the element and its rigid body movements, such that the material stiffness degradation can be considered at the element level without the starting-over computation at new temperature increments, which is numerically efficient. This paper reformulates the beam-column element formulation with the warping degree of freedom for nonsymmetric section members using the CR method, which can conveniently consider the material degradation and the thermal expansion for the analysis of steel members at elevated temperatures. The lateral-torsional and flexural-torsional buckling of nonsymmetric section members can be captured robustly. Detailed derivation for element formulation is given, and several examples are provided for verifying the accuracy and examining the robustness of the proposed method. • Large deflection analysis of steel structures at elevated temperatures is studied. • The Wagner effects of the members with nonsymmetric sections are considered. • A beam-column element is proposed based on the co-rotational method. • Secant relations are derived to calculate the element reaction forces. • A Newton-Raphson-typed numerical procedure for the numerical analysis is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of the vertical piezoelectricity and the corresponding internal physical mechanism of diamanes limit their applications in the piezoelectric field. The vertical piezoelectricity of the diamane doped with Si/Ge atoms is studied systematically by the first principles calculation. These monolayer diamanes can be regarded as the vertical piezoelectric nano-switches with a moderate barrier. Based on the 25 kinds of monolayers' data, the super-dipole-moment effect is found as the internal mechanism of larger vertical piezoelectricity based on the ordered phase of Born effective charges. It may deepen the understanding of the internal physical mechanism about the piezoelectricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deteriorated plasticity arising from the insoluble precipitates may lead to cracks during the rolling of FeCrAl alloys. The microstructure evolution and hot deformation behavior of an FeCrAl alloy were investigated in the temperature range of 750–1200 °C and strain rate range of 0.01–10 s−1. The flow stress of the FeCrAl alloy decreased with an increasing deformation temperature and decreased strain rate during hot working. The thermal deformation activation energy was determined to be 329.49 kJ/mol based on the compression test. Then, the optimal hot working range was given based on the established hot processing maps. The hot processing map revealed four small instability zones. The optimal working range for the material was identified as follows: at a true strain of 0.69, the deformation temperature should be 1050–1200 °C, and the strain rate should be 0.01–0.4 s−1. The observation of key samples of thermally simulated compression showed that discontinuous dynamic recrystallization started to occur with the temperate above 1000 °C, leading to bended grain boundaries. When the temperature was increased to 1150 °C, the dynamic recrystallization resulted in a microstructure composed of fine and equiaxed grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxide-derived copper (OD-Cu) materials exhibit extraordinary catalytic activities in the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR), which likely relates to non-metallic material constituents formed in transitions between the oxidized and the reduced material. In time-resolved operando experiment, we track the structural dynamics of copper oxide reduction and its re-formation separately in the bulk of the catalyst material and at its surface using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Surface-species transformations progress within seconds whereas the subsurface (bulk) processes unfold within minutes. Evidence is presented that electroreduction of OD-Cu foams results in kinetic trapping of subsurface (bulk) oxide species, especially for cycling between strongly oxidizing and reducing potentials. Specific reduction-oxidation protocols may optimize formation of bulk-oxide species and thereby catalytic properties. Together with the Raman-detected surface-adsorbed *OH and C-containing species, the oxide species could collectively facilitate *CO adsorption, resulting an enhanced selectivity towards valuable C2+ products during CO2RR. Oxide-derived copper materials display high catalytic activities for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, but the mechanisms surrounding this high performance are not fully understood. Here, the authors use time-resolved operando spectroscopy to probe the structural dynamics of copper oxide reduction and reformation, both in the bulk and on the surface of copper foam catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pyroptosis of the renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) and interstitial inflammation are central pathological characteristics of acute kidney injury (AKI). Pyroptosis acts as a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death and is mainly dependent on activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Previous studies revealed that acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) promotes inflammation during metabolic stress suggesting that ACSS2 might regulate pyroptosis and inflammatory responses of RTECs in AKI. Methods and results: The expression of ACSS2 was found to be significantly increased in the renal epithelial cells of mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced AKI. Pharmacological and genetic strategies demonstrated that ACSS2 regulated NLRP3-mediated caspase-1 activation and pyroptosis through the stimulation of the KLF5/NF-κB pathway in RTECs. The deletion of ACSS2 attenuated renal tubular pathological injury and inflammatory cell infiltration in an LPS-induced mouse model, and ACSS2-deficient mice displayed impaired NLRP3 activation-mediated pyroptosis and decreased IL-1β production in response to the LPS challenge. In HK-2 cells, ACSS2 deficiency suppressed NLRP3-mediated caspase-1 activation and pyroptosis through the downregulation of the KLF5/NF-κB pathway. The KLF5 inhibitor ML264 suppressed NF-κB activity and NLRP3-mediated caspase-1 activation, thus protecting HK-2 cells from LPS-induced pyroptosis. Conclusion: Our results suggested that ACSS2 regulates activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis by inducing the KLF5/NF-κB pathway in RTECs. These results identified ACSS2 as a potential therapeutic target in AKI. We found that the expression of ACSS2 was significantly increased in RTECs in septic AKI. ACSS2-deficient mice displayed resistance to renal damage in this model. ACSS2 regulated NLRP3-mediated caspase-1 activation and pyroptosis through the KLF5/NF-κB pathway in RTECs. Pharmacological inhibition of KLF5 suppressed NLRP3 activation and caspase-1 cleavage by downregulating of NF-κB. Our results suggest that ACSS2 is a pro-pathogenic mediator of cell pyroptosis of RTECs and renal inflammation in sepsis-induced AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and sensitive fluorescent and colorimetric dual-readout assay for detection of acid phosphatase (ACP) was developed via Ce(III) ions-directed aggregation-induced emission (AIE) of glutathione-protected gold nanoclusters (GSH-AuNCs) and oxidase-mimicking activity of Ce(IV) ions. Free Ce(IV) ions exhibited a strong oxidase-mimetic activity, catalytically oxidizing colorless 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) into its blue product oxTMB in the presence of dissolved O2, thus triggering a remarkable color reaction detected visually. ACP can hydrolyze L-ascorbic acid-2-phosphate (AAP) with the production of ascorbic acid (AA). The AA is able to reduce Ce(IV) ions to Ce(III) ions, thus quenching the oxidase-mimetic activity of Ce(IV) ions. Meanwhile, Ce(III) ions induce AIE of GSH-AuNCs, resulting in the enhancement of the fluorescence signal of GSH-AuNCs. Both the fluorescent and colorimetric dual-mode analysis platforms exhibit a sensitive response to ACP, providing detection limits as low as 0.101 U/L and 0.200 U/L, respectively. Besides, this fabricated dual-mode detection platform holds the potential for analysis of ACP in human serum samples and screening inhibitors for ACP. With good performance and practicability, this study shows promising application in the convenient and reliable determination of ACP activity. A facile and sensitive fluorescent and colorimetric dual-readout assay for detection of acid phosphatase (ACP) was developed via Ce(III) ions-directed aggregation-induced emission (AIE) of glutathione-protected gold nanoclusters (GSH-AuNCs) and oxidase-mimicking activity of Ce(IV) ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When designing steel members with nonsymmetric cross sections, it is essential to consider twisting effects when performing stability checks via second-order analysis according to the ANSI/AISC 360-22. Existing line-element formulations for nonsymmetric sections are mostly derived based on thin-walled assumptions, leading to an overestimation of member strength due to the inaccurate prediction of member behavior, especially when the cross sections have moderate wall thickness. This paper proposes an efficient line-element method for second-order analysis of steel members with nonsymmetric thick-walled sections considering the warping degree of freedom (DOF) and the twisting effects along with the transverse shear deformations. Additionally, a two-dimensional (2D) finite-element cross section analysis method employing the constant strain triangle (CST) element is developed to calculate the section properties for arbitrary cross sections, including the Wagner and the shear coefficients. The proposed method is implemented in the educational structural analysis software MASTAN2 and verified through two sets of examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of our study is to identify the efficacy of ruxolitinib in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) recipients with multidrug-resistant (MDR)-graft-versus-host disease (GVHD, n = 34). MDR-GVHD was defined as GVHD showing no improvement after at least 3 types of treatments. The median number of previous GVHD-therapies was 4 for both MDR-acute GVHD (aGVHD) and MDR-chronic GVHD (cGVHD). For MDR-aGVHD (n = 15), the median time to response was 10 days (range 2 to 65), and the overall response rate (ORR) was 60.0% (9/15), including 40.0% (6/15) complete response (CR) and 20.0% (3/15) partial response (PR). The 1-year probability of overall survival after ruxolitinib was 66.7%. The rates of hematologic and infectious toxicities were 73.3% and 46.7% after ruxolitinib treatment. For MDR-cGVHD (n = 19), the median time to response was 29 days (range 6 to 175), and the ORR was 89.5% (17/19), including 26.3% (5/19) CR and 63.2% (12/19) PR. All patients remained alive until our last follow-up. The rates of hematologic and infectious toxicities were 36.8% and 47.4% after ruxolitinib treatment. Ruxolitinib is an effective salvage treatment for MDR-GVHD in haplo-HSCT recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spermatogenesis process plays a major role in male fertility. Quercetin, a flavonoid, is found in daily food or traditional Chinese medicine, which has a significant effect on treating inflammatory diseases. Several studies have shown that quercetin can improve male spermatogenesis. However, the intrinsic mechanism has not been systematically investigated. The network pharmacology approaches were utilized to investigate the mechanisms of quercetin against spermatogenesis impairment (SI). 78 potential therapeutic targets of quercetin against SI were identified. The enrichment analysis showed that the mechanism of quercetin on SI is closely related to its anti-inflammatory pharmacological effects. It is indicated that quercetin could be used for treating SI through inflammation-related targets or pathways including NF-κB, MAPK, JAK-STAT and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial learning and memory are typically assessed to evaluate hippocampus-dependent cognitive and memory functions in vivo. Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation by kinases and phosphatases play critical roles in spatial learning and memory. Here we report that the Wip1 phosphatase is essential for spatial learning, with knockout mice lacking Wip1 phosphatase exhibiting dysfunctional spatial cognition. Aberrant phosphorylation of the Wip1 substrates p38, ATM, and p53 were observed in the hippocampi of Wip1 −/− mice, but only p38 inhibition reversed impairments in long-term potentiation in Wip1 -knockout mice. p38 inhibition consistently ameliorated the spatial learning dysfunction caused by Wip1 deficiency. Our results demonstrate that deletion of Wip1 phosphatase impairs hippocampus-dependent spatial learning and memory, with aberrant downstream p38 phosphorylation involved in this process and providing a potential therapeutic target. • Mice deficient in Wip1 (wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1) exhibit spatial cognitive dysfunction. • Wip1 deficiency results in downstream aberrant phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in mouse hippocampi. • p38 inhibition reverses impaired learning and cognitive function in Wip1−/− mice. • The Wip1-p38 axis plays a vital role in spatial learning and memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Axially chiral indole‐based frameworks have been recognized as a class of important five‐membered heterobiaryls and developing catalytic asymmetric approaches for constructing these frameworks in an enantioselective manner is highly desirable. In recent years, synthetic chemists have paid much attention to this research field, and rapid developments have occurred. At this point, a range of axially chiral indole‐based scaffolds have been constructed via various catalytic asymmetric reactions based on different strategies. Thus, the catalytic asymmetric construction of axially chiral indole‐based frameworks has become an emerging area. This minireview summarizes the rapid advances in this field and gives some insights into future developments, which will help this research field to thrive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary of main observation and conclusion: A new class of indole‐based allylic donors have been designed and developed for palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative allylations. In addition, the first application of these indole‐based allylic donors in palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative [3+2] cycloaddition and allylic amination has been achieved by reacting with isocyanates and sulfonyl amines, respectively. This approach represents the first design of indole‐based allylic donors, which is helpful for settling the challenge of designing and developing new class of heterocycle‐based allylic donors for Pd‐catalyzed decarboxylative allylation reactions. Moreover, the application of this new class of allylic donors in cycloadditions and substitutions will add new contents to the research field of decarboxylative allylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tubulin polymerisation inhibitors that target colchicine binding site were powerful anticancer agents. Although along the years many colchicine binding site inhibitors (CBSIs) have been reported, few piperidine derivatives were identified as CBSIs. In this regard, we focussed efforts on the piperidine as a promising chemotype to develop potent CBSIs. Herein, novel piperidine derivatives were synthesised and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities. Among them, compound 17a displayed powerful anticancer activity with the IC50 value of 0.81 µM against PC3 cells, which was significantly better than 5-fluorouracil. It could inhibit tubulin polymerisation binding at the colchicine site and inhibit the tumour growth in vitro and in vivo. Further biological studies depicted that 17a suppressed the colony formation, induced apoptosis, and inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition against PC3 cells. These results revealed that compound 17a is a promising colchicine binding site inhibitor for the treatment of cancer and it is worthy of further exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tubulin polymerisation inhibitors exhibited an important role in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer. Herein, we reported the medicinal chemistry efforts leading to a new series of benzothiazoles by a bioisosterism approach. Biological testing revealed that compound 12a could significantly inhibit in vitro tubulin polymerisation of a concentration dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 2.87 μM. Immunofluorescence and EBI competition assay investigated that compound 12a effectively inhibited tubulin polymerisation and directly bound to the colchicine-binding site of β-tubulin in PC3 cells. Docking analysis showed that 12a formed hydrogen bonds with residues Tyr357, Ala247 and Val353 of tubulin. Importantly, it displayed the promising antiproliferative ability against C42B, LNCAP, 22RV1 and PC3 cells with IC50 values of 2.81 μM, 4.31 μM, 2.13 μM and 2.04 μM, respectively. In summary, compound 12a was a novel colchicine site tubulin polymerisation inhibitor with potential to treat prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of sepsis and has also been observed in some patients suffering from the new coronavirus pneumonia COVID-19, which is currently a major global concern. Thymoquinone (TQ) is one of the most active ingredients in Nigella sativa seeds. It has a variety of beneficial properties including anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. Here, we investigated the possible protective effects of TQ against kidney damage in septic BALB/c mice. Eight-week-old male BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: control, TQ, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and TQ+CLP. CLP was performed after 2 weeks of TQ gavage. After 48 h, we measured the histopathological alterations in the kidney tissue and the serum levels of creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). We also evaluated pyroptosis (NLRP3, caspase-1), apoptosis (caspase-3, caspase-8), proinflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6)-related protein and gene expression levels. Our results demonstrated that TQ inhibited CLP-induced increased serum CRE and BUN levels. It also significantly inhibited the high levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, caspase-3, caspase-8, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 induced by CLP. Furthermore, NF-κB protein level was significantly decreased in the TQ+CLP group than in the CLP group. Together, our results indicate that TQ may be a potential therapeutic agent for sepsis-induced AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C32H49N3O6S, orthorhombic, P212121 (no. 19), a = 9.2618(2) Å, b = 12.4066(2) Å, c = 27.2256(5) Å, V = 3128.42(12) Å3, Z = 4, R gt (F) = 0.0517, wR ref (F2) = 0.1355, T = 173.20(2) K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove the conjectural relationship recently proposed in Dubrovin and Yang (Commun Number Theory Phys 11:311–336, 2017) between certain special cubic Hodge integrals of the Gopakumar–Mariño–Vafa type (Gopakumar and Vafa in Adv Theor Math Phys 5:1415–1443, 1999, Mariño and Vafa in Contemp Math 310:185–204, 2002) and GUE correlators, and the conjecture proposed in Dubrovin et al. (Adv Math 293:382–435, 2016) that the partition function of these Hodge integrals is a tau function of the discrete KdV hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma japonicum is a public health concern in China, and Hubei is one of the most affected provinces. Although the routine surveillance since the mid 1950s has generated substantial data pertaining to the habitats of the intermediate snail host, Oncomelania hupensis, its spatiotemporal distribution is not known. A review of local chronicles on the annual records of schistosomiasis control program was conducted to retrospectively collect information about O. hupensis habitats. The habitats were mapped by a field survey in 2016. We categorized the habitats into five evolutionary types, namely, Type I, current habitat; Types II-IV, historical habitat; and Type V, suspected habitat according to habitat development. The shape of habitats was determined using geographical information systems. A visual database was established and managed on the ArcGIS platform. A total of 43 472 O. hupensis habitats, covering an area of approximately 430 000 hectares, were identified through the study. Over 60% of these habitats have been eliminated. The highest number of O. hupensis habitats was recorded in 1975; however, most of them were preserved until 1995. Our study, for the first time, sheds light on the spatiotemporal distribution of O. hupensis in the most affected province in China. The data will be valuable for policy making and for formulating strategies to eliminate schistosomiasis in Hubei Province. Author summary: Schistosomiasis is a major infectious disease of humans and animals, and is a global concern. In China, it is endemically found across 12 provinces along the Yangtze River and in the area south of the river. According to the "13th Five-Year Plan for National Schistosomiasis Control", by the end of 2020, schistosomiasis epidemic will continue to decline towards eradication throughout China. However, the control and elimination of its intermediate snail host, Oncomelania hupensis, is crucial for blocking schistosomiasis transmissions in China. Therefore, further understanding, surveillance, and control of O. hupensis distribution is critical to protect the health of individuals in endemic areas and to formulate relevant prevention and control strategies in order to reduce the burden of schistosomiasis, and ultimately overcome this epidemic. In this study, we reviewed local chronicles and annual records and extensively surveyed Hubei Province to collect information on the historical, current, and suspected habitats of O. hupensis. Subsequently, we used various geospatial tools (ArcGIS and Google Earth) to visualize the spatial distributions of habitats. Our study provides valuable data that will facilitate more effective habitat management of this intermediate host species and contribute to more precise management of schistosomiasis in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affective elements have been shown to have impact on how individuals and groups make decisions. In this paper, we consider how emotions and mood impact the degree of competitiveness and cooperativeness in groups. We provide a parametric model to regulate its evolution and introduce a negotiation scheme to facilitate group formation, depending on such affective elements. We simulate a virtual platform for the proposed model and conduct experiments showing that our proposal is effective: agents which cooperate affectively with others through negotiation tend to attain higher utilities and outperform non-cooperative and/or emotionless agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Static charges on optical anti-counterfeiting membranes may lead to materials structural changes, dust stain aggravation, and misreading of optical information. Incorporating conductive particles is a common way to transfer accumulative charges, but the key issue is how to achieve high dispersion and effective distribution of particles. According to the strategy of assembly-induced structural colors, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were employed as a solid emulsifier to stabilize hydrophobic carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) in aqueous media; subsequently, by solvent-evaporation-modulated co-assembly under a condition of 30 °C and 20 RH%, the binary suspensions containing 2 wt% CNC and CNPs with the equivalent concentration relative to CNC ranged from 1:40 to 1:10 were used to prepare antistatic composite membranes. Surface chemistry regulation of CNCs was applied to optimize the dispersibility of CNPs and the orientation of assembled CNC arrays, and the hydrophilic CNCs were more favorable for dispersion and assembly of binary suspension systems. Meanwhile, one-dimension carbon nanotube (CNT) and zero-dimension carbon black (CB) were found to show better dispersibility than two-dimension graphene, which was verified by a semiquantitative theoretical study. Moreover, the stable binary systems of CNT/CNC and CB/CNC were chosen for co-assembly as membranes, and the uniaxial orientation could be optimized as the full-width of 9.8° at half-maximum deviation angle while the surface resistivity could also drop down to 3.42 × 102 Ω·cm·cm−1. The structural color character of such paper-homology and antistatic-integrated membranes contributes to optical information hiding-and-reading, and shows great potential as optical mark recognition materials for electrostatic discharge protective packaging and anti-counterfeiting applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• More infected mice were detected in June samples than in September samples. • The sentinel mice infection pattern showed aggregation when the distance was less than or equal to 34.52 km. • Hotspots were detected especially in areas along the Yangtze River, such as the Fu-Lun, Dongjing-Tongshun, and Juzhang River basins. Progress in national schistosomiasis control in China has successfully reduced disease transmission in many districts. However, a low transmission rate hinders conventional snail surveys in identifying areas at risk. In this study, Schistosoma japonicum- infected sentinel mice surveillance was conducted to identify high-risk areas of schistosomiasis transmission in Hubei province, China. The risk of schistosomiasis transmission was assessed using sentinel mice monitoring in Hubei province from 2010 to 2018. Field detections were undertaken in June and September, and the sentinel mice were kept for approximately 35 days in a laboratory. They were then dissected to determine whether schistosome infection was present. Ripley's K -function and kernel density estimation were applied to analyze the spatial distribution and positive point pattern of schistosomiasis transmission. In total, 190 sentinel mice surveillance sites were selected to detect areas of schistosomiasis infection from 2010 to 2018, with 29 (15.26%) sites showing infected mice. Of 4723 dissected mice, 256 adult worms were detected in 112 infected mice. The infection rate was 2.37%, with an average of 2.28 worms detected per infected mouse. Significantly more infected mice were detected in the June samples than in the September samples (χ 2 = 12.11, p < 0.01). Ripley's L (d) index analysis showed that, when the distance was ≤34.52 km, the sentinel mice infection pattern showed aggregation, with the strongest aggregation occurring at 7.86 km. Three hotspots were detected using kernel density estimation: at the junction of Jingzhou District, Gong'an County, and Shashi District in Jingzhou City; in Wuhan City at the border of the Huangpi and Dongxihu Districts, and in the Hannan and Caidian Districts. The results showed that sentinel mice surveillance is useful in identifying high-risk areas, and could provide valuable information for schistosomiasis prevention and control, especially concerning areas along the Yangtze River, such as the Fu-Lun, Dongjing-Tongshun, and Juzhang River basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic performance of soilbags-built retaining wall model was studied experimentally. A series of small-scale shaking table tests with the input of different amplitude sinusoidal waves and a large-scale shaking table test in a designed laminar shear box with the input of the Wenchuan earthquake wave were carried out on soilbags' retaining wall models. For comparison, the small-scale shaking table tests were also conducted on horizontally reinforced retaining wall models. The horizontal acceleration responses, the Fourier spectra, the dynamic earth pressure and the lateral displacements of soilbags' retaining wall models were investigated in shaking table tests. The results show that the seismic response of the soilbags' retaining wall is equivalent to or even slightly better than that of the horizontally reinforced retaining wall. The fundamental frequency and the Fourier spectral characteristics of the soilbags' retaining wall are similar to those of backfill sands. The dynamic earth pressure of the wall model fluctuates almost synchronously with the input Wenchuan wave and no residual earth pressure is induced by the seismic loading. The permanent lateral displacements are small when subjected to multiple shakings, providing a proof that the retaining wall of soilbags has a good seismic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed a novel real-time algorithm for electrocardiogram (ECG) signal analysis using the first derivative and automatic threshold to locate the R-peaks. First, the ECG signals are filtered by Butterworth low pass filter to reduce the high frequency noise. Then, the first 10 s datasets of the first derivative of ECG signal are analyzed to search the maximum value. Three process thresholds are computed using this maximum value, which is used to avoid the missed and false peak detections. Thus, a threshold is automatically calculated using these searched maximum values, and divide the differentiated ECG to obtain two intersection points. Recording the time of these two intersection points, a time interval is formed for the differentiated ECG. Delaying this time interval for specific sampling periods, a new time interval is acquired for the corresponding ECG cycle. Finally, the local maximum in an ECG cycle is narrowed down in this new time interval such that the R-peak can be located. The MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database of 48 ECG recordings is used to verify the proposed algorithm. On this dataset, the proposed algorithm yielded mean sensitivity of 99.17%, positive predictivity of 97.37% and average time error of 1.01 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vision is the main way for people to perceive and recognize the world. In this paper, four categories of the redundant information of video encoding, spatial redundancy, time redundancy, visual redundancy and statistical redundancy, are first introduced. Spatial redundancy is redundant information existing in static frames, time redundancy is the luminance and chrominance correlation between adjacent frames in the video sequence, visual redundancy is information that the human visual system cannot perceive, statistical redundancy is the expression redundancy of the information source symbols. Then the performance assessment of video coding are introduced. And the future development of video coding and conclusion are finally discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chorus waves with the frequency usually between 0.1 and 0.8 equatorial electron gyrofrequency fce can accelerate energetic electrons to relativistic energies (several mega‐electron volts, MeV). Here, we report a unique event that both regular chorus and unusual chorus with extremely low frequency (ELF) below 0.1 fce occurred during the 22 December 2014 geomagnetic storm. Relativistic electron fluxes decreased with decreasing wave frequency and had minima exactly corresponding to the presence of ELF chorus. Performing a two‐dimensional simulation, we find that ELF chorus can result in unusual loss of relativistic electrons while regular chorus contributes to the acceleration, leading to the frequency‐modulated fluxes of such high‐energy electrons. The current results provide a new scenario that ELF chorus waves can potentially mitigate space weather by inhibiting relativistic electron flux enhancements. Key Points: Chorus waves in both regular and ELF frequency band are observed to modulate the relativistic electron fluxesSimulations show that ELF chorus can yield unusual losses of relativistic electronsThe competing effects that induced by regular chorus‐electron and ELF chorus‐electron interactions lead to the modulated electron fluxes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a Pd(II) catalyzed direct modification of dihydropyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinoline derivatives with various alkenes including acrylates, acrylamide, cyclohexenone, maleimide and styrenes. A series of highly functionalized alkenylated dihydropyrroloisoquinolines could be prepared in acceptable to good yields (up to 98 %) through oxidative Heck coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stable deposition of reactive nanostructures on metal electrodes is a key process for modern technologies including energy conversion/ storage, electrocatalysis or sensing. Here a facile, scalable route is reported, which allows the bulk nanostructuring of copper foam electrodes with metal, metal oxide or metal hydroxide nanostructures. A concentration‐gradient driven synthetic approach enables the fabrication of Janus‐type electrodes where one face features Cu(OH)2 nanowires, while the other face features CuO nanoflowers. Thermal or chemical conversion of the nanostructured surfaces into copper oxide or copper metal is possible whilst retaining the respective nanostructure morphologies. As proof of concept, the functionalized electrodes are promising in electrocatalytic water oxidation and water reduction reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the facile design and fabrication of 3D-printed microstructured electrodes for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution. ABS polymer-based mesh scaffolds are chemically functionalized to enable electroless nickel metal deposition and subsequent catalyst (nickel iron hydroxide) immobilization. The resulting composites show sustained oxygen evolution with low overpotentials and high stability. The modular approach reported enables the scalable on-demand fabrication of microstructured composite electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing international trade, food safety is becoming a global health concern, the requirement for food quality increases constantly. There is an urgent need for a new method to identify the potential problems and support policies for regulations. Metabonomics is an advanced tool suitable for the analysis of food safety. This paper shows that metabonomics has favorable prospects for applications in veterinary drugs, banned substances, safety evaluation of genetically modified food, food adulteration, and foodborne illnesses. Although metabonomics has been proven as a useful tool for food safety risk monitoring and assessment, there are still some significant challenges existing in its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to probe the mechanism of how miR-224/cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein 3 (CPEB3) axis is concerned with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The expressions and prognostic values of miR-224 and CPEB3 in HCC patients were analyzed based on the data acquired from the TCGA and GEO databases. qRT-PCR was conducted to test the mRNA expression levels of miR-224 and CPEB3. The expression level of miR-224 in SMMC-7721/HuH-7 cells was up-/downregulated by miR-224 mimic/inhibitor to explore its influence on HCC cell proliferation and motility by utilizing CCK8 and transwell assays, respectively. Luciferase activity assay was applied for verifying the target of miR-224. The relationship between miR-224 and CPEB3 was analyzed utilizing Pearson's correlation coefficient. The protein level of CPEB3 was tested by Western blotting. Rescue assay was performed to determine whether CPEB3 involved in the process of HCC cell phenotype changes caused by miR-224 alteration. Results: MiR-224 was highly expressed and CPEB3 was lowly expressed in HCC tissues. Besides, the high expression of miR-224 and low expression of CPEB3 were correlated with worse prognosis in HCC patients. Up-/downregulation of miR-224 accelerated/restrained SMMC-7721/HuH-7 cell proliferation and motility. CPEB3 was predicted and proofed as a target gene of miR-224. We discovered that CPEB3 was negatively modulated by miR-224. We also found a sharply negative correlation between CPEB3 and miR-224. Using rescue assay, we showed that overexpression of CPEB3 suppressed the proliferation and motility of SMMC-7721 cells with overexpressed miR-224, while knockdown of CPEB3 facilitated the proliferation and motility of HuH-7 cells with downregulated miR-224. Conclusion: Our data provided evidences that miR-224 is implicated in HCC cell proliferation and motility via targeting CPEB3. The relationship between miR-224 and CPEB3 might be a novel finding, and miR-224/CPEB3 axis might be markers for providing therapeutic and prognostic information in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning to capture dependencies between spatial positions is essential to many visual tasks, especially the dense labeling problems like scene parsing. Existing methods can effectively capture long-range dependencies with self-attention mechanism while short ones by local convolution. However, there is still much gap between long-range and short-range dependencies, which largely reduces the models’ flexibility in application to diverse spatial scales and relationships in complicated natural scene images. To fill such a gap, we develop a Middle-Range (MR) branch to capture middle-range dependencies by restricting self-attention into local patches. Also, we observe that the spatial regions which have large correlations with others can be emphasized to exploit long-range dependencies more accurately, and thus propose a Reweighed Long-Range (RLR) branch. Based on the proposed MR and RLR branches, we build an Omni-Range Dependencies Network (ORDNet) which can effectively capture short-, middle- and long-range dependencies. Our ORDNet is able to extract more comprehensive context information and well adapt to complex spatial variance in scene images. Extensive experiments show that our proposed ORDNet outperforms previous state-of-the-art methods on three scene parsing benchmarks including PASCAL Context, COCO Stuff and ADE20K, demonstrating the superiority of capturing omni-range dependencies in deep models for scene parsing task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis and properties of a 2-to-2′ 18-to-18′ doubly linked Ni(II) norcorrole dimer are described. It adopts a highly planar structure, resulting in effective electronic interactions between the constituent norcorrole units. Nevertheless, each norcorrole unit exhibits substantial antiaromaticity, which stands in sharp contrast to stacked norcorrole dimers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of sepsis and has also been observed in some patients suffering from the new coronavirus pneumonia COVID-19, which is currently a major global concern. Thymoquinone (TQ) is one of the most active ingredients in Nigella sativa seeds. It has a variety of beneficial properties including anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. Here, we investigated the possible protective effects of TQ against kidney damage in septic BALB/c mice. Eight-week-old male BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: control, TQ, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and TQ+CLP. CLP was performed after 2 weeks of TQ gavage. After 48 h, we measured the histopathological alterations in the kidney tissue and the serum levels of creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). We also evaluated pyroptosis (NLRP3, caspase-1), apoptosis (caspase-3, caspase-8), proinflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6)-related protein and gene expression levels. Our results demonstrated that TQ inhibited CLP-induced increased serum CRE and BUN levels. It also significantly inhibited the high levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, caspase-3, caspase-8, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 induced by CLP. Furthermore, NF-κB protein level was significantly decreased in the TQ+CLP group than in the CLP group. Together, our results indicate that TQ may be a potential therapeutic agent for sepsis-induced AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the electrical breakdown of water under microsecond pulsed voltages has been performed. The influence of conductivities (350–1550 μS/cm) has been reported in the needle-plate configuration. Both positive and negative applied voltages (10–30 kV) have been adopted to study the streamer propagation and breakdown phenomena. Three streamer modes are observed in our experiment, and the morphologies of streamers at different conductivities are compared. Increasing the conductivity leads to a thinner gaseous layer and stronger luminance for all streamers. However, the polarity effect of the applied voltages causes differences in the mobility of charges in water and results in different propagation velocities. The minimum breakdown voltage at different polarities exhibits different trends for positive subsonic streamers and negative subsonic streamers. This paper has evaluated the shock wave intensity and bubble dynamics after the breakdown of the water gap. The results show that the relationship of the peak pressure (Pm) and the residual energy of the capacitor at the breakdown time (Wb) is consistent and stable. The bubble dynamics and shock wave propagation are less affected by the water conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer is associated with changed IgG glycosylation, but the alteration in specific subclasses of IgG is unknown. Initially, we optimized five common IgG glycopeptide enrichment methods to acquire a comprehensive profile of IgG glycopeptides. However, an incomplete tryptic digestion of IgG occurred when using an ordinary protease to protein ratio, which significantly impacted the final statistical analysis. Herein, we introduced a two-step enzymatic digestion, enabling the complete digestion of IgG glycopeptides and further improving the detection intensity of the target glycopeptides. In order to rapidly process and automatically integrate the MS data, we developed a simple and effective code using MATLAB. Following statistical analysis, we observed that IgG1_H3N4F1 and IgG1_H3N4 were substantially increased in CRC, while IgG1_H5N5F1, IgG1_H5N4F1S1 and IgG2_H5N4F1 were markedly decreased. A further evaluation of the diagnostic performance showed that they all achieved a fair performance in discriminating the patients from the normal. In terms of the glycan features, it was demonstrated that the CRC progression was associated with increased agalactosylation, and the decreased digalactosylation and galactosylation per antenna on the diantenna glycans of IgG1 and IgG2. Concurrently, the decreased sialylation of IgG1 was strongly correlated with CRC. Moreover, an analysis of tumor-specific glycosylation showed that the alterations of IgG glycosylation were more significant in colon cancer, and no obvious difference was observed between colon and rectal cancer. This study comprehensively optimized the glycopeptide enrichment methods, evaluated the enzymatic digestion effect, and explored the association between CRC progression and subclass-specific glycosylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a diagram automorphism of an affine Kac–Moody algebra such that the folded diagram is still an affine Dynkin diagram, we show that the associated Drinfeld–Sokolov hierarchy also admits an induced automorphism. Then we show how to obtain the Drinfeld–Sokolov hierarchy associated to the affine Kac–Moody algebra that corresponds to the folded Dynkin diagram from the invariant sub-hierarchy of the original Drinfeld–Sokolov hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In previous studies, the predictive role of BIM deletion polymorphism with respect to responses to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs) has been controversial. The potential reasons for these inconsistent findings were unknown. Methods: Data from CTONG0901 clinical trial and medical records of Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute (GLCI) were retrospectively pooled. A total of 194 and 141 EGFR‐mutant non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with first‐ and second‐generation EGFR‐TKIs were examined in the CTONG0901 and GLCI cohorts, respectively. Sixty‐eight patients were treated with third‐generation EGFR‐TKIs in the GLCI cohort. The BIM gene status was examined by next‐generation sequencing. Results: The frequency of BIM deletion polymorphism was 11.3% and 17.0% in CTONG0901 and GLCI cohorts, respectively. For first‐ and second‐generation EGFR‐TKIs in CTONG0901 cohort, objective response (ORR) was 54.5% in BIM deletion group versus 56.4% in wild‐type BIM group (P =.87); disease control rate (DCR) was 90.9% versus 88.4% (P = 1.00); progression‐free survival (PFS) was 10.5 versus 11.2 months (P =.59); and overall survival (OS) was 20.5 versus 20.5 months (P =.73). In GLCI cohort, ORR was 54.2% versus 60.7% (P =.55); DCR was 91.7% versus 96.6% (P =.27); PFS was 10.1 versus 11.6 months (P =.63); and OS was 58.5 versus 45.0 months (P =.93). For third‐generation EGFR‐TKIs, ORR was 18.2% versus 63.2% (P =.02); DCR was 81.8% versus 96.5%, (P =.12); PFS was 5.8 versus 9.0 months (P =.13); and OS was 30.0 versus 24.8 months (P =.85). Cox regression analysis showed that concomitant genetic alterations could adversely affect the response to EGFR‐TKIs, but not BIM deletion. Conclusions: The presence of BIM deletion showed no relation to an impaired response to first‐, second‐, and third‐generation EGFR‐TKIs in NSCLC patients. The factors influencing the response of EGFR‐TKIs were concomitant genetic alterations, but not BIM deletion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Yam is a common 'medicine food homology' vegetable in Asia, and its peel is often considered a food residue during processing or cooking. In this work, the effects of hydrogen peroxide modification on the dietary fibres (DFs) from Chinese yam peel (CYP) were investigated. The structural characteristics of soluble dietary fibre (SDF), insoluble dietary fibre (IDF), modified soluble dietary fibre (MSDF) and modified insoluble dietary fibre (MIDF) were analysed using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, granularity analysis, scanning electron microscopy and GC‐MS (monosaccharide composition). As results, after modification with hydrogen peroxide, the sizes of the DFs were reduced and MIDF exposed more cellulose. Experiments on the physicochemical and functional properties of DFs showed that MSDF and MIDF obtained a better water holding capacity, oil absorption capacity, swelling capacity and absorption abilities with altered structures, which is of great importance in food processing and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]