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Supervised classification of hyperspectral images (HSI) is a very challenging task due to the existence of noisy and mixed spectral characteristics. Recently, the widely developed spectral unmixing techniques offer the possibility to extract spectral mixture information at a subpixel level, which can contribute to the categorization of seriously mixed spectral pixels. Besides, it has been demonstrated that the discrimination between different materials will be improved by integrating the geometry and structure information, which can be derived from the variance between neighboring pixels. Furthermore, by incorporating the spatial context, the superpixel-based spectral–spatial similarity information can be used to smooth classification results in homogeneous regions. Therefore, a novel fusion framework for HSI classification that combines subpixel, pixel, and superpixel-based complementary information is proposed in this paper. Here, both feature fusion and decision fusion schemes are introduced. For the feature fusion scheme, the first step is to extract subpixel-level, pixel-level, and superpixel-level features from HSI, respectively. Then, the multiple feature-induced kernels are fused to form one composite kernel, which is incorporated with a support vector machine (SVM) classifier for label assignment. For the decision fusion scheme, class probabilities based on three different features are estimated by the probabilistic SVM classifier first. Then, the class probabilities are adaptively fused to form a probabilistic decision rule for classification. Experimental results tested on different real HSI images can demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed fusion schemes in improving discrimination capability, when compared with the classification results relied on each individual feature. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Many adolescents are referred to Child Protective Services for possible maltreatment every year, but not much is known about their organized and unstructured activity participation. Objective: The purposes of this study are to provide a description of organized and unstructured activity participation for adolescents who were possible victims of child maltreatment, and evaluate the demographic, family-related, and maltreatment-specific variables associated with participation. Method: Data came from 2776 youth ages 11-17 who participated in the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Responses to the Youth Behavior Checklist from the Youth Self Report were grouped into five organized activities and seven unstructured activities. Descriptions of participation in activity types for the population were estimated using percentages. Logistic regression was used to test for associations of demographics and maltreatment experiences with participation. Results: Relatively low percentages of the population were engaged in organized activities (e.g., 13% in organized sports activities, 10% in mentored groups, and 6% in art and music organized activities), compared to unstructured activities (e.g., 91% in unstructured sports, 34% in games and hobbies, and 23% in computer games). Using English, attending school, having married caregivers, and living at home predicted more engagement in certain types of organized activities. Unstructured activity participation was mostly explained by demographic characteristics such as sex, age, and ethnicity. Conclusions: Future research should explore if increasing accessibility to existing school- or community-based organized activities improves well-being for adolescents at risk for maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A MiRZFP34 gene was isolated from mango. • Overexpression of MiRZFP34 resulted early flowering in Arabidopsis. • Overexpression of MiRZFP34 improved resistance to drought and low temperatures in Arabidopsis. • MiRZFP34 interacted with MiAP1-1, MiAP1-2, and MiCAL2 protein. The RING zinc finger protein (RZFP) gene plays an important role in the response to stress in plants. In this study, full-length cDNA sequences of the RZFP homologous gene MiRZFP34 were obtained from mango. The open reading frame of MiRZFP34 is 858 bp in length and encodes 285 amino acids. Sequence analysis showed that MiRZFP34 had typical CHY zinc finger and RING-finger domains. Expression analysis showed that MiRZFP34 was highly expressed in flowers but was expressed at relatively low levels in juvenile tissues. Drought and low temperature treatment significantly upregulated the expression of MiRZFP34 in leaves. Transformation of Arabidopsis revealed that overexpression of MiRZFP34 promoted early flowering and significantly upregulated the expression levels of the flowering-related genes APETALA1 (AtAP1) , FLOWERING LOCUS T (AtFT), and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO1 (AtSOC1) in transgenic lines than WT plants. In addition, MiRZFP34 -overexpressing lines showed resistance to drought and low temperature stress, which was accompanied by a higher expression of drought and low temperature responsive genes in these lines. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays showed that MiRZFP34 protein can interact with MiAP1-1, MiAP1-2, and MiCAL2. These results were the first to show that MiRZFP34 was involved in both flowering regulation and abiotic stress responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammation mediated by an autoimmune response. Baculoviral IAP repeat‐containing 2 (BIRC2) and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1‐associated death domain protein (TRADD) have been reported to be highly expressed in RA, while their specific roles during RA progression remain unclear. This study aims to explore the specific regulation of BIRC2/TRADD during the progression of RA. Methods: C28/I2 cells were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish an in vitro RA cellular model. The expression level of BIRC2 and TRADD was examined by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Cell Counting Kit‐8 and flow cytometry assays were performed to examine cell viability and necroptosis, respectively. The oxidative stress markers were detected using commercial kits, and the pro‐inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA assay. The interaction between BIRC2 and TRADD was verified by co‐immunoprecipitation assay. Results: BIRC2 and TRADD were discovered to be highly expressed in LPS‐mediated C28/I2 cells. BIRC2 knockdown was demonstrated to inhibit LPS‐induced cell viability loss, necroptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation in C28/I2 cells. BIRC2 could interact with TRADD and positively regulate TRADD expression. In addition, the protective role of BIRC2 knockdown against LPS‐mediated injuries in C28/I2 cells was partly weakened by TRADD overexpression. Conclusion: In summary, BIRC2 knockdown alleviated necroptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation in LPS‐mediated C28/I2 cells, which might correlate to the regulatory role of TRADD, indicating a novel target for the treatment of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation on the whole plants of Ypsilandra parviflora led to the isolation of seven new spirostanol saponins, named ypsiparosides A–G, together with 14 known saponins. Their structures were unambiguously established based on extensive spectroscopic evidence and chemical methods. The induced rabbit platelet aggregation activities of the isolates were tested. Compounds 4 , 15 , and 17 showed maximal platelet aggregation rates ranging from 43 to 55% at a concentration of 300 μg/mL. Further experiments exhibited that compounds 4 , 15 , and 17 possessed EC 50 values of 642.9, 95.3, and 300.8 μg/mL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the similarity of the tobacco use of youth and their friends and unraveling the extent to which this similarity results from selection or socialization is central to peer influence models of tobacco use. The similarity between the tobacco use of Chinese adolescents and their friends were explored in middle (880, 13.3 years, 399 girls) and high school (849, 16.6 years, 454 girls) cohorts assessed yearly at three times. Boys were more similar to their friends in tobacco use than were girls. Growth curve models revealed escalation of use during middle school and stable use during high school for boys, whereas models for girls could not be computed. Evidence of selection effects emerged from cross-lagged panel analyses revealing pathways from boys' tobacco use to subsequent changes in their friends' use; assessment of selection and influence processes could not be assessed for girls. The results from this study suggest that peer influence processes may differ for Chinese boys and girls and that further quantitative and qualitative research is necessary to understand these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of patients who underwent thoracoscopic wedge resection without chest drain placement. Methods: The subjects of this retrospective study were 89 patients, who underwent thoracoscopic wedge resection at our hospital between January, 2013 and July, 2015. A total of 45 patients whose underlying condition did not meet the following criteria were assigned to the 'chest drain placement group' (group A): peripheral lesions, healthy lung parenchyma, no intraoperative air leaks, hemorrhage or effusion accumulation, and no pleural adhesion. The other 44 patients whose underlying condition met the criteria were assigned to the 'no chest drain placement group' (group B). Patient characteristics, specimen data, and postoperative conditions were analyzed and compared between the groups. Results: Group A patients had poorer forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) values, less normal spirometric results, significantly higher resected lung volume, a greater maximum tumor-pleura distance, and a larger maximum tumor size. They also had a longer postoperative hospital stay. There was no difference between the two groups in postoperative complications. Conclusions: Avoiding chest drain placement after a thoracoscopic wedge resection appears to be safe and beneficial for patients who have small peripheral lesions and healthy lung parenchyma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six donor-acceptor systems with styrene based 9-phenyl carbazole, 4,4’-di(hydro, methyl, methoxy or octyloxy) triphenylamine and 4-methylphenyl indoline derivatives as donors, and s-triazine group as the acceptor were synthesized and characterized. The charge-separated states of these donor-acceptor systems were generated through the effective photoinduced electron transfers from excited donor modules to acceptor modules and had lifetimes ranging from 57 ns to 215 ns. These donor-acceptor systems are capable of fast charge separation, but have extremely slow charge recombination. The back electron transfer processes of these donor-acceptor systems occur in the inverted region of the Marcus curve. The driving forces of back electron transfer and the reorganization energies of electron transfer decrease in the order of 9-phenyl carbazole derivative, 4,4’-di(hydro, methyl, methoxy or octyloxy) triphenylamine derivative and 4-methylphenyl indoline derivative. These two factors work together to determine the different lifetimes of charge-separated states in these donor-acceptor systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The MFT gene in mango was identified and characterized. • The expression patterns of the MFT gene were analysed in mango. • Overexpression of MiMFT inhibited seed germination. • Overexpression of MiMFT enhanced the abiotic stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Mother of FT and TFL1 (MFT) is a member of the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family, which plays important roles in seed development, the stress response, and flowering time regulation. In the present study, the MFT homologous gene MiMFT was identified in mango cultivar 'SiJiMi'. The promoter of MiMFT contained phytohormone-, plant growth-, plant development-, and abiotic stress-responsive elements. MiMFT was significantly highly expressed in the seeds, and its expression strongly increased in response to polyethylene glycol (PEG) and NaCl treatment. Overexpression of MiMFT in Arabidopsis adversely affected seed germination and upregulated seed germination-related gene expression, but it did not affect flowering. Additionally, the salt and drought tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing MiMFT considerably increased, and these plants presented decreased sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA), with significantly increased expression of stress-related and ABA signaling pathway genes. Subcellular localization analysis showed that MiMFT strongly localizes in the nucleus, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays showed that MiMFT proteins interact with Mi14–3–3D2. In summary, MiMFT was determined to be involved in seed germination as well as in the response to abiotic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel hyperspectral image (HSI) classification method by the probabilistic fusion of pixel-level and superpixel-level classifiers is proposed. Generally, pixel-level classifiers based on spectral information only may generate “salt and pepper” result in the classification map since spatial correlation is not considered. By incorporating spatial information in homogeneous regions, the superpixel-level classifiers can effectively eliminate the noisy appearance. However, the classification accuracy will be deteriorated if undersegmentation cannot be fully avoided in superpixel-based approaches. Therefore, it is proposed to adaptively combine both the pixel-level and superpixel-level classifiers, to improve the classification performance in both homogenous and structural areas. In the proposed method, a support vector machine classifier is first applied to estimate the pixel-level class probabilities. Then, superpixel-level class probabilities are estimated based on a joint sparse representation. Finally, the two levels of class probabilities are adaptively combined in a maximum a posteriori estimation model, and the classification map is obtained by solving the maximum optimization problem. Experimental results on real HSI images demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over several well-known classification approaches in terms of classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A novel set-to-set distance-based spectral–spatial classification method for hyperspectral images (HSIs) is proposed. In HSIs, the spatially connected and spectrally similar pixels within each homogeneous region can be considered as one set of test samples, i.e., a test set, which should belong to the same class. In addition, each class of labeled pixels can be regarded as one set of training samples, i.e., a training set. Therefore, it is a natural consideration in the proposed method to measure the similarity between test and training sets via specific set-based distance criteria and then decide the classification label for each test set, accordingly. Specifically, the superpixel algorithm-based oversegmentation technique jointly exploits both the spatial similarity and structural information to first divide the HSI into multiple perceptually uniform regions. As a result, each segmented region corresponds to one test set. Then, each test/training set is represented with an affine hull (AH) model, which utilizes both the similarity and variance of pixels within each set to adaptively characterize the set. Finally, the class label for each test set is determined based on the closest geometry distance between test and training AHs. Experimental results on real HSI data sets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm over several well-known classification approaches, in terms of classification accuracy and computational speed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Preschool children's sleep was examined as a moderator of the association between negative emotionality and both peer acceptance and peer rejection. Participants were 115 children (47 percent girls, M age = 4.29 years, SD = .63). Preschool teachers reported on children's negative emotionality (anger/frustration, sadness, and fear). Sleep was measured objectively using actigraphy in the child's home for seven consecutive nights. Peer acceptance and rejection were assessed using children's choices in sociometric interviews. Controlling for potential confounds, moderation analyses revealed that negative emotionality predicted peer acceptance and rejection only among children with poorer sleep quality (lower sleep efficiency, more frequent wake episodes, longer sleep latency), but not better sleep quality. Findings suggest that sleep is important not only for predicting child functioning but also for moderating the adverse effects of negative emotionality on a salient indicator of interpersonal functioning for preschool age children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To measure plasma levels of superoxide dismutases 1, 2, and 3 (SOD1, 2, 3) and determine whether SODs can function as biomarkers for coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients & Methods. Patient groups were as follows: patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP, n=33), patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS, n=49), and controls (n=42). Protein quantification was done using ELISA. Results. The concentrations of plasma SOD1 and SOD2 were higher in CAD than in healthy controls. No difference in SOD3 levels between CAD and control groups was found. Limited correlations were found between SODs and gender, age, and severity of coronary artery stenosis. Conclusions. Plasma levels of SOD1 and SOD2 were elevated in patients with CAD and might serve as surrogate biomarkers for CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review (with 144 refs.) focuses on the recent advances in the preparation and application of magnetic micro/nanoparticles. Specifically, it covers (a) methods for preparation (such as by coprecipitation, pyrolysis, hydrothermal, solvothermal, sol-gel, micro-emulsion, sonochemical, medium dispersing or emulsion polymerization methods), and (b) applications such as magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic separation of biomolecules (nucleic acids; proteins; cells), separation of metal ions and organic analytes, immobilization of enzymes, biological detection, magnetic catalysis and water treatment. Finally, the existing challenges and possible trends in the field are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karyopherinβ1 (KPNB1), one of the cytosolic factors involved in the selective protein transport across nucleus, docked at nuclear pore complex and transported through nuclear envelope in an ATP-dependent style, assisting proteins to be recognized as import substrates. It has been reported to be bound up with the origination and progress of lung cancer, cervical cancer, head and neck cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. In current study, we demonstrated for the first time that the role of KPNB1 in human glioma. KPNB1 was over-expressed as the well-known trend of Ki-67(p < 0.01) and tightly closed to poor prognosis, as an independent prognostic factor. In vitro, up-regulation of KPNB1 was accompanied by certain rising levels of proliferation markers, employing U251 and U87MG cells as serum-starve models. Silencing KPNB1 in U251 and U87MG led to G1 phase arrested directly via flow cytometry analysis. In the nucleus of KPNB1-depletion cell models, the decreasing expression of KPNB1 and β-catenin was detected respectively, which indicated that KPNB1 functioned via β-catenin signal. Besides, the interaction between KPNB1 and β-catenin was proved clearly by immunoprecipitation. Taken together, it showed that KPNB1 might enhance human glioma proliferation via Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of formic acid (FA) by catalytic oxidation of sustainable biomass is of significant conceptual and practical interest, because FA is an important chemical and is now produced from non-sustainable fossil fuel. In this work, we found that a binary catalyst of Keggin-type heteropoly acid H5PV2Mo10O40 + H2SO4 was efficient in oxidizing biomass cellulose to FA using oxygen as an oxidant in aqueous solution. In the oxidation, the pH of the aqueous solutions plays a key role, and a decrease in pH improves the transformation. Cellulose was transformed to FA with conversions from 60% to 100% and FA yields from 28% to 61% (based on the carbon atoms in the feedstock) after 5 min of reaction at 180 °C, using H2SO4 as an additive to decrease the pH from 1.79 to 0.56. The influences of the pH on both the catalyst and the reaction pathway were discussed. By decreasing the pH, the oxidation potential and electron affinity were increased due to the formation of protonated H5PV2Mo10O40 and VO2+ species, favoring the reduction of the catalyst and oxidation of the substrate. A reaction pathway for the generation of products was proposed, and the influence of the pH on the reaction pathway was also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant methylation has been associated with transcriptional inactivation of tumor-related genes in a wide spectrum of human neoplasms. The influence of DNA methylation in oligodendroglial tumors is not fully understood. Genomic DNA was isolated from 61 oligodendroglial tumors for analysis of methylation using methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay ( MS- MLPA). We correlated methylation status with clinicopathological findings and outcome. The genes found to be most frequently methylated in oligodendroglial tumors were RASSF1A (80.3%), CASP8 (70.5%), and CDKN2A (52.5%). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis demonstrated longer duration of progression-free survival in patients with 19q loss, aged less than 38 years, and with a proliferative index of less than 5%. Methylation of the ESR1 promoter is significantly associated with shorter duration of overall survival and progression-free survival, and that methylation of IGSF4 and RASSF1A is significantly associated with shorter duration of progression-free survival. However, none of the methylation status of ESR1, IGSF4, and RASSF1A was of prognostic value for survival in a multivariate Cox model. A number of novel and interesting epigenetic alterations were identified in this study. The findings highlight the importance of methylation profiles in oligodendroglial tumors and their possible involvement in tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic oxidation of lignocellulose to formic acid by vanadium-based catalysts is a promising method to obtain fine chemicals. Considerable progresses have been achieved on the conversion of polysaccharides components of lignocelluloses. However, the oxidation behavior and mechanism of lignin, which quite differs from the structures of polysaccharides, have not been studied in detail. This work presents an H 5 PV 2 Mo 10 O 40 -H 2 SO 4 catalytic oxidation of lignin to produce carboxylic acids (CAs, mainly including formic acid) using O 2. A total yield of CAs can be up to 41.9 wt%. The oxidation process includes the fast hydrolysis stage and the slow oxidation stage. A combined experimental and theoretical study is applied to further investigate the mechanism of the latter oxidation stage. The ring-opening reaction of hydrolysis products is the rate-controlling reaction in the CA formation pathway. Both phenol and o-quinone are active sites and indispensable intermediates, and the ring-opening reactions of them are faster than those of other aromatic structures. The vanadium catalyst helps the formation of o-quinone and reduces the activation energy of ring-opening reaction, thus accelerate the CA formation. The combined experimental and theoretical study could lead to an in-depth understanding of catalytic oxidation process and be helpful to make better utilization of biomass. [Display omitted] • An efficient method was proposed to convert lignin to valuable chemicals. • A yield of 41.9 wt% of carboxylic acids was obtained. • Catalytic oxidation process includes hydrolysis stage and oxidation stage. • Vanadium catalyst reduce the activation energy of the rate-controlling ring-opening reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is one of the most severe neurological disorders, with a high mortality rate and severe disabling functional sequelae. Systemic inflammation following hemorrhagic stroke may play an important role in mediating intracranial and extracranial tissue damage. Previous studies showed that various systemic inflammatory biomarkers might be useful in predicting clinical outcomes. Anti-inflammatory treatment might be a promising therapeutic approach for improving the prognosis of patients with aSAH. This review summarizes the complicated interactions between the nervous system and the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has implemented a series of long-term measures to control the spread of COVID-19, however, the effects of these measures on other chronic and acute respiratory infectious diseases remain unclear. Tuberculosis (TB) and scarlet fever (SF) serve as representatives of chronic and acute respiratory infectious diseases, respectively. In China's Guizhou province, an area with a high prevalence of TB and SF, approximately 40,000 TB cases and hundreds of SF cases are reported annually. To assess the impact of COVID-19 prevention and control on TB and SF in Guizhou, the exponential smoothing method was employed to establish a prediction model for analyzing the influence of COVID-19 prevention and control on the number of TB and SF cases. Additionally, spatial aggregation analysis was utilized to describe spatial changes in TB and SF before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. The parameters of the TB and SF prediction models are R2 = 0.856, BIC = 10.972 and R2 = 0.714, BIC = 5.325, respectively. TB and SF cases declined rapidly at the onset of COVID-19 prevention and control measures, with the number of SF cases decreasing for about 3–6 months and the number of TB cases remaining in decline for 7 months after the 11th month. The spatial aggregation of TB and SF did not change significantly before and after the COVID-19 outbreak but exhibited a marked decrease. These findings suggest that China's COVID-19 prevention and control measures also reduced the prevalence of TB and SF in Guizhou. These measures may have a long-term positive impact on TB, but a short-term effect on SF. Areas with high TB prevalence may continue to experience a decline due to the implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic microbial consortia represent a frontier of synthetic biology that promises versatile engineering of cellular functions. They are primarily developed through the design and construction of cellular interactions that coordinate individual dynamics and generate collective behaviors. Here we review recent advances in the engineering of synthetic communities through cellular-interaction programming. We first examine fundamental building blocks for intercellular communication and unidirectional positive and negative interactions. We then recap the assembly of the building blocks for creating bidirectional interactions in two-species ecosystems, which is followed by the discussion of engineering toward complex communities with increasing species numbers, under spatial contexts, and via model-guided design. We conclude by summarizing major challenges and future opportunities of engineered microbial ecosystems. [Display omitted] • Interaction programming enables rational and systematic ecosystem engineering. • Positive and negative interactions can be realized either directly or indirectly. • Simple interactions act as building blocks for complex interaction networks. • Complex ecosystems arise with increasing species number and adding spatial contexts. • Challenges remain for the development of advanced functional communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxy functionalized magnetic Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 nanoparticles were successfully prepared and characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The prepared nanoparticles were used for immobilization of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by covalent attachment. The optimal immobilization conditions were obtained as follows: enzyme/support 4.49 mg/g, pH 8.0, buffer concentration 0.05 M, time 12 h and temperature 30 °C. Under these conditions, a high immobilization yield and efficiency of above 92% were obtained after the optimization. Broad pH tolerance and high thermostability were achieved by the immobilization. The immobilized ADH retained about 84% initial activity after five cycles. Kinetic parameters V max and K m of free and immobilized ADH were determined as 56.72 μM/min, 44.27 μM/min and 11.54 mM, 31.32 mM, respectively. ( R )-mandelic acid synthesis with the immobilized ADH was carried out, and the yield of ( R )-mandelic acid was as high as 64%. These results indicate that the ADH immobilized onto epoxy-functionalized nanoparticles is an efficient and simple way for preparation of stable ADH, and the immobilized ADH has potential applications in the production of ( R )-mandelic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction of fractional flow in fractal porous medium is important for reservoir engineering and chemical engineering as well as hydrology. A physical conceptual fractional flow model of transient two-phase flow is developed in fractal porous medium based on the fractal characteristics of pore-size distribution and on the approximation that porous medium consist of a bundle of tortuous capillaries. The analytical expression for fractional flow for wetting phase is presented, and the proposed expression is the function of structural parameters (such as tortuosity fractal dimension, pore fractal dimension, maximum and minimum diameters of capillaries) and fluid properties (such as contact angle, viscosity and interfacial tension) in fractal porous medium. The sensitive parameters that influence fractional flow and its derivative are formulated, and their impacts on fractional flow are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs about 22 nt long that play key roles in almost all biological processes and diseases. The fluorescent labeling and lipofection are two common methods for changing the levels and locating the position of cellular miRNAs. Despite many studies about the mechanism of DNA/RNA lipofection, little is known about the characteristics, mechanisms and specificity of lipofection of fluorescent-labeled miRNAs. Methods and Results: Therefore, miRNAs labeled with different fluorescent dyes were transfected into adherent and suspension cells using lipofection reagent. Then, the non-specific binding and its mechanism were investigated by flow cytometer and laser confocal microscopy. The results showed that miRNAs labeled with Cy5 (cyanine fluorescent dye) could firmly bind to the surface of adherent cells (Hela) and suspended cells (K562) even without lipofection reagent. The binding of miRNAs labeled with FAM (carboxyl fluorescein) to K562 cells was obvious, but it was not significant in Hela cells. After lipofectamine reagent was added, most of the fluorescently labeled miRNAs binding to the surface of Hela cells were transfected into intra-cell because of the high transfection efficiency, however, most of them were still binding to the surface of K562 cells. Moreover, the high-salt buffer which could destroy the electrostatic interactions did not affect the above-mentioned non-specific binding, but the organic solvent which could destroy the hydrophobic interactions eliminated it. Conclusions: These results implied that the fluorescent-labeled miRNAs could non-specifically bind to the cell surface by hydrophobic interaction. It would lead to significant errors in the estimation of transfection efficiency only according to the cellular fluorescence intensity. Therefore, other methods to evaluate the transfection efficiency and more appropriate fluorescent dyes should be used according to the cell types for the accuracy of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regenerating gene 3α (Reg3α) protein is a trophic factor that stimulates cell and tissue proliferation, neogenesis and also acts against apoptosis and necrosis. In order to explore the potential roles of recombinant Reg3α (rReg3α), we produced a mature rReg3α polypeptide for direct administration in l -arginine (L-Arg) induced acute pancreatitis (AP) in mice. Our results showed that rReg3α stimulated cell proliferation through Erk1/2 and p38 phosphorylation and also cyclin D1 upregulation mediated by Akt/ATF-2 signaling. Moreover, rReg3α administration significantly reduced the pancreatic damage caused by L-Arg injection, as shown in histological examination and serum amylase, lipase and C-reactive protein (CRP) assays. Not only acinar cell necrosis but also apoptosis found in the pancreas of AP mice were alleviated by rReg3α. Finally, upregulated Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL and suppressed poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase/polymerase (PARP) levels were detected as being relevant to the mechanism of rReg3α protection. We therefore conclude that rReg3α acts as a protective polypeptide against AP in mice by enhancing Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expressions and suppressing PARP level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHLs) are a heterogeneous group of neoplasm in which 90% are B-cell lymphomas and 10% T-cell lymphomas. Although T-helper 17 (Th17) cells have been implicated to be essential in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, its role in B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (B-NHL) remains unknown. In this study, we observed a significantly decreased frequency of Th17 cells in peripheral blood from B-NHL patients compared with healthy individuals, accompanied with increased Th1 cells. IL-17AF plasma levels were remarkably decreased in B-NHL patients, accompanied with undetectable IL-17FF and unchangeable IL-17AA. Moreover, Th17 and Th1 cells became normalized after one or two cycles of chemotherapy. Interestingly, in B-NHL, circulating Th17 cells frequencies were significantly higher in relapsed patients than those in untreated patients or normal individuals. Meanwhile, there was no statistical difference regarding the frequencies of Th1 cells between relapsed and untreated patients. Taken these data together, circulating Th17 subset immune response may be associated with the response of patients to treatment and with different stages of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel spectral–spatial adaptive sparse representation (SSASR) method is proposed for hyperspectral image (HSI) denoising. The proposed SSASR method aims at improving noise-free estimation for noisy HSI by making full use of highly correlated spectral information and highly similar spatial information via sparse representation, which consists of the following three steps. First, according to spectral correlation across bands, the HSI is partitioned into several nonoverlapping band subsets. Each band subset contains multiple continuous bands with highly similar spectral characteristics. Then, within each band subset, shape-adaptive local regions consisting of spatially similar pixels are searched in spatial domain. This way, spectral–spatial similar pixels can be grouped. Finally, the highly correlated and similar spectral–spatial information in each group is effectively used via the joint sparse coding, in order to generate better noise-free estimation. The proposed SSASR method is evaluated by different objective metrics in both real and simulated experiments. The numerical and visual comparison results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aberrations of TP53 gene and dysregulation of the TP53 pathway are important in the pathogenesis of many human cancers, including malignant lymphomas, especially for diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). By regulating many downstream target genes or molecules, TP53 governs major defenses against tumor growth and promotes cellular DNA repair, apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest, signaling, transcription, immune or inflammatory responses and metabolism. Dysfunction of TP53, including microRNA regulations, copy number alterations of TP53 pathway and TP53 itself, dysregulation of TP53 regulators, and somatic mutations by abnormal TP53 function modes, play an important role in lymphoma generation, progression and invasion. The role of TP53 in DLBCL has been widely explored recently. In this review, we summarized recent advances on different mechanisms of TP53 in DLBCL and new therapeutic approaches to overcome TP53 inactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-crosslinking as a new strategy to prepare sodium alginate (SA) beads with controllable swelling behavior, pH sensitivity and adsorption capacity was developed by using the solution of glutaraldehyde (GA), acetic acid and hydrochloric acid as the coagulating agent, for which could be used to fabricate polysaccharide beads in a large scale. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis convinced the successful cross-linking of SA by GA. The macro-porous structures of the beads were observed by scanning electron microscopy. Both acetic acid and hydrochloric acid had great effects on the swelling behavior and pH sensitivity of the SA beads. The SA beads could adsorb cationic dye (methylene blue) as high as 572 mg/g and other metal ions (Cu 2+ , Ag + and Fe 3+ ). The adsorption processes fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm. The large-scale production of SA beads with tunable properties opens a new route to industrially utilize polysaccharide beads in wastewater treatments, intelligent separation and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The load coils are employed for multiple loads of resonant wireless power transfer in this paper. With the addition of the load coil, this three-coil structure has easy access to transferring power to multiple loads with the advantages of a compact structure and controllable power flow. Both single-load transfer and multiple-load transfer are modeled and analyzed by means of the circuit theory. The transfer quality factor and the load matching factor are utilized in the analysis of efficiency. In the single-load transfer, the load matching condition is fully explored. Based on the single-load transfer, the multiple-load transfer is researched. The double-load transfer, acting as an illustration, is studied with the uncoupled and coupled load coils. Equivalent reflected resistances are introduced to decouple the model of the double-load transfer with coupled load coils mathematically. An experimental prototype is implemented to verify the aforementioned analysis. The experimental results agree with the theoretical calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In multiple receivers of resonant wireless power transfer, selective power flow among the loads is an important issue. This paper proposes a new method to control power division. The two-coil structure with different resonant frequencies of the sending and receiving loops is modeled and analyzed. The efficiency is proved to peak at the resonant frequency of the receiving loop, regardless of the resonant frequency of the sending loop. Using this feature, selective power transfer can be achieved by setting the receiving loops at different resonant frequencies. The efficiency of a particular load is greatly influenced by the driving frequency. The multiple-load system with different resonant frequencies is modeled and the efficiency expression of each load is deduced. The mutual inductances of the receiving coils have a small impact on the efficiency distribution. The closer the resonant frequencies of the receiving loops, the less isolated the related loads. The calculations and the experiments confirm the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aplastic anemia (AA) is an immune-mediated disorder and mainly related to active destruction of hematopoietic cells by effector T lymphocytes. T helper (Th) 22 cells characterized as a novel subset of CD4 + T cells participate in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and hematological diseases. However, the role of Th22 subset in AA remains unknown. Methods 31 untreated AA patients and 30 healthy controls were included in this study. The percentages of Th22, Th17 and pure Th17 cells in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry. ELISA to measure interleukin (IL)-22 and IL-17A plasma levels and qRT-PCR for the mRNA levels of Th22 and Th17 related molecules were performed. Results The proportions of Th22, pure Th17, Th17 cells and plasma levels of IL-22 were significantly lower in untreated AA patients than those in normal controls. A positive correlation was found between Th22 and pure Th17 cells in AA. Moreover, percentages of Th22 cells correlated positively with reticulocyte counts and percentages. In addition, STAT3/STAT5 mRNA expression ratio was elevated in AA patients. Conclusion Together, our results showed Th22 cells correlating with clinical characteristics of AA patients, indicating a possible role of Th22 immune response in the pathogenesis and therapeutic intervention of AA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pinocembrin, one of the primary flavonoids from Pinus heartwood and Eucalyptus , has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. This study was designed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of pinocembrin on inflammatory mediators production in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. The results showed that pinocembrin dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory mediators TNF-α, IL-1β, NO and PGE 2 production. Pinocembrin also inhibited LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 expression. Moreover, pinocembrin inhibited LPS-induced PI3K, Akt phosphorylation, and NF-κB activation, which were required for inflammatory mediators production. Furthermore, treatment of pinocembrin induced nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and expression of HO-1. In conclusion, our data indicated that pinocembrin inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory mediators production by suppressing PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,4-Butanediol (BD) is an important chemical that is widely used in industry with an annual demand of one million metric tons. Here we report a modular development of engineered bacteria for successful BD bio-production. Using a systems engineering concept, we partitioned our development into two parts: namely BD biosynthesis and production control. The former was implemented through a de novo pathway that functions as an enzymatic reactor, while the latter was accomplished via synthetic circuits serving as genetic controllers. To facilitate development, the carbon utilizations were also partitioned into two routes. d -xylose was exclusively designated for BD production with other carbon sources utilized for cellular growth. Additionally, a quorum-sensing mechanism was exploited for production control, and the resulting strain was capable of autonomous production of BD. This study represents an example of the synergy between synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, affirming the need for deeper integration of the two fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrathin iridium nanowires havebeen synthesized using a convenientmethod mediated by microemulsion via oriented attachment growth forthe first time. The interconnected polycrystalline Ir nanowires possesshigh aspect ratio, small average diameter of 2 nm, and length up toseveral hundred nanometers. The 1D growth of surfactant-encapsulatedprimary nanoparticles, which is determined by the inherent crystalgrowth habit and the specific interactions of nanocrystals with surfactantmolecules, accounts for the formation of Ir nanowires. The as-preparedIr nanowires show high activity and selectivity toward the hydrogenationproduction of industrially valuable chloroaniline from o-chloronitrobenzene. Theoretical evidence based on DFT calculationindicates that H2could be dissociated more easily andquickly on Ir(100) surface than on Ir(111), accounting for the higherhydrogenation rate over Ir nanowires exposing both (200) and (111)crystal facets rather than only (111) facet for Ir nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the maximum collector–emitter voltage of a high-voltage insulated-gate bipolar transistor (HV-IGBT) reaches 3300 V or higher, it still cannot satisfy the requirements of some high-voltage high-power converters. Applying power semiconductor devices in series connection can effectively improve the voltage rating and power rating of a power electronic converter. The key issue of device series connection is voltage balancing in static switching state and dynamic switching state. In this paper, a three-level converter based on series-connected HV-IGBTs is presented, its voltage-balancing subcircuits are analyzed, and the parameter design method for the converter is proposed. During the design process, key performance indexes of the series connection circuit, such as the voltage-balancing effect, loss of the voltage-balancing circuit, switching loss, and switching time, are comprehensively considered. Moreover, component parameters of the three-level converter are calculated considering the influence of the voltage-balancing circuit. The proposed parameter design method is applied in the development of a three-level HV-IGBT (4500 V/600 A) series connection test platform with 10 000-V rated dc-link voltage. Experimental results verify the validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the association between hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) and risk of cognitive decline. Methods: Electronic databases such as PubMed and EMBASE were searched for prospective cohort studies that involved the relationship between HHcy and risk of cognitive decline. Adjusted risk ratios (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated by Review Manager 5.2.7. Subgroup analyses were conducted on stratification of some important variables. Results: Fourteen publications were included in the analysis. The pooled RR was 1.53 (95% CI, 1.23-1.91; p = 0.0002) for patients with HHcy compared to subjects without HHcy. Subgroup analyses indicated that the pooled RRs were 1.51 (95% CI, 1.10-2.05; p = 0.01) for more than five-year follow-up studies and 1. 56 (95% CI, 1.13-2.14; p = 0.007) for less than five-year follow-up studies. The pooled RRs were 1.66 (95% CI, 1.21-2.26; p = 0.001) for studies excluding the confounder of B vitamins and 1.34 (95% CI, 1.08-1.66; p = 0.008) for non-excluded studies. In terms of region, the pooled RR was 1.60 (95% CI, 1.21-2.13; p = 0.001) for European and American countries, while the pooled RR was 1.27 (95% CI, 1.02-1.59; p = 0.03) for other regions. Conclusion: As one of the independent risk factors, HHcy was associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active clamping circuits can effectively suppress the voltage imbalance between series-connected insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). However, while the active clamping circuit is conducting, extra current is injected into the gate of the IGBT, the gate voltage increases, and the IGBT operates in the active region. Therefore, long time conduction and frequent actions of the active clamping circuit will lead to extremely high switching loss of the IGBT with high collector-emitter voltage and serious switching loss imbalance between the series-connected IGBTs, which imperils the efficiency and safety of the system, particularly in the applications of high-voltage IGBT (HV-IGBT) series connection. In this paper, a novel active clamping circuit with status feedback is proposed for series-connected HV-IGBTs. A high-speed status feedback subcircuit is designed for transforming the operation status of an active clamping circuit into optical signal and feeding it back to the control system. According to the feedback signals, the microcontroller regulates the switching-on time and switching-off time of the series-connected HV-IGBTs' drive signals timely in order to implement voltage balancing and, thus, to restrain the actions of active clamping circuits. By applying this voltage balancing method to the HV-IGBT series connection circuit, the voltage balancing performance is expected to improve, and high switching loss and serious switching loss imbalance are expected to be suppressed. Experimental results verify the validity and superiorities of the proposed voltage balancing circuit and control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A series of novel 7,9-dihydrothieno[3′,2′:5,6]pyrido[2,3- d]pyrimidine-4,6(3 H,5 H)-dione derivatives were synthesized efficiently via the catalyst-free reaction of aldehyde, ethyl 2,4-dioxotetrahydrothiophene-3-carboxylate, and 2,6-diaminopyrimidine-4(3 H)-one through the sequence of deethoxycarbonylation and three-component condensation in aqueous media. This protocol featured mild reaction conditions, high yields, easy work-up, and environmentally friendly procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore pro‐inflammatory cytokines status in the tear fluid of patients with hyperuricemia and gout and its association with uric acid level. Methods: A total of 58 control subjects, 58 hyperuricemia patients including 40 asymptomatic hyperuricemia and 18 gout participants were recruited in this study. For tear analysis, each patient's tears were collected using capillary action microcaps after stimulation. Tear uric acid levels were measured using chemiluminescence. Tear and serum interleukin‐1beta (IL‐1β) and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) levels were measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation of serum and tear uric acid levels with IL‐1β and TNF‐α were determined. Results: Tear uric acid levels were significantly higher in hyperuricemia group (98.2 ± 51.5 vs. 42.7 ± 24.0 µmol/L, p <.001) than in controls group. IL‐1β concentrations were significantly higher in hyperuricemia eyes compared to control eyes (210.2 ± 113.9 vs. 142.6 ± 29.8 pg/mL, p <.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that tear uric acid levels were independently positively associated with tear IL‐1β concentrations (B = 0.192, p <.001). However, no significant correlations were found between serum or tear uric acid and TNF‐α level. Moreover, there were no statistically differences of tear IL‐1β and TNF‐α levels between the asymptomatic hyperuricemia and gout groups. Conclusions: Tear uric acid levels were higher in patients with hyperuricemia and gout than in controls. There was a significant positive correlation between tear uric acid value and tear IL‐1β level, implying an interaction between hyperuricemia and ocular inflammation responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The height,ground diameter,seed yield,medicinal material yield and schaftoside content of Desmodium styracifolium in different fertilization treatment were calculated and compared. The results indicated that fertilization group and no fertilizer group showed significant differences in the terms of growth. The height and medicinal material field of fertilize K 30 g.m-2 was 174.04 cm and 94.5 g,which was the highest among all the fertilize treatment group; The ground diameter of fertilization N 40 g.m-2 was 16.79 mm which was the most coarsest. The combined application of N,P,K significant effected the yield of seed,when N,P,K reached 80 g.m-2,80 g.m-2and 30 g.m-2,the seed yield was highest and the production rate reached to 179.30%; the highest schaftoside content could be reached 0.175% with being N at 40 g.m-2,P at 80 g.m-2and K at 80 g.m-2. It could conclude that the reasonably fertilizing in complex treatment of N,P,K could promote the growth of D. styracifolium and increase the yield,also affected the accumulation of schaftoside. Take height,ground diameter,seed yield,medicinal yield and schaftoside content as evaluation standard. According to the fertilization mathematic model,the optimum fertilizer dosages of N was 42.4-64.5 g.m-2,P: 49.5-59.0 g.m-2,K: 30.0-41.0 g.m-2. The optimum fertilization dosage ratio of N-P-K was 5.4:5.5:3.7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The major product Rd possesses higher bioactivities and bioavailability than Rb1. [•] This study can solve the waste problem of ginseng extraction residue. [•] A new functional food ingredient was developed. [•] It is the first report on applying lingzhi (G. lucidum) to transform ginsenosides from AmR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The evolutionary rationale offered by Bowlby implies that secure base relationships are common in child-caregiver dyads and thus, child secure behavior observable across diverse social contexts and cultures. This study offers a test of the universality hypothesis. Trained observers in nine countries used the Attachment Q-set to describe the organization of children's behavior in naturalistic settings. Children ( N = 547) were 10-72 months old. Child development experts ( N = 81) from all countries provided definitions of optimal child secure base use. Findings indicate that children from all countries use their mother as a secure base. Children's organization of secure base behavior was modestly related to each other both within and across countries. Experts' descriptions of the optimally attached child were highly similar across cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The mechanism of SOX11 function has been widely published recently mainly focused on histone modifications. Besides diagnostic value in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), SOX11 has also prognostic significance. Although it can also be observed in a fraction of other T and B-cell lymphomas, a monoclonal antibody, called SOX11-C1, may improve the function of SOX11 in both diagnosis and prognosis evaluation. In addition, detection of modified SOX11 cDNA by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) has a higher sensitivity than traditional CCND1 examination in minimal residual disease (MRD) detection, which is an appealing option for predicting disease outcome and status. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A series of Fe3O4 nanoparticles have been synthesized by microemulsion method. [•] Crystal lattice defect and magnetite stoichiometry are reported. [•] Variation of surfactant structure affects the characteristics of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to analyse the genomic alteration profiles and immune characteristics of a cohort of Chinese cervical cancer patients to understand why certain patients benefited from molecular targeted therapies and immunotherapy as well as their prognostic significance. Methods: PD-L1 expression and clinicopathological information were obtained from 98 cervical cancer patients. Differences in PD-L1 expression and gene mutations between squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC) were analysed by the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Differences in gene mutations between our cohort and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort were tested by Fisher's exact test. Logistic regression was used to analyse factors influencing TMB-high. Results: Positive PD-L1 expression was significantly higher in cervical SCC than in cervical AC (87% vs. 39%, p < 0.001). Frequently mutated genes in cervical cancer included the PIK3CA, KMT2D, and KMT2C genes, among others. PIK3CA gene mutation rates were significantly higher in SCC than in AC (p = 0.004). The TERT gene mutation rate was significantly higher in our cohort than in the TCGA cohort (12% vs. 1%, p < 0.001). The independent predictors of high TMB were KMT2C and LRP1B gene mutations (p < 0.05). We also found that PTEN mutations were associated with worse survival (median PFS, 12.16 vs. 21.75 months, p = 0.0024). Conclusion: Cervical SCC and AC have different molecular profiles and immune characteristics, suggesting that targeted treatments for SCC and AC patients may improve clinical outcomes. KMT2C and LRP1B gene mutations are independent predictors of TMB-high status in cervical cancer. We also proposed the prognostic value of PTEN mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of hispidin polyphenols in Inonotus obliquus is a stress-induced response triggered by environmental factors. As one of the important environmental factors, ultraviolet (UV) radiation plays regulatory roles in fungal growth and development. However, whether UV radiation regulates the formation of hispidin polyphenols remains to be established. In this study, we cultivated I. obliquus on solid medium and imposed intermittent UV radiation. We showed that UV exposure inhibited the growth of mycelia but increased the production of polyphenols. Further bioassays revealed that UV radiation also increased the catalytic activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and chalcone isomerase (CHI), up-regulated expression of genes related to redox, transcriptional regulation, and metabolism. In addition, the total extracts from the UV-irradiated group were more capable of scavenging DPPH and ABTS+ free radicals, especially at the later stage of culture. Thus, UV radiation, acting as one of the environmental factors, stimulated the accumulation of polyphenols in I. obliquus by regulating the activities of enzymes and the expression of genes related to growth and metabolism, and can be tentatively used as a feasible strategy to enhance the production of polyphenols in I. obliquus. • Ultraviolet radiation significantly increased the accumulation of polyphenols in I. obliquus. • Ultraviolet radiation promoted the activities of PAL and CHI related to polyphenol synthesis. • Ultraviolet radiation enhanced the antioxidant activity of polyphenols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurotrophins are a collection of structurally and functionally related proteins. They play important roles in many aspects of neural development, survival, and plasticity. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to different levels of central nervous tissue destruction and cellular repair through various compensatory mechanisms promoted by the injured brain. Many studies have shown that neurotrophins are key modulators of neuroinflammation, apoptosis, blood–brain barrier permeability, memory capacity, and neurite regeneration. The expression of neurotrophins following TBI is affected by the severity of injury, genetic polymorphism, and different post-traumatic time points. Emerging research is focused on the potential therapeutic applications of neurotrophins in managing TBI. We conducted a comprehensive review by organizing the studies that demonstrate the role of neurotrophins in the management of TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The raw material is fine-grained phosphate tailings. • Propose an innovative method for reinforcing fine-grained geotechnical materials. • The mechanism of MICP reinforces tailings is connection and wrapping. • Mixing method can avoid the nonuniformity of samples in reinforcement treatment. The nonuniformity of samples in reinforcement treatment is a bottleneck that restricts the development of microbial geotechnical technologies, which severely affects the reinforcement effect of microbially reinforced tailings and other fine-grained geotechnical materials. This study presents a mixing method that represents an innovative sample preparation and grouting technology for reinforcing tailings using microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) based on the characteristics of tailings discharged in the form of mud and accumulated layer-by-layer. A large number of mechanical experiments and microanalyses were conducted to compare the effects of various methods on tailings reinforcement, including the methods of adding bacterial solution (i.e., the traditional grouting method and the proposed mixing method) and the treatment methods of cementing solution (i.e., the grouting method and soaking). The results of the shear test showed that the strength of the samples generated by the mixing method increased compared with the original tailings samples and samples generated using the traditional grouting method. Moreover, miniature cone penetration test results showed that the samples made using the mixing method had better uniformity, which could be attributed to the fine particles (silt and clay particles) of tailings that strongly adsorb bacteria and the low permeability of the fine particle tailings, which is not conducive to the spread of bacteria. In the tailings samples, the traditional grouting method only makes the bacteria gather at the region where the bacterial solution initially makes contact. However, the mixing method evenly distributed the bacteria among the tailings particles, which significantly improved the reinforcement effect of bacteria, as the reinforcement reaction occurred throughout each region of the samples. Therefore, the mixing method can be used for reinforcement research and in the application of MICP to tailings or other fine-grained geotechnical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to identify genetic and epigenetic alterations involved in the progression of oligodendroglial tumors. We characterized 21 paired, World Health Organization (WHO) grade II and III oligodendroglial tumors from patients who received craniotomies for the partial or complete resection of primary and secondary oligodendroglial tumors. Tumor DNA was analyzed for alterations in selected genetic loci (1p36, 9p22, 10q23–24, 17p13, 19q13, 22q12), isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1), isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) and the CpG island methylation status of critical tumor-related genes (MGMT, P16, DAPK, PTEN, RASSF1A, Rb1). Alterations of these markers were common early in the tumorigenesis. In the primary tumors we identified 12 patients (57.1%) with 1p36 deletions, 17 (81.0%) with 19q13 deletions, 9 (42.9%) with 1p36/19q13 codeletions, 11 (52.3%) with 9p22 deletions, and 12 (57.1%) with IDH1 mutation. Epigenetic analysis detected promoter methylation of the MGMT, P16, DAPK, PTEN, RASSF1A, and Rb1 genes in 38.1%, 19.0%, 38.1%, 33.3%, 66.7%, and 14.3% of primary tumors, respectively. After progression, additional losses of 1p, 9p, 10q, 17p, 19q and 22q were observed in 3 (14.3%), 1 (4.8%), 3 (14.3%), 2 (9.5%), 1 (4.8%) and 3 (14.3%) cases, respectively. Additional methylations of the MGMT, P16, DAPK, PTEN, RASSF1A, and RB1 promoters was observed in 4 (19.0%), 2 (9.5%), 0 (0%), 6 (28.6%), 2(9.5%) and 3 (14.3%) cases, respectively. The status of IDH1 mutation remained unchanged in all tumors after progression. The primary tumors of three patients with subsequent progression to high-grade astrocytomas, all had 9p deletion, intact 1p, intact 10q and unmethylated MGMT. Whether this may represent a molecular signature of patients at-risk for the development of aggressive astrocytomas needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]