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Background Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is caused by multiple genetic alterations in the hematopoietic progenitors, and molecular genetic analysis has provided useful information for AML diagnosis and prognosis. However, an integrative understanding of the prognostic value of specific copy number variation (CNV) and CNV-modulated gene expression has been limited. Methods We conducted an integrative analysis of CNV profiling and gene expression using data from the TARGET and TCGA AML cohorts. The CNV data from TCGA were analyzed using the GISTIC and all CNV data by genes on every patient were obtained. CNV survival analysis and mRNA survival analysis were conducted with the Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model using R software with “survminer” and “survival” packages. KEGG cancer panel genes were extracted from the cancer-related pathways from Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). The R package “circlize” was used for mapping the CNV genes to chromosomes. Results From this investigation, we observed distinct CNV patterns in the AML risk groups as well as the expression of 251 genes significantly modulated by CNV in both cohorts. There were 102 CNV genes (located at 7q31-34, 16q24) associated with clinical outcomes in AML, which were identified in the TARGET cohort and validated in the TCGA cohort, three of which being miRNA genes (MIR29A, MIR183, MIR335) that overlapped with a KEGG cancer panel. Five genes were identified whose expression was modulated by CNV and significantly associated with clinical outcomes, and among them, the deletion of SEMA4D and CBFB were found to potentially have protective effects against AML. The result was also validated with patient marrow samples. Moreover, the distribution of CNV in these five CNV-modulated genes was independent of the risk groups, which suggests that they are independent prognosis factors. Conclusion Overall, this study identified 102 CNV genes and five CNV-modulated gene expression that is crucial for developing new modes of prognosis evaluation and target therapy for AML.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Emerging evidence suggested that there are some common causes between ferroptosis and pulmonary fibrosis. The interaction of EMT and ferroptosis and its mechanism were investigated by detecting the expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin (

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common infections that can be mild to life threatening. However, increased bacterial resistance and poor patient compliance rates have limited the effectiveness of conventional antibiotic therapies. Here, we investigated the relationship between nitrofurantoin and amikacin against 12 clinical MDR uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains both in vitro and in an experimental Galleria mellonella model. In vitro synergistic effects were observed in all 12 test strains by standard checkerboard and time-kill assays. Importantly, amikacin or nitrofurantoin at half of the clinical doses were not effective in the treatment of UPEC infections in the G. mellonella model but the combination therapy significantly increased G. mellonella survival from infections caused by all 12 study UPEC strains. Taken together, these results demonstrated synergy effects between nitrofurantoin and amikacin against MDR UPEC.

The rapid development of the information age has caused many teachers to actively choose to introduce the flipped classroom teaching model into teaching activities in order to solve the problems of outdated teaching concepts and poor learning initiative of students. It is hoped that they can fully stimulate students' learning autonomy while achieving established The purpose of high-quality classroom teaching activities. This article starts with the obstacles to the development of English classrooms in vocational colleges, and looks for specific ways to introduce flipped classrooms to carry out English teaching activities, hoping to provide references for other educators.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and the second most common cause of gynecologic cancer death in women worldwide. While ovarian cancer is highly heterogeneous in histological subtypes and molecular genetic makeup, epithelial ovarian cancer is the most common subtype. The clinical outcomes of ovarian cancer largely depend on early detection and access to appropriate surgery and systemic therapy. While combination therapy with platinum-based drugs and paclitaxel (PTX) remains the first-line systemic therapy for ovarian cancer, many patients experience recurrence and die of progressive chemoresistance. Thus, there is an unmet clinical need to overcome recurrent disease due to resistance to chemotherapies of ovarian cancer. Here, we investigated whether BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) could sensitize PTX-resistant ovarian cancer cells to PTX, and thus would overcome the resistance to chemotherapies. We found that BRAF and several members of the RAS/MAPK pathways were upregulated upon PTX treatment in ovarian cancer cells, and that BRAF expression was significantly elevated in the PTX-resistant ovarian cancer cells. While the BRAFi vemurafenib (VEM) alone did not cause any significant cytotoxicity in PTX-resistant ovarian cancer cells, VEM significantly enhanced PTX-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, VEM and PTX were shown to synergistically inhibit tumor growth and cell proliferation of PTX-resistant human ovarian cancer cells in vivo. Collectively, these findings strongly suggest that BRAFi may be exploited as synergistic sensitizers of paclitaxel in treating chemoresistant ovarian cancer.

Early detection of cancer is essential for effective intervention. Urine has been used to reflect early changes in various tumor-bearing models. However, urine has not been used to predict whether tumors will form in animal models. In this study, a cancer model was established by tail vein injection of 2 million NuTu-19 tumor cells. Urine samples were randomly selected from tumor-forming and non-tumor-forming rats on day 0/12/27/39/52 and were analyzed by label-free and parallel reaction monitoring targeted proteomic quantitative analyses. In tumor-forming rats, differential proteins were associated with tumor cell migration, TGF-β signaling and the STAT3 pathway. A total of 9 urinary proteins showed significant changes in the early phase of lung tumor formation in all eight tumor-bearing rats. Differential proteins in non-tumor-forming rats were associated with glutathione biosynthesis, IL-12 signaling and vitamin metabolism. A total of 12 urinary proteins changed significantly in the early phase in all seven non-tumor-forming rats. Our small-scale pilot study indicated that (1) the urinary proteome reflects early changes during lung tumor formation and that (2) the urinary proteome can distinguish early tumor-forming rats from non-tumor-forming rats.

The role of microRNA (miR)-1301-3p has been investigated in breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Dysregulation of miR-1301-3p expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is speculated to be associated with tumor progression, which was systemically investigated in the present study. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis was performed to detect miR-1301-3p expression in 124 paired tissue samples and cultured cell lines. The results demonstrated that miR-1301-3p expression was regulated by transfection with miR-1301-3p mimic or inhibitor, and the proliferation, migration and invasion of the transfected cells were assessed via the Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell assays. In addition, miR-1301-3p expression was significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cells compared with normal tissues and normal cells, respectively. Notably, upregulated miR-1301-3p expression in NSCLC tissues was significantly associated with the TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of patients with NSCLC. Furthermore, upregulated miR-1301-3p expression in NSCLC cells promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion, the effects of which were reversed following miR-1301-3p knockdown. Thy-1 was identified as a direct target of miR-1301-3p, which serves as a tumor promoter in the progression of NSCLC. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that upregulated miR-1301-3p expression in NSCLC acts as an independent prognostic factor and a tumor promoter by targeting thy-1, thus provides a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Objectives: There is an urgent need for accurate and fast diagnostic tests to identify carbapenemase-producing bacteria. Here we used Bacillus stearothermophilus as an indicator strain in the format of the carbapenem inactivation method (CIM) procedure to develop a rapid carbapenemase phenotype detection method: CIMB.S. Methods: The CIMB.S test was derived from the mCIM, where B. stearothermophilus replaced Escherichia coli as the indicator strain. The test bacteria were incubated in the presence of imipenem for 30 min, and then, aliquots were placed on colorimetric plates, and incubation was continued for 3.5 h at 60°C. We examined 134 clinical strains to evaluate the CIMB.S performance. Results: The CIMB.S can be completed in 4 h, and we successfully identified 38/39 (97.4%) carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, including 17/18 (94.4%) carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 18/19 (94.7%) carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii. All non-carbapenemase producers we tested were negative and included Enterobacteriaceae (n = 36), P. aeruginosa (n = 17), and A. baumannii (n = 5). Conclusions: The CIMB.S test is a rapid carbapenemase phenotype detection method requiring only 4 h of total work time and displays high sensitivity and specificity.

Background Screening for secondary traumatic stress (STS) is lacking in China. It is unclear whether Western models of STS can be adapted satisfactorily for use in non-Western regions. The 20-item Secondary Trauma Questionnaire (STQ) is a self-report measure of traumatic stress symptoms in individuals who have been influenced indirectly by suicide or violent injury of people important to the respondents. Methods Here, we assessed the psychometric properties of a newly developed Chinese version of the STQ in a potentially traumatized sample (N = 875) composed of doctors, nurses, teachers, civic administration staff, and social workers in China. We performed reliability and validity analyses. Subsequently, we split the total sample into two subsamples for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for measurement invariance analyses. Results The full scale demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.95–0.97), convergent validity, discriminant validity, and factorial validity. CFA affirmed a one-factor structure; the configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariances of the STQ were acceptable across genders. Conclusion The present results indicate that the STQ is a reliable and valid self-report assessment for use with potentially traumatized people in China, and further supports the notion that the STQ is amenable to additional future cross-cultural adaptation.

The CeO2, Y2O3 and HfO2 doped β-NiAl coatings with controlled concentrations were fabricated on Hastelloy substrates using spark plasma sintering. The effects of reactive element oxide (REO) species and concentrations on the isothermal oxidation of the β-NiAl coatings were investigated. It was found that the addition of Y2O3 and HfO2 improved the oxidation performance of β-NiAl coatings, but CeO2 with high concentrations (0.5 at.%) had a detrimental effect. At low concentration (0.05 at.% and 0.1 at.%), HfO2 was less effective in improving the oxidation resistance of β-NiAl compared with Y2O3 and CeO2, while HfO2 at higher concentration of 0.5 at.% was the most effective among the three. The effects of REO species and concentrations on the NiAl oxidation behavior were further discussed in related to the intrinsic properties of the REOs and the chemical compositions of the substrate.

La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ (LSCF) solid oxide fuel cell cathodes were poisoned by Cr at different temperatures and polarization conditions with a Cr-Fe alloy as the interconnect. Cr induced degradation was analysed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) focusing on the electrochemical resistance (R chem ) that reflects the cathode electrochemical properties. It was found that R chem increased more with increasing temperatures. However cathodic polarization exhibited a synergistic effect with the temperature, which accelerated the LSCF cathode degradation at 800 °C while lowering the degree of degradation at 900 °C. By correlating complementary micro- and nano-scale microstructure characterization with the impedance analysis, the degradation mechanisms were investigated. A new Cr incorporation mechanism involving preferential formation of nanometre size Fe-Co-Cr-O spinel particles within the cathode up to the cathode/electrolyte interface was found to be responsible for the reduced degradation at 900 °C combined with cathodic polarization. The new mechanism reveals that the activity of B site elements in LSCF and possibly other perovskite cathodes plays an important role under certain combined temperature and polarization conditions, therefore future research in designing Cr resistant perovskite cathode materials may consider strategies that utilize the exsolution of B site elements for the formation of beneficial spinel phases.

To evaluate the photoprotective effect of 5-aminolaevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) on ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced skin photodamage. In vivo experiments, the dorsal skin of hairless mice were treated with ALA-PDT or saline-PDT, and then exposed to 180 mJ/m2 UVB. Results showed that the number of sunburn cells and apoptotic cells in the epidermis of ALA-PDT-treated groups at 24 h after UVB irradiation were significantly decreased compared with those in the UVB groups. And the removal rate of CPDs was obviously higher in ALA-PDT-treated groups. At 48 h, the number of Ki67 positive nuclei in ALA-PDT-UVB group was significantly fewer than that in UVB group. Further in vitro experiments, human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) cells of two groups (one treated with ALA-PDT, the other untreated), were exposed to 60 mJ/m2 UVB irradiation. We found 0.5 mmol/L of ALA and 3 J/cm2 of red light did not affect the vitality of cells, and could reduce UVB induced apoptosis, accelerate the clearance of CPDs, inhibit proliferation and activate p53. Thus, our data demonstrate that ALA-PDT pretreatment can induce a protective DNA damage response that protects skin cells from UVB-induced photodamages.

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) is an instrument in the assessment of mental health status. The current study recruited 1,532 Chinese hospital workers [74.4% female; mean age = 31.97 (SD = 9.70) years] to examine the reliability, latent structure, and measurement invariance of the DASS-21 between genders. The Cronbach’s α values were greater than 0.90 for total score. This study examined four possible models of the DASS-21 using the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in Chinese hospital workers. The results from CFA revealed that the latent structure of the DASS-21 in medical staffs is best represented by a one-factor model. Then we used the one-factor model to examine measurement invariance across genders by using a multiple-group categorical CFA. All values of root mean square error approximation (RMSEA) were less than 0.08, all Comparative Fix Index (CFI) and Tucker–Lewis Index values were greater than 0.90, all ΔCFI (changes in CFI) values were less than 0.010, and ΔRMSEA (the changes in RMSEA) were less than 0.015. These findings supported the gender invariance of the DASS-21 among Chinese hospital workers.

Mission drift is a common phenomenon in non-profits. However, related studies on employees remain scant. In this study, we combine mission drift and employees' turnover intention literature, and investigate mission drift at employee level based on interviews in the context of six nonprofits in China. The results show that: (1) employees who choose to work in nonprofits have a strong sense of prosocial mission; (2) employees believe that organizations have some defects, which are inconsistent with their own image of prosocial mission; (3) employees’mission drift exists in nonprofits, which may lead to their high turnover intention. Taken together, we believe mission drift deserves our future research attention.

Research Summary Non‐profit organizations in emerging markets frequently have to manage relations with governments and for‐profit firms. We advance a multistakeholder perspective and develop propositions about how the political ties of charities influence their success in raising funds from corporate donors. Evidence from 2,054 Chinese charities during 2005–2012 shows that organizational political ties, established through formal affiliation with the government, aid fundraising from corporate donors, whereas personal political ties, formed through personal political services of senior leaders of charities, have no such effect. The positive effect of government affiliation is relevant for both foreign and domestic donors, but stronger for domestic ones. These results highlight the differential impact and contingent value of political embeddedness for charities' ability to acquire resources from for‐profit business, contributing to both stakeholder theory and the political embeddedness perspective. Managerial Summary Non‐profit organizations have to maintain productive relations with multiple stakeholders, including government and business. We focus on Chinese charities that seek to raise funds to fulfill their mission. We identify how their political relations influence the behavior of corporate donors. Evidence from 2,054 charities from 2005 to 2012 shows that political ties formed through organizational affiliation with a political body help charities attract corporate donors that seek legitimacy. In contrast, ties formed through personal connections with politicians have less influence on donors who perceive a high risk of connected insiders engaging in activities of dubious legality. The value of political ties is more pronounced for domestic corporate donors.

The third octave sound absorption coefficient testing is conducted to compare the sound absorption properties metal foam and flexible cellular materials, by using sound absorption tester with the method of trasfer function sound absorption tester with the method of trasfer function. The sound absorption mechanisms are discussed by changing the parameters of sound absorption structure, such as the thickness of matrix materials and the thickness of cavity. The results show that pearl wool and glass wool exhibited excellent sound absorption properties. The peak value of sound absorption coefficient for pearl wool reaches to 0.991, and for glass wool, 0.985. The average sound absorption coefficient for pearl wool is 0.729, and for glass wool, 0.679. Among of three metal foams, the foamed aluminum material exhibited optimum sound absorption properties, and is superior to flexible sound absorption materials. The peak value of sound absorption coefficient reaches to 0.993, and the average value reaches to 0.781. This can be attributed to the flow resistance, porosity, thickness, cavity and structure factor, which influence the sound absorption of open cell materials.

The interfacial bonding at protective coatings and Zr alloy substrates could have a significant effect on the corrosion behaviors of the coatings. In this work, FeCrAl-Zr couples were fabricated at 900 °C by spark plasma sintering (SPS), and the interfacial bonding of the couples was modified through the addition of Si and/or thermal diffusion at 1100 °C–1300 °C. Uphill diffusion of silicon occurred during SPS. The corrosion resistance of the couples in 400 °C/10.3 MPa steam, and the effects of the interfacial bonding characteristics were studied. Due to the presence of ZrSi2 in the interfacial layer, the interfacial bonding of the FeCrAl/Si-Zr couple had a better corrosion resistance than that of the FeCrAl-Zr couple, withstanding 14 days of corrosion in steam compared to 7 days for the FeCrAl-Zr couple. The results also suggested that bimetallic effect could accelerate the oxidation of Zr alloy at the interface of the couples, and galvanic corrosion significantly contributed to the serious corrosion of the interface of the diffusion bonded couples with thermal diffusion. The influence of oxide growth stress around interface on the bonding lifetime of the couples was also discussed.

SiC structures with porosities ranging between 20-60% have been fabricated using two methods emulsification and freeze casting. While emulsification results in foam-like isotropic materials with interconnected pores, freeze casting can be used to fabricate highly anisotropic materials with characteristic layered architectures. The parameters that control the pore size and final porosity have been identified (solid content in the initial suspensions, emulsification times or speed of the freezing front). We have found that liquid state sintering (suing Al2O3 and Y2O3 as additives) at 1800°C on a powder (SiC/Al2O3) bed provides optimum consolidation for the porous structures. The mechanical strength of the materials depends on their density. Freeze casted materials fabricated with bimodal particle size distributions (a controlled mixture of micro and nanoparticles) exhibit higher compressive strengths that can reach values of up to 280MPa for materials with densities of 0.47.

Novel organic-inorganic composites were in-situ synthesized by using TriSilanolPhenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (SO-POSS) as fillers and poly(2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI) as polymer matrix. The uniformly dispersed 3% SO-POSS particles in ABPBI matrix increased the thermal stability of the composite membranes. It was found that both the water and H3PO4 uptakes were increased significantly with the addition of SO-POSS due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between the POSS and H2O/H3PO4, which played a critical role in the improvement of the conductivity of the composite membranes at temperature over 100 °C. Proton conductivities of H3PO4 doped with 3wt% SO-POSS contained ABPBI membranes increased with the increase of H3PO4 absorbance, reaching the maximum proton conductivity of 2.55 × 10-3 S·cm-1 at 160 °C, indicating that the ABPBI/SO-POSS composite membrane could be a promising candidate for mid-temperature PEMFCs.

The current lifestyles, increasing population, and limited resources result in energy research being at the forefront of worldwide grand challenges, increasing the demand for sustainable and more efficient energy devices. In this context, additive manufacturing brings the possibility of making electrodes and electrical energy storage devices in any desired three-dimensional (3D) shape and dimensions, while preserving the multifunctional properties of the active materials in terms of surface area and conductivity. This paves the way to optimized and more efficient designs for energy devices. Here, we describe how three-dimensional (3D) printing will allow the fabrication of bespoke devices, with complex geometries, tailored to fit specific requirements and applications, by designing water-based thermoresponsive inks to 3D-print different materials in one step, for example, printing the active material precursor (reduced chemically modified graphene (rCMG)) and the current collector (copper) for supercapacitors or anodes for lithium-ion batteries. The formulation of thermoresponsive inks using Pluronic F127 provides an aqueous-based, robust, flexible, and easily upscalable approach. The devices are designed to provide low resistance interface, enhanced electrical properties, mechanical performance, packing of rCMG, and low active material density while facilitating the postprocessing of the multicomponent 3D-printed structures. The electrode materials are selected to match postprocessing conditions. The reduction of the active material (rCMG) and sintering of the current collector (Cu) take place simultaneously. The electrochemical performance of the rCMG-based self-standing binder-free electrode and the two materials coupled rCMG/Cu printed electrode prove the potential of multimaterial printing in energy applications.

There are few studies considering functional roles of synthetic polymers on small ruminant oocytes matured in vitro. In this study, the effects of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on in vitro maturation of sheep oocytes were evaluated and compared in order to determine whether synthetic polymers can replace serum and be used for in vitro maturation of sheep oocytes. Simultaneously, the effects of synthetic polymers presented in the maturation medium on subsequent embryonic development were also assessed. Sheep cumulus−oocyte complexes were cultured in the maturation medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 3 mg/ml PVP, or 1 mg/ml PVA, respectively. The rates of oocyte maturation and embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) were recorded. The data indicated that the presence of PVP in the maturation medium does not have any negative effects on sheep oocytes matured in vitro when compared to FBS, as concern oocyte maturation and subsequent embryonic developmental capacity. Additionally, after PA, the embryonic developmental capability of in vitro matured sheep oocytes in the presence of PVA was not significantly different from that of oocytes matured in the presence of FBS or PVP. By contrast, when PVA was added to the maturation medium, the blastocyst formation rate after IVF (28.05% ± 5.42%) was significantly lower than that of oocytes matured in the presence of FBS (36.33 ± 4.37%, P 0.05). In conclusion, synthetic polymer as a serum replacement can efficiently maintain the procedure of oocyte maturation and subsequent embryonic developmental capacity in sheep. The PVP is more beneficial to in vitro maturation of sheep oocytes compared to PVA.

In this study, zein-protein based cryogels were synthesized by solution-based graft copolymerization of acrylic acid monomers onto zein protein backbones in the presence of an acrylamide crosslinker and initiators (sodium bisulfite and potassium persulfate). The grafting was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The thermal properties of the cryogels were assessed by thermogravimetric analysis and their morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface analysis. It was found that freezing the materials using liquid nitrogen at −196 °C before drying increased the surface area of the cryogels as compared to freezing at −20 °C. Dynamic mechanical analysis tests revealed that cryogels with increased acrylic acid content captured ambient moisture more quickly. The absorption capacity tests were performed in water and in diesel fuel. The highest equilibrium swelling of cryogels in distilled water reached 119.5 g/g of cryogel after 1 h while the highest equilibrium swelling in diesel fuel reached 49.8 g/g of cryogel in 15 min.

Superabsorbent hydrogels were synthesized by solution-based graft copolymerization of acrylic acid monomers on the hydrolyzed zein protein backbones in the presence of an acrylamide crosslinker, sodium bisulfite and potassium persulfate as initiators. The grafting was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy. A loose structure was observed in the hydrolyzed zein protein-g-polyacrylic acid. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry and swelling tests were performed to evaluate the effect of the formulations on the thermal and swelling properties of the hydrogels. The highest equilibrium swelling value in distilled water reached 239.6 g/g of hydrogel. The potential of these materials as heavy metal ions chelator was also assessed. The preliminary results showed that the hydrogels had a good copper ion chelation capacity (maximum of 208 mg/g at pH 4.5), probably due to the presence of a large number of functional groups from the polyacrylic acid and the hydrolyzed zein protein.

Notch is a cell–cell signaling pathway that is involved in a host of activities including development, oncogenesis, skeletal homeostasis, and much more. More specifically, recent research has demonstrated the importance of Notch signaling in osteogenic differentiation, bone healing, and in the development of the skeleton. The craniofacial skeleton is complex and understanding its development has remained an important focus in biology. In this review we briefly summarize what recent research has revealed about Notch signaling and the current understanding of how the skeleton, skull, and face develop. We then discuss the crucial role that Notch plays in both craniofacial development and the skeletal system, and what importance it may play in the future.

Traumatic injury to the spinal cord causes permanent loss of function and major personal, social, and economic problems. Cell-based delivery strategies is a promising approach for treating spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the inhospitable microenvironment in the injured spinal cord results in poor cell survival and uncontrolled differentiation of the transplanted stem cells. The combination of a scaffold with cells has been developed with a tendency for achieving greater survival and integration with the host tissue. We investigated the effect of Matrigel combined with neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro and in vivo. We compared the effect of different types of scaffold on the survival and differentiation of brain-derived NSCs in an in vitro culture. Subsequently, NSCs were transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice to detect graft survival and differentiation in vivo. Finally, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), Matrigel alone, or Matrigel seeded with NSCs was injected into 48 subacute, clinically relevant rat models of SCI (16 rats per group). Matrigel supported cell survival and differentiation efficiently in vitro and in vivo. SCI rats transplanted with NSCs in Matrigel showed improved behavioral recovery and neuronal and reactive astrocyte marker expression levels compared to PBS- or Matrigel-transplanted rats. Functional repair and neuronal and reactive astrocyte marker expression was slightly improved in the Matrigel-alone group relative to the PBS group, but not statistically significantly. These data suggest that Matrigel is a promising scaffold material for cell transplantation to the injured spinal cord.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14), one of the USP family members which belong to deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), plays a key role in maintaining cellular protein homeostasis by trimming ubiquitin chains from their substrates. However, the roles of USP14 in response to virus infection still remains largely unknown. In the current study, a USP14 homolog from orange spotted grouper (EcUSP14) was cloned and its roles in innate immune response were investigated. EcUSP14 was composed of 1479 base pairs encoding a 492-amino acid (aa) polypeptide. Sequence analysis indicated that EcUSP14 shared 96.14% and 81.30% identity to USP14 of bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus) and humans (homo sapiens), respectively. EcUSP14 contains conserved ubiquitin-like (UBL) domain (aa 3-76) and peptidase-C19A domain (aa 106-481). In response to Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) infection in vitro, EcUSP14 was significantly up-regulated. Subcellular localization showed that EcUSP14 was predominantly localized in the cytoplasm of grouper spleen (GS) cells and mostly co-localized with the viral assembly sites after SGIV infection. The ectopic expression of EcUSP14 significantly promoted the replication of SGIV, as demonstrated by the accelerated progression of severity of cytopathic effect (CPE), the increased viral gene transcription and viral protein synthesis during infection. Consistently, treatment with IU1, a USP14 specific inhibitor, significantly inhibited the replication of SGIV, suggesting that USP14 function as a pro-viral factor during SGIV replication. Further analysis showed that EcUSP14 overexpression decreased the promoter activities of interferon (IFN)-1, IFN-3, IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE), and nuclear factor of kappa B (NF-κB). Furthermore, the ectopic expression of EcUSP14 decreased the activities of IFN-1 promoter evoked by TANK-binding kinase (TBK)-1 and melanoma differentiation-associated protein (MDA)-5, but not stimulator of interferon genes (STING). Thus, we speculated that EcUSP14 facilitated virus replication by negatively regulating the IFN response. Taken together, our results firstly demonstrated that fish USP14 functioned as a pro-viral factor by negatively regulating interferon response against virus infection.

In this study, we report a type of ultra oxidation and spallation resistant Y/Hf-doped AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA). The alloy exhibits a significantly lower oxidation rate at 1100 °C with a kp value of about 1.9 × 10−13 g2 cm-4s-1, which is one magnitude lower than those of the conventional NiCoCrAlY alloys. Additionally, the alloy shows a strong resistance to the oxide scale spallation. The superior oxidation performance for the Y/Hf-doped HEA can be attributed to the fast establishment of exclusive α-Al2O3 scale, the beneficial reactive element effect and the large columnar grain size (width) in the oxide scale.

To find out the role of hsa-miR-570-3p targeting CD274 in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Hsa-miR-570-3p and CD274 expressions in 175 TNBC patients were detected by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry respectively. The human TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231) were used to verify the targeting relationship between hsa-miR-570-3p and CD274 via dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Then, MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 cells were divided into Blank, miR-NC, miR-570-3p mimics, NC siRNA, CD274 siRNA, and miR-570-3p inhibitors + CD274 siRNA groups. Next, the biological activities of cells were detected by MTT, Cell-Light EdU, Annexin-V-FITC/PI, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays. Western blotting was conducted to detect protein expressions.MiR-570-3p expression was lower in tumor tissues than that in adjacent normal tissues, which was more obvious in CD274-positive TNBC patients, which targeted CD274 in TNBC cell lines. MiR-570-3p inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and migration, but induced cell apoptosis accompanying the upregulation of apoptotic proteins and downregulation of anti-apoptotic protein. CD274 siRNA had the similar results of miR-570-3p mimics, which could be reversed by miR-570-3p inhibitors. Besides, both miR-570-3p mimics and CD274 siRNA blocked PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in TNBC cell lines. Hsa-miR-570-3p was downregulated and CD274 was upregulated in TNBC patients. Besides, hsa-miR-570-3p targeted CD274 to inhibit cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and induce cell apoptosis, which may be related to the suppression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Objectives The emergence and spread of plasmid-encoded tet(X3/X4) genes that confer high-level tigecycline and eravacycline resistance in Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter spp. pose serious threats to human and animal health. We developed a rapid and robust assay to detect Tet(X3/X4) in Gram-negative bacteria based on eravacycline degradation by the presence of the Tet(X) enzyme in the test strain. Methods This tetracycline inactivation method (TIM) is based on the degradation of eravacycline by the Tet(X3/X4)-producing strain, which results in reduced eravacycline activity against an acid-producing thermophile Bacillus stearothermophilus indicator strain. For Tet(X)-negative strains, eravacycline retains its antimicrobial activity. Coupled with a pH-sensitive dye (bromocresol purple), the reduced colorimetric inhibition zone can be measured to determine the production of Tet(X3/X4). One hundred and eighteen isolates, including 30 tet(X4)-positive E. coli, 30 tet(X3)-positive Acinetobacter spp. and 58 tet(X)-negative E. coli and Acinetobacter spp., were examined to evaluate the performance of this TIM. Results The sensitivity and specificity for E. coli carrying tet(X4) was 96.7% and 100%, respectively, and for Acinetobacter spp. carrying tet(X3) both were 100%. The TIM assay can be completed within 6.5 h. Conclusions The TIM is a simple, rapid and cost-effective method for the detection of plasmid-mediated high-level tigecycline resistance in E. coli and Acinetobacter spp.

An approach to improve the sintering ability and the fracture toughness of hafnium carbide (HfC) ceramic by designing a unique composite structure is reported. The uniform and ultra-fine HfC nanoparticles (~300 nm) are synthesized at 1450°C by vacuum carbonization reaction with the glucose-derived hydrothermal precursor as a carbon source and template. HfC ceramic sintered with a SiCN sintering aid of 15 vol. % possesses a beneficial three-dimensional network microstructure composed of inter-penetrating phases of carbon, SiC and HfC with varied stoichiometry at multi-length scales. The obtained HfC exhibits a higher fracture toughness of 5.5 MPa m1/2, which can be attributed to the unique composite structure able to promote stress releases in the crack tip and enhance the resistance to crack propagation.

Research summary: The efforts of multinational corporations to be socially responsible do not always engender positive evaluations from overseas stakeholders. Drawing on attribution theory, we argue that two heuristics guide stakeholders in evaluating firms' social performance: foreignness and the valence of firms' social responsibility. We provide evidence from a field study of secondary stakeholders and an experimental study involving 129 non-governmental organizations. Consistent with attribution theory, the liability of foreignness is minimized when firms engage in “do-good” social responsibility (focused on proactive engagement creating positive externalities) but is substantial when firms engage in “do-no-harm” social responsibility (focused on attenuating negative externalities). In online supporting information, Appendix S1, we demonstrate that these evaluations have consequences for whether stakeholders subsequently cooperate, or sow conflict, with firms. Managerial summary: There is no guarantee that efforts to be socially responsible will improve multinational corporations' relations with overseas stakeholders, such as customers, governments, and activists. In a field study and an experiment, we unpack when foreign firms suffer from harsh stakeholder evaluations. Foreign firms especially suffer from harsh evaluations when they conduct “do-no-harm” CSR rather than “do-good” CSR. Stakeholders attribute the motive for foreign firms' do-no-harm CSR to managerial interests and shareholder pressures, perceiving a wedge between managers and owners (who may be unmotivated to reduce the negative impacts of their business activities) and local stakeholders (who bear the social costs). A practical implication is that foreign firms gain more from highlighting do-good rather than do-(no)-harm CSR initiatives. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The soft sensing system has drawn huge enthusiasm for the application of soft robots and healthcare recently. Most of them possess thin-film structures that are beneficial to monitoring strain and pressure, but are unfavorable for measuring normal displacement with high linearity. Here we propose soft tactile sensors based on uniform-strength cantilever beams that can be utilized to measure the normal displacement and force of soft objects simultaneously. First, the theoretical model of the sensors is constructed, on the basis of which, the sensors are fabricated for testing their sensing characteristics. Next, the test results validate the constructed model, and demonstrate that the sensors can measure the force as well as the displacement. Besides, the self-fabricated sensor can have such prominent superiorities as follows—it is ultra-soft, and its equivalent stiffness is only 0.31 N·m−1 (approximately 0.4% of fat), it has prominent sensing performance with excellent linearity (R2 = 0.999), high sensitivity of 0.533 pF·mm−1 and 1.66 pF·mN−1 for measuring displacement and force, its detection limit is as low as 70 μm and 20 μN that is only one-tenth of the touch of a female fingertip. The presented sensor highlights a new idea for measuring the force and displacement of the soft objects with broad application prospects in mechanical and medical fields.

Lung cancer is difficult to diagnose, has a high mortality rate and a high recurrence rate. By grouping and analyzing the gene expression in lung cancer samples, we selected the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in total lung cancers or each subgroup, and then searched for the similarities and differences among these. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were performed, in addition to predictable cell proliferation or immune-related pathways, 'hemostasis', 'coagulation' and 'viral myocarditis' were also enriched in common DEGs, while specific functions or pathways were enriched in different subgroups. This may have implications for the treatment of total lung cancer or different subtypes. Through bioinformatics analysis, hub genes were obtained from total lung cancer and each subgroup respectively. Survival analysis of common hub genes led us to find that ZWINT, A2M, POLR2H and KIF11 are associated with unclassified lung cancer survival. For the construction of miRNA regulatory network, miR-16-5p was related to all of these four genes, and its expression is significantly different between lung cancers and normal samples. Combined with the hub genes of each subtype, it may have the ability of early screening and typing.

In this study, the oxidation behavior of AlCoCrFeNi2.1 eutectic high entropy alloy (EHEA) with/without Y doping at 1000 °C and 1100 °C was reported. The doping of minor Y is crucial to improving the Al2O3 scale adhesion and achieving its durability at high temperatures. The oxidation rates of Y-doped AlCoCrFeNi2.1 EHEA at 1000 °C and 1100 °C are comparable and even lower compared with conventional Al2O3-forming NiCoCrAlY/CoNiCrAlY alloys. The superior oxidation resistance and highly stable eutectic lamellar structure after high-temperature oxidation make Y-doped AlCoCrFeNi2.1 EHEA show a tremendous potential in high-temperature application.

This research combines insights from resource dependence and institutional theories to examine the growth of Chinese nonprofit revenues. The authors propose the concept of embedded government control (EGC) to capture the complexity of the government–nonprofit relationship along two dimensions: government regulation of nonprofits’ public fund-raising qualifications and the political embeddedness of nonprofits with the government. Using a data set of 2,159 Chinese philanthropic foundations for the period 2005–12, the authors test hypotheses about the implications of EGC for nonprofit revenues in China following two major external shocks: the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 and the Guo Meimei scandal in 2011. The empirical analysis shows that EGC can help philanthropic foundations obtain more government subsidies, donations, and market revenues. However, external shocks may either strengthen or weaken the enabling role of EGC in helping foundations acquire relatively more donations.