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Aims: This meta‐analysis was aimed to investigate the association between −572G/C interleukin (IL)‐6 gene polymorphism and occurrence risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Springer and Google Scholar up to November 2018. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated by Revman 5.3. Results: A total of six case‐control studies were included in this meta‐analysis. In the allele model (G vs C), homozygous gene model (GG vs CC), recessive gene model (GG vs GC + CC), and dominant gene model (GG + GC vs CC), the pooled estimate indicated there was significant association between −572G/C IL‐6 gene polymorphism and risk of RA. However, no significant statistical results were found in meta‐analyses of heterozygote gene models. Conclusions: The −572G/C IL‐6 gene polymorphism is associated with the risk of RA. The GG genotype may be the main contributor in increasing susceptibility to RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Scoliosis is accepted as a 3-dimensional deformity involving axial, sagittal and frontal planes.Research Question: To evaluate the correlation between baropodometric parameters and coronal balance status for idiopathic scoliosis.Methods: 44 patients (7 males and 37 females) of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) were recruited. All participants should have scoliosis confirmed by a spine X-ray performed less than one month ahead of the baropodometric study. Radiographic studies including Cobb angle, offset between Central Sacral Vertical Line (CSVL) and C7 Vertebra Plumb Line (C7PL) (considered as global coronal balance, GCB), Apical Translation of the major curve (AT, considered as regional coronal balance) as well as Lateral Pelvic Tilt (LPT) were examined. A static baropodometry was performed for each patient. The contact surface and load ratio (to the entire load of both feet) were measured.Results: On both sides, the surface of the forefoot was significantly larger than that of the rearfoot (P < 0.001) and the load ratio of the forefoot was significantly smaller than that of the rearfoot (P < 0.001). On the major curve side, GCB showed a positive correlation with the contact surface of the forefoot (r = 0.36, P = 0.019), as well as the load ratio (r = 0.40, P = 0.008). AT also showed a positive correlation with the load ratio of the forefoot (r = 0.331, P = 0.03) but no correlation with contact surface.Significance: In scoliosis, coronal balance is correlated to plantar pressure distribution. Apical translation of the major curve and offset between CSVL and C7PL are the best describers of coronal balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-ageing effect of Yisui moxibustion on regulating the klotho protein and insulin (INS)/IGF-1 signalling cascade in d-galactose mice. Sixty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into five groups after the Morries test: the normal sodium, model, moxa cone moxibustion 1 and 2, and sham groups. The treatment and model were given d-galactose injection for 70 days, while mice in the normal sodium group were injected the same dosage of normal sodium. From day 13 after the first injection, the three treatment groups were treated every day for 58 days. The INS and klotho in the cerebral tissues were measured. p-Akt, p-FoxO3a, Klotho, SOD2 expression were observed immunohistochemically. The escape latency of mice in the model and sham were significantly prolonged, and the spanning original platform times were significantly decreased compared with the normal sodium and moxa cone moxibustion 1 and 2 (p < 0.01). The content of INS and klotho in the model was significantly lower than the normal sodium, moxa cone moxibustion 1 and 2 (p < 0.01). Compared with the model and sham, p-Akt and p-FoxO3a expression in moxa cone moxibustion 1 and 2 were markedly decreased (p < 0.05), and the expressions of klotho and SOD2 were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in hippocampal CA1. Yisui moxibustion could exert the antioxidative effect on klotho protein, which negatively regulated the insulin signalling pathway and its downstream elements in cerebral tissue and hippocampal CA1, so as to enhance learning and memory capacities, delay brain ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work was to investigate the effects of feeding regimens (pasture vs. mixed diet) on meat quality, fatty acids, volatile compounds, and antioxidant properties in lamb meat. In total, 24 lambs were allotted into two feeding regimens at 10.23 kg live weight. Lambs were fed on pasture grass (PG group, n = 12) or mixed diet (M group, n = 12). Longissimusthoracis (LT) muscle samples from the M group had a higher intramuscular fat (IMF) (p < 0.05), pH45minvalue (p < 0.01), and ash (p < 0.05) than the PG group. In contrast, the shear force (p < 0.05), L*(p < 0.05), and b* (p < 0.001) in M group were lower than in PG group. Analyses indicated that PG group contained higher linolenic acid (C18:3n3) and docosatrienoic acid (C22:3n6) (p < 0.05) than the M group. Major volatile compounds in the muscles included hexanal, heptanal, nonanal, octanal, 1‐pentanol, 1‐hexanol, 1‐octen‐3‐ol, and 2,3‐octanedione. The levels of hexanal, nonanal, and 2,3‐octanedione were significantly lower in PG lamb muscle (p < 0.01). In contrast, 1‐pentanol and 1‐hexanol levels were higher in M lamb muscle (p < 0.01). Muscle from PG lamb exhibited higher catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity (p < 0.05). PG muscle also contained a higher radical‐scavenging ability (RSA; p < 0.001) and cupric‐reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC; p < 0.05). Overall, the improved antioxidant status in PG muscle inhibited lipid peroxidation (aldehydes and ketones), thereby improving the meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An architect-friendly rapid evaluation for the adaptive facades (AFs) is presented. • The method eliminates uncertainty in AFs selection during the early design stage. • Optimal hourly values are obtained via co-simulation with EnergyPlus and Python. • AFs strategy is characterized by climate and optimal values using a white-box model. • U-value strategy reduces consumption by up to 6.6%, SHGC&τ v strategy by 17.0%. Adaptive façades (AFs) are technologies with great potential to reduce energy consumption by changing their properties to adapt to variable climatic conditions. This paper proposes an architect-friendly computational approach for the exploration of strategies for the selection of the thermal parameters of AFs based on co-simulation and white-box models in the early design stage. In the case study, the proposed approach is applied to obtain strategies with variable U -values and variable SHGC& τ v values for high-rise office buildings in seven cities. The energy consumption analysis of five scenarios is carried out to investigate the energy-saving potential of the AFs and to propose design strategies for transparent façades, and the accuracy of the approach is verified. It is concluded that the highest match of the variable U- value strategy with the optimal hourly U- values is 85.3%, while that between the variable SHGC& τ v strategy and the optimal hourly SHGC& τ v values is only 71.0%. Regarding the energy-saving potential, the highest energy-saving rate is 6.6% for the variable U- value strategy. However, for the variable SHGC& τ v strategy, the highest energy-saving rate is greater than 10.8% in seven cities. The difference between the energy-saving rates of the proposed strategy and the optimal hourly strategy is less than 0.4%, and it is 0.8% for the AFs with variable U- values and variable SHGC& τ v values, respectively. This architect-friendly approach represents a widely used design strategy for AFs that can directly provide recommended thermal parameters based on climatic conditions, and is an effective way to demonstrate the potential application of AFs in the early design stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the effect of dietary arginine supplementation on protein synthesis, meat quality and flavor in lambs. Eighteen Dorper (♂) × Small Tailed Han sheep (♀) crossed ewe lambs of similar weight (27.29 ± 2.02 kg; aged 3 months) were assigned to two groups, the control group was fed the basal diet (Con group), and the arginine group (Arg group) was supplemented with 1% l-arginine based on the Con group for 90 d. The results suggested that dietary arginine significantly increased final body weight, loin eye muscle area, muscle fiber diameter, cross-sectional area (P < 0.050), and decreased shear force value and cooking loss (P < 0.050), as well as altered the composition and contents of volatile flavor compounds in lambs. Importantly, the total protein (TP) content, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activities in serum, branched-chain aminotransferase (BCAT), AST, ALT activities and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) gene expression and content were elevated (P < 0.050), while content of urea nitrogen (BUN) in serum and 3-methylhistidine (3-MH) were decreased in arginine fed lambs (P < 0.050). In addition, arginine triggered muscle protein synthesis through protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, while minimized protein degradation by regulating gene expression of myogenin (MyoG), myostatin (MSTN), muscle atrophy F-box (MAFbx) and forkhead box O3 family (FoxO3) (P < 0.050). Taken together, this study suggested that arginine can be used to improve protein deposition and meat quality in lamb production. [Display omitted] • Dietary arginine supplementation triggered protein deposition by the Akt-mediated signaling pathway of lambs. • Dietary arginine supplementation decreased shear force and cooking loss of lamb. • Dietary arginine supplementation reduced the content of aldehydes of lamb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the contributions of Clostridium butyricum on skeletal muscle development, gastrointestinal flora and meat quality of lambs. Eighteen Dorper (♂) × Small Tailed Han sheep (♀) crossed ewe lambs of similar weight (27.43 ± 1.94 kg; age, 88 ± 5 days) were divided into two dietary treatments. The control group was fed the basal diet (C group), and the probiotic group was supplemented with C. butyricum on the basis of the C group (2.5 × 108 cfu/g, 5 g/day/lamb; P group) for 90 d. The results showed that dietary C. butyricum elevated growth performance, muscle mass, muscle fiber diameter and cross-sectional area, and decreased the shear force value of meat (P < 0.05). Moreover, C. butyricum supplementation accelerated protein synthesis by regulating the gene expression of IGF-1/Akt/mTOR pathway. We identified 54 differentially expressed proteins that regulated skeletal muscle development through different mechanisms by quantitative proteomics. These proteins were associated with ubiquitin-protease, apoptosis, muscle structure, energy metabolism, heat shock, and oxidative stress. The metagenomics sequencing results showed that Petrimonas at the genus level and Prevotella brevis at the species level in the rumen, while Lachnoclostridium , Alloprevotella and Prevotella at the genus level in the feces, were significantly enriched in the P group. Also, butyric acid and valeric acid levels were elevated in both rumen and feces of the P group. Overall, our results support the idea that C. butyricum could change gastrointestinal flora, and affect skeletal muscle development and meat quality of lambs by modulating gut-muscle axis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Driving factors of groundwater level variation have been evaluated and ranked. • Attention-GRU model shows the best performance on groundwater level prediction. • Ecological water supplement shows variance effects in the North China Plain. • Specific yield updates exhibit a significant influence during specific period. • Groundwater storage variation presents different features in the North China Plain. The continuous ecological river supplement has enhanced the recharge of groundwater in the North China Plain, and alleviated the depletion of groundwater resources. In the study of ecological river supplement, efficient quantitative prediction of groundwater level (GWL) and groundwater storage (GWS) is a crucial issue. To predict GWL and estimate the variation of GWS in the North China Plain, this paper uses the attention-gated recurrent unit (Attention-GRU) model as a primary method and coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) as the indices to evaluate model performance. Compared to traditional recursive neural network (RNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) model, Attention-GRU model demonstrated an outstanding performance, as the RMSE is respectively 0.5 m and 2.28 m in the training and testing periods, and the R2 is 0.87 and 0.68. With the usage of the convolution neural network (CNN) model, the specific yield field was continuously updated from 2018 to 2021. The average annual variation of GWS estimated by this method is respectively −15.19 × 104 m3, −13.29 × 104 m3, 2.55×104 m3 and 100.05×104 m3 from 2018 to 2021 in the North China Plain. Besides, the semiannual GWS variation, calculated using the updated specific yield, is −59.56 × 104 m3 in 2022. Furthermore, the influence of the reference time length and the driving factors were evaluated. Results show that the precipitation, evaporation and human activities are the most important temporal features influencing the changes in GWS, and the changes in different areas have varying local characteristics. In the piedmont plain, river ecological recharge played a crucial role for groundwater storage recovery. When it moved to the coastal plain, the contribution rate of recharge decreased from 23% to 11%. In addition, the optimal reference time length used in Attention-GRU model varies in different hydrogeology divisions, and the specific yield variation would result in substantial differences for the GWS estimation under different climate conditions and human activities. The systematic framework proposed in this paper is effective for evaluating and predicting GWL and GWS, and thereby able to support the management and development of groundwater, and provide a guidance for ecological river supplement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the tremendous success of the artificial breeding of Hexagrammos otakii , the yield has been substantially improved. However, intensive farming often results in bacterial diseases; hence it is imperative to find new antimicrobial molecules. In the present study, we identified a homologous cDNA fragment of collectin-10 from H. otakii , designated as HoCL-10. The cDNA length is 899 bp, which contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 816 bp encoding a secreted protein with 272 amino acid residues. The peptide of HoCL-10 contains an N-terminal collagen domain, a neck region, and a C-terminal carbohydrate recognition domain. The qRT-PCR results revealed that HoCL-10 mRNA was highest expressed in the liver and skin and was significantly induced post-LPS stimulation. The sugar and bacteria binding assay suggested that the recombinant HoCL-10 (rHoCL-10) could recognize various pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and bacteria. For effect on cells, rHoCL-10 enhanced the phagocytosis and migration ability of the macrophage indicated using pro-phagocytosis assay and trans -well assay. To determine the role of HoCL-10 in the complement system, the interaction between HoCL-10 and mannose-binding lectin associated serine protease 1, 2 (MASP-1, 2) were analyzed and demonstrated using ELISA and Far-western. And in vivo , the concentration of membrane-attack complex (MAC) in fish plasma was significantly down-regulated post-injection with HoCL-10 antibody. Finally, the bacteria challenge experiment was performed, implying that HoCL-10 may assist the host in defending against microbial invasion. The findings suggest that HoCL-10 may play crucial roles in host defense against microorganisms, possibly through opsonizing pathogens and activating the complement system. • A collectin-10 gene from Hexagrammos otakii (HoCL-10) was identified. • HoCL-10 mRNAs were up-regulated in the liver and skin post LPS stimulation. • The recombination protein of HoCL-10 (rHoCL-10) recognized PAMPs and microbials. • rHoCL-10 may function in the complement activation process and anti-infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SIX1 and SIX4 genes play critical roles in kidney development. We evaluated the effect of these genes on pig kidney development by generating SIX1−/− and SIX1−/−/SIX4−/− pig foetuses using CRISPR/Cas9 and somatic cell nuclear transfer. We obtained 3 SIX1−/− foetuses and 16 SIX1−/−/SIX4−/− foetuses at different developmental stages. The SIX1−/− foetuses showed a migration block of the left kidney and a smaller size for both kidneys. The ureteric bud failed to form the normal branching and collecting system. Abnormal expressions of kidney development‐related genes (downregulation of PAX2, PAX8, and BMP4 and upregulation of EYA1 and SALL1) were also observed in SIX1−/− foetal kidneys and confirmed in vitro in porcine kidney epithelial cells (PK15) following SIX1 gene deletion. The SIX1−/−/SIX4−/− foetuses exhibited more severe phenotypes, with most foetuses showing retarded development at early stages of gestation. The kidney developed only to the initial stage of metanephros formation. These results demonstrated that SIX1 and SIX4 are key genes for porcine metanephros development. The creation of kidney‐deficient porcine foetuses provides a platform for generating human kidneys inside pigs using blastocyst complementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • An equation for estimating the daily UHII max is evaluated with a dataset of 658 days. • Robust and satisfactory estimation of the UHII max under various weather conditions. • A method to apply the equation to building energy simulation is developed and validated. • Implying that the equation and the method have the potential to be applicable to other cities. Abstract The reliable estimation of the urban heat island intensity (UHII) within an urban canopy will benefit a number of fields of research such as urban design, public health, and building energy performance. A diagnostic equation for estimating the daily maximum UHII (UHII max), which is based on routine meteorological data and basic urban properties, was extensively tested with the long-term observations from the metropolis of Nanjing, China. The field measurement has been carried out based on the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) scheme, which is a standardized classification protocol for urban temperature studies. The temperature data set of 658 days collected from six different LCZ classes was used for testing. The results show that the diagnostic equation produced a robust and satisfactory estimation of the daily UHII max under various weather conditions. The overall performance of the equation for Nanjing, that has a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.95°C and a median absolute error (MEAE) of 0.60°C, closely approximates its performance for the 14 cities in northwestern Europe (RMSE = 0.91°C, MEAE = 0.58°C). The results also imply that the equation has the potential to be applicable to other cities. Another attempt in this study was to develop a method to apply the diagnostic equation to building energy simulations (BES). The hourly heat island intensities were derived from the estimated UHII max based on the typical diurnal pattern of UHII evolution. An apartment was modeled with the BES program EnergyPlus to examine the validity of the proposed method. Using the modeled and measured temperature data as the inputs in the EnergyPlus simulations, the annual, monthly, and hourly energy demands for cooling and heating were investigated and compared. For all the six LCZ sites except the large low-rise case (LCZ 8), the impacts of the heat island effects at the neighborhood scale on building energy performance were reasonably evaluated with the method. The limitations and perspectives of the equation and its application to BES have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effect of polo‐like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibition on cisplatin (DDP)‐resistant gastric cancer (GC) cells. Methods: The transcriptional level of PLK1 was measured by quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction. Expressions of PLK1 and its downstream mediators as well as autophagy‐related protein LC3 I/LC3 II were detected by western blot. An 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine immunofluorescent staining were conducted to evaluate the cell viability and replication activity separately. Flow cytometry was carried out to determine the cell cycle status. The GFP‐LC3 vector contributed toward tracking the formation and aggregation of autophagosomes. Results: Drug‐resistant SGC‐7901/DDP cells showed insignificant changes in all phases after DDP treatment, including DNA replication, cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis, whereas DDP could significantly improve the autophagy level of SGC‐7901/DDP as well as PLK1expression. By downregulating the expression of PLK1, both BI2536 andsi‐PLK1 enhanced SGC‐7901/DDP sensitivity to DDP, suppressing the proliferation and autophagy as well as improving the apoptosis rate. PLK1 inhibition also resulted in the repression of cell division regulators CDC25C and cyclin B1. Conclusion: Together, our experimental results illustrated that the DDP resistance of GC cells might be associated with the aberrant overexpression of PLK1. PLK1 inhibition, including si‐PLK1 and BI2536 treatment, could restore the chemosensitivity of drug‐resistant SGC‐7901/DDP cells and enhance the efficacy of DDP, revealing the potential value of PLK1 inhibition in GC chemotherapy. This study aims to investigate the effect of polo‐like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibition on cisplatin (DDP)‐resistant gastric cancer (GC) cells. Together, our experimental results illustrated that the DDP resistance of GC cells might be associated with the aberrant overexpression of PLK1. PLK1 inhibition, including si‐PLK1 and BI2536 treatment, could restore the chemosensitivity of drug‐resistant SGC‐7901/DDP cells and enhance the efficacy of DDP, revealing the potential value of PLK1 inhibition in GC chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Cretaceous lithospheric mantle beneath the Jiaodong Peninsula has been recognized as ancient and enriched mantle with widespread mafic dike swarms. However, the enriching agent and the process of the lithospheric mantle remain under debate. In this study, we recovered the H2O contents of the primitive magmas of Early Cretaceous mafic dikes in the Jiaodong Peninsula by using the H2O contents of clinopyroxene (Cpx) phenocrysts and H2O partition coefficients D H 2 O cpx / melt . We also present whole-rock geochemical data and in situ major- and trace-element contents for Cpx phenocrysts from these mafic dikes. These dikes are characterized by low SiO2 contents, high MgO contents, enrichment of large-ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements, depletion of high-field-strength elements, high (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios, and low εNd(t) values. These geochemical features imply an origin of enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle. The calculated H2O contents of the primitive magmas range from 1.38 to 4.45 wt%, with associated H2O/Ce ratios varying from 237 to 322, suggesting that their mantle source was metasomatized by oceanic slab subduction–related fluids. In addition, covariations between H2O/Ce and incompatible elements indicate the addition of a dehydrated marine sediment component in the mantle source of the Jiaodong mafic dikes. In combination with the H2O contents of Early Cretaceous basaltic rocks in the southeastern North China Craton, the lithospheric mantle was metasomatized through fluids related to paleo–Pacific plate subduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Long-term physical exercise before slaughter resulted in faster muscle pH decline post-mortem and more yellow meat in Sunit sheep. • Physical exercise caused a shift of muscle fibers from oxidative to glycolytic type. • Physical exercise activated skeletal muscle satellite cells influencing the process of conversion from muscle to meat. Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of muscle exercise on meat quality characteristics and protein and gene expression of Sunit sheep. To this end, 24 Sunit sheep that had the same genetic background and had been raised on extensive pasture for their first 9 months were randomly divided into two groups (12 sheep each), which were raised separately for 3 months until slaughter. The first group of sheep was kept on pasture and allowed to move freely outdoors (M Group), whereas the other group of sheep was kept in one pen on the farm (control [C] group). After slaughter, samples of the longissimus dorsi muscle were taken to evaluate meat quality. The differences in the expression of muscle-exercise-related proteins and genes between the two groups were analyzed by Western blotting and RT-PCR techniques. The results showed reductions in the pH measured 1 h and 24 h post-mortem and in the a* value (redness) for meat colour in the longissimus dorsi muscle of the sheep in the M group in comparison with those in the C group (P < 0.01), while an increasing b* value (yellowness) for meat colour was observed in the M group sheep (P < 0.01). The greater (P < 0.05) levels of Pax7 and MyoD but not PPARγ in the M group indicated that the activated skeletal muscle satellite cells underwent myogenesis rather than adipogenesis. In addition, endurance exercise caused a shift in myosin heavy chain composition from the oxidative isoform to the glycolytic form (P < 0.01), which may have resulted in the pH decline and the colour change. In conclusion, exercise-induced activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells, which regulate the pH and colour of meat, was associated with the transformation of muscle fiber types in Sunit sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The accumulation of anthocyanins in response to specific developmental cues or environmental conditions plays a vital role in plant development and protection against stresses. Extensive research has examined the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes at the transcriptional and post‐transcriptional levels, but the role of chromatin in this regulation remains unknown.Chromatin immunoprecipitation and quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) analyses were performed. Genetic interactions between trimethylation of lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4me3) and the chromatin remodeling complex SWR1 in the control of anthocyanin biosynthesis were further studied.In this study, we provide evidence that a conserved histone H2 variant, H2A.Z, negatively regulates anthocyanin accumulation through deposition at a set of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes and consequently represses their expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our data indicate that the accumulation of anthocyanin in H2A.Z deposition‐deficient mutants is associated with increased H3K4me3, which is required for promotion of the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes. We further provide evidence that H3K4me3 in anthocyanin biosynthetic genes is negatively associated with the presence of H2A.Z.Our results reveal an antagonistic relationship between H2A.Z and H3K4me3 in the regulation of the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, adding another layer of regulation to anthocyanin biosynthesis genes and highlighting the role of chromatin in gene regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Feeding regimens effected gene expression of FADS1 and FADS2 in adipose tissue. • The content of n-3 PUFA, especially EPA and DHA is higher in pastured sheep. • Different tissues have variable sensibilities to feeding regimens. Abstract The present study investigated the effects of two feeding regimens on meat quality, fatty acid profile and metabolism as it relates to gene expression in Sunit sheep. Two feeding regimens were used (pasture feeding and barn feeding, PF and BF) each containing 10 Sunit sheep. Results of this study indicated that PF sheep had significantly (P < 0.05) higher L* and b* values in their muscle compared to BF sheep. Also, the fatty acid composition of longissimus dorsi muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissues differed between feeding regimens. In this respect, concentrations of palmitic acid (C16:0) in the subcutaneous adipose tissue were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in BF sheep. Pastured sheep exhibited greater concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) including: linolenic acid (C18:3) (P < 0.001), DHA (P < 0.05), EPA (P < 0.001) and CLA cis-9, trans-11(P < 0.05) in their muscle compared to BF sheep. The expression of nine candidate genes related to fatty acid metabolism were analyzed by qPCR. In longissimus dorsi muscle, expression of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACACA; P < 0.05) was up-regulated in BF sheep. Expression of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPARγ) (P < 0.05), stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD) (P < 0.01), fatty acid desaturase1 (FADS1) (P < 0.05) and fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2) (P < 0.05) were up-regulated in PF sheep. Pasture feeding also increased (P < 0.05) expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), PPARγ, SCD, FADS1and fatty acid elongase 5 (Elove5) in the subcutaneous adipose tissue, however, the feeding regimens did not change expression of fatty acid synthase (FASN) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase I (CPT1). The results of this study indicated that the feeding regimen could be an important tool in manipulating the fatty acid profile of animal adipose tissue by altering the gene expression of enzymes involved in fat metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The study evaluated the effect of an ultrasound-assisted treatment on the structural and functional properties of sheep bone collagen (SBC). The type and distribution of SBC were analyzed by proteome (shotgun) technology combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Compared with pepsin extraction, the ultrasound-assisted treatment significantly increased the collagen extraction rate by 17.4 pp (P < 0.05). The characteristic functional groups and structural integrity of collagen extracted by both methods were determined via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Circular dichroism spectra revealed that the ultrasound-assisted pretreatment reduced α-helix content by 1.6 pp, β-sheet content by 21.9 pp, and random coils content by 28.4 pp, whereas it increased β-turn content by 51.9 pp (P < 0.05), compared with pepsin extraction. Moreover, ultrasound-assisted treatment collagen had superior functional properties (e.g., solubility, water absorption, and oil absorption capacity) and foaming and emulsion properties, compared with pepsin extraction. Furthermore, the relative content of type I collagen in ultrasound-assisted extracted SBC was highest at 79.66%; only small proportions of type II, VI, X, and XI collagen were present. Peptide activity analysis showed that SBC had potential antioxidant activity, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitory activity, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity; it also had anticancer, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban trees can significantly improve the outdoor thermal environment, especially in subtropical zones. However, due to the lack of fundamental evaluations of numerical simulation models, design and modification strategies for optimizing the thermal environment in subtropical hot-humid climate zones cannot be proposed accurately. To resolve this issue, this study investigated the physiological parameters (leaf surface temperature and vapor flux) and thermal effects (solar radiation, air temperature, and humidity) of four common tree species (Michelia alba, Mangifera indica, Ficus microcarpa, and Bauhinia blakeana) in both spring and summer in Guangzhou, China. A comprehensive comparison of the observed and modeled data from ENVI-met (v4.2 Science, a three-dimensional microclimate model) was performed. The results show that the most fundamental weakness of ENVI-met is the limitation of input solar radiation, which cannot be input hourly in the current version and may impact the thermal environment in simulation. For the tree model, the discrepancy between modeled and observed microclimate parameters was acceptable. However, for the physiological parameters, ENVI-met tended to overestimate the leaf surface temperature and underestimate the vapor flux, especially at midday in summer. The simplified calculation of the tree model may be one of the main reasons. Furthermore, the thermal effect of trees, meaning the differences between nearby treeless sites and shaded areas, were all underestimated in ENVI-met for each microclimate variable. This study shows that the tree model is suitable in subtropical hot-humid climates, but also needs some improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most plants, the female germline starts with the differentiation of one megaspore mother cell (MMC) in each ovule that produces four megaspores through meiosis, one of which survives to become the functional megaspore (FM). The FM further develops into an embryo sac. Little is known regarding the control of MMC formation to one per ovule and the selective survival of the FM. The ICK/KRPs (interactor/inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)/Kip-related proteins) are plant CDK inhibitors and cell cycle regulators. Here we report that in the ovules of Arabidopsis mutant with all seven ICK/KRP genes inactivated, supernumerary MMCs, FMs and embryo sacs were formed and the two embryo sacs could be fertilized to form two embryos with separate endosperm compartments. Twin seedlings were observed in about 2% seeds. Further, in the mutant ovules the number and position of surviving megaspores from one MMC were variable, indicating that the positional signal for determining the survival of megaspore was affected. Strikingly, ICK4 fusion protein with yellow fluorescence protein was strongly present in the degenerative megaspores but absent in the FM, suggesting an important role of ICKs in the degeneration of non-functional megaspores. The absence of or much weaker phenotypes in lower orders of mutants and complementation of the septuple mutant by ICK4 or ICK7 indicate that multiple ICK/KRPs function redundantly in restricting the formation of more than one MMC and in the selective survival of FM, which are critical to ensure the development of one embryo sac and one embryo per ovule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies in mice showed that the Ten-eleven translocation Enzymes (TET) family is involved in the active DNA demethylation. The isotype TET-3 is responsible for the conversion of 5mc (5-methylcytosine) to 5hmc (5-hydroxymethylcytosine) at the pronuclear stages of mouse embryo. This study was performed to investigate the pattern of methylation change and the role of TET family in the demethylation process of porcine in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) derived embryo. Bisulfite-sequencing PCR (BSP) and DNA glucosylation and digestion before quantitative PCR (qGluMS-PCR) were done to evaluate the exact change of methylation during porcine pronuclear stages. The results showed that the amount of 5hmc detected increased whereas 5mc decreased in IVF embryo from pronuclear stage 2 (PN2) to pronuclear stage 5 (PN5). In addition, Immunofluorescent staining showed that the 5hmc signal, also detected in oocytes, significantly increased in both pronucleus from fertilization to PN2. The amount of 5hmc continued to rise in male pronucleus but decreased to a very low level in female pronucleus from PN2 to PN5. The above results indicate that female pronucleus might undergo active demethylation only at early pronuclear stages. On the other hand, male pronucleus might undergo active demethylation throughout all pronuclear stages. The expression of three TET isotypes (TET-1, TET-2, TET-3) were tested and TET-3 was found to be the highest expressed isotype. High TET-3 concentrations observed mainly in male pronucleus using immunofluorescent staining, implying that TET-3 might be the main enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of 5mc to 5hmc. In contrast, no TET-3 signal was detected in female pronucleus through the pronuclear stages. The demethylation pattern of SCNT embryos resembled that of the male pronucleus of IVF embryos, suggesting that active demethylation might happen in porcine cloned embryo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fermented lamb jerky with lactic acid bacteria as starter. • This test simulated the continuous digestive system of the human mouth, stomach, small intestine and large intestine (human stool collection) in vitro. • The changes of purine in the digestive system of fermented lamb jerky by simulated digestion in vitro. • To investigate the effect of starter on purine in fermented lamb jerky in vitro simulated digestive system. This is the first study to investigate the effect of different lactic acid bacteria fermentation methods on the purine content of mutton jerky and to examine the changes in purine in these fermented mutton jerky samples under an in vitro simulated digestive system to determine an efficient method for regulating exogenous purine intake. According to the analysis, x3-2b Lactobacillus plantarum and composite bacteria can directly reduce the purine content in fermented dried mutton and achieve the purpose of reducing the intake of purine. However, after simulated intestinal digestion, it was observed that the purine content of these different sample groups was significantly decreased, and 37x-3 Pediococcus pentosaceus had the better effect. It has been shown that the 37x-3 Pediococcus pentosaceus , Lactobacillus sake, and composite bacteria significantly enhance the degree to which residual purine is depleted in the large intestine during digestion. In sum, one potentially successful method of regulating exogenous purine consumption is the development of fermented meat products using certain beneficial bacteria as a starter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The chilled aging time was closely related to the lipid content and species. • GP and FA were the main differential lipid classes during chilled aging. • 48 h of postmortem chilled aging was the turning point for lipid transformation. • Hydrolase activity and oxidation degree might be responsible for lipid changes. • Glycerophospholipid metabolism and thermogenesis are the major aging pathways. This present study aimed to investigate the effects of postmortem chilled aging on lipid and molecular transformation mechanisms in Mongolian sheep. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS was used to identify 812 lipids in Mongolian sheep within four days of chilled aging. Using multivariate analysis, 95 significant differential lipids were identified. The levels of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, and certain free fatty acids were observed to rise significantly, while other phospholipids and acylcarnitines showed a downward trend. In addition, levels of most of the lysophospholipids increased significantly in the early postmortem period; however, their levels did not alter significantly after 48 h. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis revealed that these differential lipids are primarily involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and thermogenesis. Our results have important implications in terms of understanding lipid transformation and changes in meat quality during postmortem chilled aging in Mongolian sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic amines (BAs) are widely contained in fermented meat products and are harmful to human health with high level content. Reducing BAs content with microorganisms that don't produce decarboxylase seems beneficial. This study screened three strains had the capacity to degrade BAs from meat products in different regions of Inner Mongolia. Three strains were screened because they didn't have amino acid decarboxylase activity and had good growth performance and abilities of acid producing, salt resistance and antibacterial. X22-2 and HX2-1 were identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and X6-6 was identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus through 16S rDNA sequencing. All the three strains could degrade seven kinds of BAs, especially the tryptamine and phenethylamine. The reduced content of tryptamine of the three strains were all above 93 mg/L. Both the suspension and supernatant of the three strains effectively degraded BAs content produced by BA-producing bacteria (Enterococcus faecium , E. faecalis , and Enterobacter aerogenes). Tryptamine and phenethylamine could not be detected both in suspension and supernatant of the three strains in the medium containing Enterobacter aerogenes. In view of their good fermentation capacity and strong ability to reduce BAs, the three strains can be used as starter cultures in meat products. • Strains with BA-degrading ability were screened. • Strains effectively degraded BAs produced by BA-producing indicator bacteria. • The BA-degrading ability of strains' suspension was stronger than supernatant. • The screened strains had strong ability to degrade tryptamine and phenethylamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mineral composition of bauxite is affected by karstic topography. • Bauxite formation conditions range from oxidation to reduction. • Minerals deposited under different conditions are rich in microorganisms. • Microorganisms may promote the deposition of diaspore and boehmite. The metallogenic process of karstic bauxite in Central Yunnan Basin (CYB) remain obscure. Mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic analyses of two profiles (profile A and B) in the Yuxi karstic bauxite deposit within CYB were conducted to explore the formation environment and metallogenic process of Early Permian bauxite. Profile A in the karstic uplifted area comprises clayey bauxite, claystone, and oolitic bauxite from the bottom to the top, while profile B in the karstic depression area contains oolitic bauxite, claystone, oolitic bauxite, and claystone. The oolitic bauxite mainly contains diaspore and chamosite, and a small amount of kaolinite and anatase, while the clayey bauxite primarily includes boehmite and kaolinite, and a small amount of goethite and anatase. The claystone is dominated by kaolinite and illite. The δ15N value of the oolitic bauxite in the top of profile B is close to zero (−0.8 ‰), indicating a reducing deposition environment. The δ13C org value of profile A is negatively shifted between clayey bauxite and oolitic bauxite, while that of profile B is not significantly changed between the lower oolitic bauxite and the upper oolitic bauxite. This indicates that REDOX changes in the formation of clayey bauxite and oolitic bauxite in profile A are obvious, while REDOX changes in profile B are not evident. Mineral assemblages and isotopic results suggest that the mineralization conditions of profile A experienced a transition from oxidizing and weakly alkaline to reducing and alkaline, while the mineralization conditions of profile B were always reducing and alkaline. The presence of large-scale microorganisms, negative δ34S values (−42.2 to −10.1 ‰), and framboidal and cuboidal goethite provide evidence for microbial involvement in the entire mineralization process. The above results confirm two metallogenetic events of Yuxi karstic bauxite deposit. In the early metallogenetic event, the water table was low and most of the karstic terrains were exposed except some karstic depressions. Abundant boehmite and kaolinite thus formed in the karstic uplifted areas forming the clayey bauxite, and diaspore and chamosite in the karstic depressions forming the oolitic bauxite. In the late metallogenetic event, with the rise of water table, all karstic terrains were submerged, and large-scale diaspore and chamosite were widely deposited, thus forming oolitic bauxite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane fouling research has become a focus, significant amount of work has been dedicated to membrane surface modification for improving anti-fouling performance. However, fouling still occurs, which means cleaning is inevitable. The present method is mainly inefficient offline chemical cleaning using specialized chemicals. So we put forward a new method of online chemical pulse cleaning accomplished by designing a kind of pH responsive molecular structure on the PVDF membrane surface, which was prepared through wet chemical strategy, under basic conditions, by using diethylenetriamine (DETA) as carrier of amino groups, and then these amino groups were activated with maleic anhydride (MAH) in order to introduce carboxyl groups. The modified membranes were characterized by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectra (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), mechanical property, streaming potential and contact angle measurements. The results of water flux and swelling degree revealed the flexible chains had excellent pH-responsive. And the modified membranes showed outstanding anti-pollution capability and online chemical pulse cleaning effect when used to separate soybean oil-in-water emulsion and BSA solution. Meanwhile, the flux recovery rates after five times circulation could still reach 90.3% and 95.2%, respectively. This study provides a new way for building antifouling surface and improving cleaning efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mineral paragenesis denote an alkaline and reducing metallogenic environment. • Microorganisms are widely involved in the formation of bauxite. • Contemporaneous volcanic activities are key for the bauxite formation. • Variations in pH and Eh along weathering profile lead to large-scale deposition. More than 1 billion tons of bauxite was formed on the karstic surface of the Permian Maokou Formation limestone in the western Guangxi area of Youjiang Basin (YB). However, its formation mechanism is still a matter of debate. In this study, the Taiping bauxite deposit, a representative large deposit in this area, was selected to carry out detailed mineral microanalysis and pyrite sulfur isotope analysis to further understand the metallogenic process of bauxite in this region. Taiping bauxite contains two layers: the lower bauxite layer and the upper claystone layer. Bauxite ore was mainly composed of diaspore, pyrite, anatase, kaolinite, minor pyrophyllite, parisite, and bastnäsite. Small amounts of detrital moissanite, native boron, and zircon were also found in the ore. The claystone was dominated by kaolinite, diaspore, pyrite, and chlorite. The occurrence of detrital zircon, moissanite, and native boron suggests that they were most likely derived from volcanic ash or lava, further confirming the contribution of volcanoes. The mineral assemblages of diaspore, pyrite, anatase, parisite, and bastnäsite in the bauxite ore indicate alkaline and reducing depositional environments. The extensive development of ovoid microorganisms and the significant negative δ34S values of pyrite (−42.80 ‰ to −12.54 ‰) indicate that microorganisms were involved in the formation of bauxite. This view was further confirmed by the wide development of fine pyrite (∼1 μm) cemented by cryptocrystalline diaspore in the ore. Extensive volcanism promotes the weathering of parent rocks, releasing Al3+, Fe3+, Ti4+, and REE3+ ions into the weathering system. Under strongly acidic and oxidizing conditions in the upper part of the weathering profile, these ions can migrate downward until they reach an alkaline and reducing environment on the carbonate surface. A large amount of diaspore, pyrite, anatase, parisite, and bastnäsite was formed near the karstic surface with the participation of microorganisms. Epigenetic modifications were also evident in the widespread development of kaolinite and pyrophyllite formed by the silicification of diaspore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air gap width has an important influence on the performance of air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) process. In this study, a novel double-pipe AGMD module (DP-AGMD-M) consisted of PVDF hollow fiber membrane and heat exchange capillary copper tubes was successfully developed. The evenly distribute and easily control of the air gap width in DP-AGMD-M can be implemented. The effect of the air gap width ( d a ), hot feed temperature ( T 1 ), hot feed flow rate ( Q ), temperature difference (Δ T ) between the hot feed outlet temperature and the cold feed inlet temperature, and the effective membrane module length ( L ) on the performance of DP-AGMD-M were experimental studied. The concept of the equivalent membrane distillation flux ( J AGMD ) was firstly introduced in this paper and used to evaluate the comprehensive performance of DP-AGMD-M. The optimal performances, including membrane distillation flux ( J ), gained output ratio ( GOR ) and J AGMD were obtained. Within the experimental range, the maximum J arrived at 11.4 kg/(m 2 · h), the maximum GOR reached 6.6 and the maximum J AGMD was 29.6 kg/(m 2 · h). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplementing animal feed with probiotic additives can promote muscle production and improve meat quality. The study aimed to explore the effects of dietary probiotics supplementation on the performance, meat quality and muscle transcriptome profile in Sunit lamb. Overall, feeding probiotics significantly increased the body length, LT area, pH 24h and intramuscular fat (IMF) content, but decreased cooking loss and meat shear force compared to the control group (P <.05). A total of 651 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in probiotic supplemented lambs. Pathway analysis revealed that DEGs were involved in multiple pathways related to muscle development and fat deposition, such as the ECM-receptor interactions, the MAPK signaling pathway and the FoxO signaling pathway. Therefore, dietary probiotic supplementation can improve muscle development and final meat quality in Sunit lambs by altering gene expression profiles associated with key pathways, providing unique insights into the molecular mechanisms by which dietary probiotics regulate muscle development in the lamb industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A cogeneration model of the AA-CAES power station is established. • A district heating network model considering thermal inertia is established. • A cogeneration dispatch model including the AA-CAES power station is proposed. • A variety of uncertainties are considered by SO in heat and power systems. • The role of AA-CAES plants on wind power accommodation is analyzed. In order to improve the peak shaving capability of combined heat and power system and cope with uncertainties, a stochastic optimal dispatch model of combined heat and power system integrated Advanced Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage (AA-CAES) power station considering the thermal inertia of District Heating Network (DHN) is proposed in this paper. The proposed model has the following characteristics: 1) AA-CAES power stations are configured in combined heat and power system, i.e., AA-CAES can supply both power and heat to the system, and the linearized model of AA-CAES power stations is established in this paper; 2) considering the thermal inertia of heating pipelines and buildings, the DHN model is established; 3) in order to deal with uncertainties in the system, the stochastic optimal (SO) dispatch model is established. The case study shows that compared with AA-CAES power stations which only provides power for the system, the combined heat and power supply of AA-CAES power stations can reduce the operation cost and the wind power curtailment. The thermal inertia of DHN cause the time shift of heat load, which effectively improves the operation flexibility of the combined electric-thermal system. In addition, configuring AA-CAES power station and considering the thermal inertia of DHN can enhance the ability of the system to cope with uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The H10N8 virus was isolated from the water of Dongting Lake, China. Mice were infected while showing no obvious symptoms and replication was restricted to the lungs. When the wild-type virus was serially passaged in the lungs of mice, the resulting viruses became lethal and capable of replication in many other organs. This offered an applicable model for the exploration of viral genome gradual mutation during adaptation in mice. The different passage viruses from mice lung lavage were named P1, P3, P5, and P7, respectively. We sequenced the four viruses using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze the dynamics of the H10N8 viral genome, polymorphism, and amino acid mutation of related proteins. We aimed to demonstrate how a mutant strain of low pathogenicity could become lethal to mice. Using Illumina high-throughput data, we detected the gradual mutations of F277S, C278Q, F611S and L653P in the polymerase acidic (PA) protein, and of L207V and E627K in the PB2 protein during adaptation. Interestingly, many amino acid sites mutated quickly; the others did so more slowly and remained in a heterozygous state for several generations. The PA amino acids S277 and Q278 have previously been found in clinical wild-type strains, including the human-H10N8 isolate in 2013. This demonstrates that the wild-type H10N8 virus had mutated to adapt to mammalian hosts. These data provide important reference information for influenza virus research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mammalian ovaries, the primordial follicle pool determines the reproductive capability over the lifetime of a female. The primordial follicle is composed of two cell members, namely the oocyte and the pre-granulosa cells that encircle the oocyte. However, it is unclear what factors are involved in the reorganization of the two distinct cells into one functional unit. This study was performed to address this issue. Firstly, in an in vitro reconstruction system, dispersed ovarian cells from murine fetal ovaries at 19.0 days post coitum (dpc) reassembled into follicle-like structures, independent of the physical distance between the cells, implying that either oocytes or ovarian somatic cells (OSCs) were motile. We then carried out a series of transwell assay experiments, and determined that it was in fact 19.0 dpc OSCs (as opposed to oocytes), which exhibited a significant chemotactic response to both fetal bovine serum and oocytes themselves. We observed that S100A8, a multi-functional chemokine, may participate in the process as it is mainly expressed in oocytes within the cysts/plasmodia. S100A8 significantly promoted the number of migrating OSCs by 2.5 times in vitro, of which 66.9% were FOXL2 protein-positive cells, implying that the majority of motile OSCs were pre-granulosa cells. In addition, an S100A8-specific antibody inhibited the formation of follicle-like reconstruction cell mass in vitro. And, the primordial follicle formation was reduced when S100a8-specific siRNA was applied onto in vitro cultured 17.5 dpc ovary. Therefore, S100A8 could be a chemokine of oocyte origin, which attracts OSCs to form the primordial follicles. J. Cell. Physiol. 230: 2998-3008, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trophoblasts (TR) are specialized cells of the placenta and play an important role in embryo implantation. The in vitro culture of trophoblasts provided an important tool to investigate the mechanisms of implantation. In the present study, porcine trophoblast cells were derived from pig in vitro fertilized (IVF) and parthenogenetically activated (PA) blastocysts via culturing in medium supplemented with KnockOut serum replacement (KOSR) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on STO feeder layers, and the effect of ROCK (Rho-associated coiled-coil protein kinases) inhibiter Y-27632 on the cell lines culture was tested. 5 PA blastocyst derived cell lines and 2 IVF blastocyst derived cell lines have been cultured more than 20 passages; one PA cell lines reached 110 passages without obvious morphological alteration. The derived trophoblast cells exhibited epithelium-like morphology, rich in lipid droplets, and had obvious defined boundaries with the feeder cells. The cells were histochemically stained positive for alkaline phosphatase. The expression of TR lineage markers, such as CDX2, KRT7, KRT18, TEAD4, ELF5 and HAND1, imprinted genes such as IGF2, PEG1 and PEG10, and telomerase activity related genes TERC and TERF2 were detected by immunofluorescence staining, reverse transcription PCR and quantitative real-time PCR analyses. Both PA and IVF blastocysts derived trophoblast cells possessed the ability to differentiate into mature trophoblast cells in vitro. The addition of Y-27632 improved the growth of both PA and IVF blastocyst derived cell lines and increased the expression of trophoblast genes. This study has provided an alternative highly efficient method to establish trophoblast for research focused on peri-implantation and placenta development in IVF and PA embryos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum cascade laser (QCL) emitting at 4.8 $$\upmu $$ m with a single-longitudinal mode and small divergence was achieved by integrating porous (PS) waveguide structure and distributed feedback (DFB) grating. The PS waveguide is fabricated in highly doped InP cladding layer by electro-chemical etching process. The DFB grating was defined above the active region by holographic lithography technique. A fundamental transverse mode of single-lobed radiation far-field pattern with full width at half maximum of 7.8 $$^{\circ }$$ was obtained. Single-longitudinal mode emission with a high peak power of 1.2 W was achieved. Our work is useful for many potential applications of the QCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring buildings' heat loss and quickly discovering high energy-consuming buildings in a certain area is of great significance for urban management departments to propose urban governance and management measures from the perspective of global optimization. Developing a 3D-infrared (3D-IR) model of a building or a complex created with infrared thermograph (IRT) obtained by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies would greatly contribute to a comprehensive observation on the thermal performance of a study objective. In this paper, a procedure for high energy-consuming building screen based on the 3D infrared (IR) models of multiple buildings is proposed and demonstrated as an effective approach for regional evaluation comparing with measured heating energy data provided by the local municipal department. Firstly, the 3D-IR model of multiple buildings is established, where the single building models are built based on UAV-IRT technology respectively, and the modelling condition as well as the temperature-color mapping relationship of each building is unified. Secondly, the measuring schemes and the evaluation method of the building thermal performance based on the 3D-IR model is proposed. Thirdly, the energy-consuming performance of five buildings in Jining, a city in northern China, is measured and analyzed by using the above-mentioned methods. Finally, the proposed evaluation method of the building performance is applied to evaluate the tested buildings. By referencing to measured heat energy data, the proposed method can be taken as an efficient and reasonably accurate screen method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian haploid cell lines provide useful tools for both genetic studies and transgenic animal production. To derive porcine haploid cells, three sets of experiments were conducted. First, genomes of blastomeres from 8-cell to 16-cell porcine parthenogenetically activated (PA) embryos were examined by chromosome spread analysis. An intact haploid genome was maintained by 48.15% of blastomeres. Based on this result, two major approaches for amplifying the haploid cell population were tested. First, embryonic stem-like (ES-like) cells were cultured from PA blastocyst stage embryos, and second, fetal fibroblasts from implanted day 30 PA fetuses were cultured. A total of six ES-like cell lines were derived from PA blastocysts. No chromosome spread with exactly 19 chromosomes (the normal haploid complement) was found. Four cell lines showed a tendency to develop to polyploidy (more than 38 chromosomes). The karyotypes of the fetal fibroblasts showed different abnormalities. Cells with 19–38 chromosomes were the predominant karyotype (59.48–60.91%). The diploid cells were the second most observed karyotype (16.17%–22.73%). Although a low percentage (3.45–8.33%) of cells with 19 chromosomes were detected in 18.52% of the fetus-derived cell lines, these cells were not authentic haploid cells since they exhibited random losses or gains of some chromosomes. The haploid fibroblasts were not efficiently enriched via flow cytometry sorting. On the contrary, the diploid cells were efficiently enriched. The enriched parthenogenetic diploid cells showed normal karyotypes and expressed paternally imprinted genes at extremely low levels. We concluded that only a limited number of authentic haploid cells could be obtained from porcine cleavage-stage parthenogenetic embryos. Unlike mouse, the karyotype of porcine PA embryo-derived haploid cells is not stable, long-term culture of parthenogenetic embryos, either in vivo or in vitro, resulted in abnormal karyotypes. The porcine PA embryo-derived diploid fibroblasts enriched from sorting might be candidate cells for paternally imprinted gene research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ni–B amorphous alloy nanoparticles electrode (Ni–B/NPCF) has been synthesized in situ by microinjection method on nanoporous Cu film (NPCF) fabricated on brass plate by dealloying method. The structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of the electrode are obtained by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV), double potential step chronoamperometry (DPSCA) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The results show the Ni–B alloy is amorphous with atom clusters structure consisting of nanoparticles with the size of 50–100 nm. The values of proton diffusion coefficient and redox species of the Ni–B/NPCF electrode are more than an order of magnitude as big as the reported values. Ethanol oxidation in KOH solution at the Ni–B/NPCF electrode suggests the onset oxidation potential has a negative shift of 49 mV and the oxidation peak current increases by 43.36 times, and the reaction activation free energy decreases by 254.37 kJ mol−1, in comparison with the bulk Ni electrode. In addition, the reaction rate constant for ethanol oxidation at the Ni–B/NPCF electrode is improved by about two orders of magnitude compared with the reported value. Finally, the CV test indicates the Ni–B/NPCF electrode has a relatively stable redox behavior after 1000 potential cycles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Strigolactones (SLs) are a group of newly identified plant hormones that control plant shoot branching. SL signalling requires the hormone-dependent interaction of DWARF 14 (D14), a probable candidate SL receptor, with DWARF 3 (D3), an F-box component of the Skp-Cullin-F-box (SCF) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. Here we report the characterization of a dominant SL-insensitive rice (Oryza sativa) mutant dwarf 53 (d53) and the cloning of D53, which encodes a substrate of the SCFD3 ubiquitination complex and functions as a repressor of SL signalling. Treatments with GR24, a synthetic SL analogue, cause D53 degradation via the proteasome in a manner that requires D14 and the SCFD3 ubiquitin ligase, whereas the dominant form of D53 is resistant to SL-mediated degradation. Moreover, D53 can interact with transcriptional co-repressors known as TOPLESS-RELATED PROTEINS. Our results suggest a model of SL signalling that involves SL-dependent degradation of the D53 repressor mediated by the D14-D3 complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This work investigates the disinfection property of ZnO nanofluids, focusing on H2O2 production and the disinfection activities of ZnO suspensions with different particles/aggregates. The possible disinfection mechanisms of ZnO suspensions are analysed. In this work, a medium mill was used to produce ZnO suspensions with different sizes of particles/aggregates. During the milling process, five ZnO suspension samples (A–E) were produced. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) analyses revealed that after milling, the size of ZnO particles/aggregates in the suspensions decreased. Disinfection tests, H2O2 detection assays and fluorescent analyses were used to explore the disinfection activities and mechanism of ZnO suspensions. Disinfection tests results showed that all the produced ZnO suspension exhibited disinfection activity against Escherichia coli. ZnO suspensions with smaller particles/aggregates showed better disinfection activities. The presence of H2O2 in ZnO suspension was analysed. The H2O2 detection assay suggested that there is 1 μM H2O2 in 0.2 g/l ZnO Sample A, while there was no H2O2 present in ZnO Sample E. Though results showed that there was no H2O2 present in ZnO Sample E, Sample E with a size of 93 nm showed the best disinfection activities. Fluorescence tests detected that the interaction between E. coli lipid vesicles and ZnO Sample E was much faster and more efficient. This study firstly demonstrated that ZnO suspensions with different particles/aggregates produced different amount of H2O2. Results suggested that H2O2 is responsible for the disinfection activity of larger ZnO particles/aggregates while the interaction between smaller ZnO particles/aggregates and vesicle lipids is responsible for the disinfection activity of smaller ZnO particles/aggregates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• An new multi-task learning framework is devised for differential diagnosis of subjective cognitive decline and mild cognive impairment. • The proposed multi-task learning algorithm combines functional and structural brain information. • The proposed method can discover the most disease-related brain regions and their connectivity. • The extensive experiments demonstrate good classification performance against competing techniques. Early diagnosis and intervention of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its early stage (i.e., subjective cognitive decline (SCD)) is able to delay or reverse the disease progression. However, discrimination between SCD, MCI and healthy subjects accurately remains challenging. This paper proposes an auto-weighted centralised multi-task (AWCMT) learning framework for differential diagnosis of SCD and MCI. AWCMT is based on structural and functional connectivity information inferred from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To be specific, we devise a novel multi-task learning algorithm to combine neuroimaging functional and structural connective information. We construct a functional brain network through a sparse and low-rank machine learning method, and also a structural brain network via fibre bundle tracking. Those two networks are constructed separately and independently. Multi-task learning is then used to identify features integration of functional and structural connectivity. Hence, we can learn each task's significance automatically in a balanced way. By combining the functional and structural information, the most informative features of SCD and MCI are obtained for diagnosis. The extensive experiments on the public and self-collected datasets demonstrate that the proposed algorithm obtains better performance in classifying SCD, MCI and healthy people than traditional algorithms. The newly proposed method has good interpretability as it is able to discover the most disease-related brain regions and their connectivity. The results agree well with current clinical findings and provide new insights into early AD detection based on the multi-modal neuroimaging technique. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst bauxite resources are widespread in the Shanxi Province, accounting for the richest bauxite resources in China. The Shanxi bauxite deposits are hosted in the lower member of the Carboniferous Benxi Formation, which consists of karst bauxite-bearing sequences. In addition to being main economic source of aluminum, there are many critical metals in the karst bauxite-bearing sequences. The spidergram pattern, REE pattern, immobile element tracing, and Cr Ni bivariate plots, as well as the previous studies on detrital zircons of North China Craton (NCC) bauxite ores, show that iron-rich clays were mainly weathered from the underlying carbonates, whereas the bauxite ore and top clay have allochthonous protoliths. Based on field investigations and geochemical characteristics of five typical drillcore sections in the Xiabu area, as well as previous researches, we concluded four sedimentary successions and we perfected the geological model of the karst bauxite-bearing sequences in central NCC. The Ordovician carbonate bedrocks developed many paleokarst terrain on the NCC, which experienced 150 Myr of karstification and denudation from the Middle Ordovician. Paleokarst terrain determines the distribution and thickness of the iron-rich clay layer. And the iron-rich clay above or below the groundwater table are separated into red Shanxi-type iron or clay (Fe3+-bearing minerals) and grey clay (Fe2+-bearing minerals). Until the Late Carboniferous, the sedimentation suddenly occurred in the NCC. New sediments were predominantly source materials for bauxite deposits, which were primarily controlled by the landform of the discontinuous weathered iron-rich clay. Furthermore, the humid and warm climate conditions reinforce the intensity of chemical weathering and microorganism participation, which also contributes to the formation of bauxite ore layer and top clay layer. The bauxite-bearing sequences in the Xiabu area contain high contents of critical elements such as U, Th, REEs, and Sc. In this study, high-level natural radioactivity was detected in the bauxite ore layer through gamma-ray logging of vertical sections. The correlation analysis revealed that the highly elevated U and Th contents in the bauxite ore layer are positively correlated with the natural radioactivity. Therefore, utilizing the gamma-ray logging method is effective in prospecting concealed karstic bauxite deposits. The REEs are also highly enriched in the bauxite ore layer and are positively correlated with P and Sr, indicating that the REEs are mainly hosted by phosphate minerals. The Sc contents of red clay are extremely high (up to 206.7 μg/g; average 118 μg/g), reaching industry standards levels. The integrated utilization of critical metals of the bauxite-bearing sequences is an important strategy for facing the significant supply crisis. • The bottom iron-rich clay and upper bauxite and clay in the bauxite-bearing sequences have distinct source materials. • A geological model is established for the formation of the karst bauxite-bearing sequences. • Gamma-ray logging can be used to explore concealed bauxite deposits. • The Sc contents in the iron-rich clay layer meet the industry standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We proposed a rapid, simple and room-temperature method to fabricate hierarchical silver nanocap arrays, in which hot spots could be facilely engineered on three-dimensional curved surface. Both optical property and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity displayed non-monotonic Ag thickness dependence. Furthermore, the simulation results obtained by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method reveal that hot spots intensity and density on three-dimensional curved surface significantly vary and strongly depend on deposited Ag thickness. The investigation opens a possibility for facile fabrication of SERS substrate with promising hot spot engineering on three-dimensional surface and extremely high SERS activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two types of highly Raman-enhancing arrays substrates were fabricated using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates by controlling the AAO template temperature and evaporated silver thickness during e-beam evaporating: complex patterned Ag nanoparticle arrays abundant in sub-5nm gaps (type I); hexagonal Ag nanopore arrays (type II). The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement factors (EF) of both substrates are estimated experimentally to exceed 105, especially that of type I reaches 107 due to the existence of numerous sub-5nm gaps. The simulation using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method confirmed that gap effect has significantly improved the substrates’ SERS activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A polyfluorene derivative with primary amine groups on side chains, poly(9,9-bis(6′-aminohexyl)fluorene) (PF-NH2 ), was prepared through de-protection of its analogue polymer poly(9,9-bis(6′-butoxylcarbonylaminohexyl)fluorene) (PF-BOC) with hydrochloric acid followed by neutralizing the salt form of poly(6,6′-(9H-fluorene-9,9-diyl)dihexan-1-aminium chloride) (PF-NION). PF-NION had good solubility in methanol, DMSO, and DMF. Scanning electron microscopic images of PF-NH2 in thin films revealed that intramolecular/intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking interactions probably played an important role in the formation of special surface morphologies, which might be beneficial to the molecular ordering and device fabrication. The electroluminescence property of PF-NION was recorded on a simple polymer light-emitting diode (PLED) device configuration of ITO/PEDOT/Polymer/Al. Pure blue electroluminescence is achieved from double-layer PLEDs based on PF-NION as the active material with the CIE of (0.16, 0.08). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The electronic and magnetic phase transitions of Pr0.5− x La x Sr0.5MnO3 with and 0.15 were investigated. The M(T) and curves for these samples clearly show transitions from antiferromagnetic insulator to ferromagnetic semiconductor, ferromagnetic metal and finally to paramagnetic semiconductor as the temperature is increased from 5 to 300K. Especially, two obvious protrudent peaks in the magnetoresistance curves MR(T) for these samples were clearly observed in the relative low magnetic field, 1T. One peak appears at around the antiferromagnet-ferromagnet transition temperature T N (∼150K) with MR≈−23%, another occurs at around the ferromagnet-paramagnet transition temperature T C(∼275K ) with MR≈−8.2%. In addition, when the magnetic field was increased, the temperature corresponding to the MR peak at T N shifts to lower temperature while the temperature corresponding to the MR peak at T C is fixed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Using the analytic modified EAM potentials, the surface concentrations and concentration depth profiles of (1 1 1) and (1 0 0) faces of Pt–Pd and Pt–Ir binary alloys are studied with Monte Carlo simulation based on the grand canonical ensemble statistical rule. In Pt–Pd alloy, the topmost surface is enriched with Pd, and the subsurface layer is depleted of Pd. The simulation results show a damped oscillation of Pd concentration in the whole composition range. A strong Pd segregation is observed for both the orientation faces, while the amount of Pd segregation in the (1 1 1) face is significantly less than that in the more open (1 0 0) face. However, Pt segregates to the surface strongly in the Pt–Ir alloy, and the amount of Pt segregation in the (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) face is almost the same. The simulation results are in good agreement with the available experiment data and other theoretical values. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Molecular spectroscopy has been widely used to identify pesticides. The main limitation of this approach is the difficulty of identifying pesticides with similar molecular structures. When these pesticide residues are in trace and mixed states in plants, it poses great challenges for practical identification. This study proposed a state-of-the-art method for the rapid identification of trace (10 mg·L−1) and multiple similar benzimidazole pesticide residues on the surface of Toona sinensis leaves, mainly including benzoyl (BNL), carbendazim (BCM), thiabendazole (TBZ), and their mixtures. The new method combines high-throughput terahertz (THz) imaging technology with a deep learning framework. To further improve the model reliability beyond the THz fingerprint peaks (BNL: 0.70, 1.07, 2.20 THz; BCM: 1.16, 1.35, 2.32 THz; TBZ: 0.92, 1.24, 1.66, 1.95, 2.58 THz), we extracted the absorption spectra in frequencies of 0.2–2.2 THz from images as the input to the deep convolution neural network (DCNN). Compared with fuzzy Sammon clustering and four back-propagation neural network (BPNN) models (TrainCGB, TrainCGF, TrainCGP, and TrainRP), DCNN achieved the highest prediction accuracies of 100%, 94.51%, 96.26%, 94.64%, 98.81%, 94.90%, 96.17%, and 96.99% for the control check group, BNL, BCM, TBZ, BNL + BCM, BNL + TBZ, BCM + TBZ, and BNL + BCM + TBZ, respectively. Taking advantage of THz imaging and DCNN, the image visualization of pesticide distribution and residue types on leaves was realized simultaneously. The results demonstrated that THz imaging and deep learning can be potentially adopted for rapid-sensing detection of trace multi-residues on leaf surfaces, which is of great significance for agriculture and food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective laser sintering (SLS) and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) are two of the most developed powder bed fusion additive manufacturing techniques for the manufacture of polymeric components. In this work, a systematic benchmark and comparison of polyamide 12 (PA12) parts printed by SLS and MJF was conducted on the physicochemical characterization of raw powder materials (EOS PA2200 and HP 3D HR PA12) and their printed specimens, as well as the mechanical performance and printing characteristics of printed objects. Both designated-supply PA12 powders for each technique possessed almost identical thermal features, phase constitutions, functional groups, and chemical states. The mechanical strength of the MJF-printed specimens was slightly stronger than that of SLS-printed counterparts due to the synergistic effect of an area fusion mode and carbon black additive in the MJF process. The SLS-printed specimens had a better surface finish on the top surface, but the MJF-printed specimens showed much smoother front and side surfaces. Scaled-down merlions were printed by both processes for the printing accuracy assessment. The results show that the SLS-printed merlion presented higher profile deviations than those of the MJF-printed counterpart, especially in areas with sharp contours. These fundamental experimental results can provide a comprehensive understanding of SLS and MJF processes and serve as a valuable guideline for their industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study where the molecule-induced homolysis of member of the series dimethyldioxirane (DMD)by alkanes, ethers, alcohols and aldehydes, through hydrogen abstraction from relatively weak C-H bonds of high electron availablity is considered responsible of the oxidation of these classes of compounds. Energy of the O-O bond in DMD; Oxidation of cyclohexane or adamantane by DMD; Concept of molecule-induced homolysis.