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【Objective】 Soil salinization is a dynamic process, affected by numerous factors. Understanding its spatiotemporal variation in a region and catchment is important for management. In this paper, we present the soil salinity dynamics and its determinants in Songnen Plain of Heilongjiang province. 【Method】 The calculation was based on remote sensing imagery of the region acquired from 2000—2020. We used correlation analysis and relative contribution rate analysis to map the spatiotemporal distribution of soil salinity in this region. 【Result】 On average, areas affected by salt in the region had decreased from 2000 to 2020, at a rate of 2.73 km2/a. But this is mainly due to the reduced soil salinization in some regions, as other regions actually had seen an increase in soil salinization. In particular, soil salinization in Qiqihar had increased because of the increase in cropped lands and GDP. Suihua also saw soil salinity rising due to increased plant areas and population. In contrast, soil salinity in Daqing and Harbin had decreased, due to the increase in surface water resources and decrease in evaporation for Daqing, and the change in cropped land and livestock industry for Harbin. 【Conclusion】 Change in soil salinization from 2000 to 2020 in Songnen Plain varied, with some areas seeing an increase and others witnessing a decline. In addition to climate change, other reasons underlying such variations in soil salinization include economic development, change in cropping systems and livestock industry. To ameliorate soil salinization and improve land quality, this region should consider improving irrigation and drainage facilities and controlling the groundwater depth not exceeding a critical level.

The cable-driven parallel robot is a special flexible mechanism in parallel mechanism, the end-effector of which is driven by cables instead of rigid rods. It integrates the advantages of flexible robots and parallel robots. A three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) under-constrained parallel robot with variable cable mast heights is investigated in this study. The inverse kinematics model of the robot is established by using the vector closed-loop principle. The forward kinematics model of the robot is derived according to cable lengths. The dynamics model of the robot is established based on the Lagrange formula. The static equilibrium workspace (SEW) of the robot is studied using the Monte-Carlo method. Given the motion trajectory of the end-effector, the expected three cable lengths are obtained through the inverse kinematics model of the robot. Taking the expected three cable lengths as the experimental input, the experimental curves of cable lengths and cable tensions as well as the forward kinematics trajectory of the robot are obtained. The experimental results validate the correctness of the forward and inverse kinematics models and the dynamics model of the robot, as well as the effectiveness of the SEW.

Influenza is a highly contagious disease that mainly affects the respiratory system and often leads to lung complications. Also it can cause a variety of very rare and serious neurological complications, including Guillain-Barre syndrome, transverse myelitis, meningoencephalitis and others. In recent years, neurological complications caused by influenza A virus have been reported in many countries and regions, and gradually attracted international attention. However, the pathogenesis of this complication remains unclear, and there are few related cases and animal experimental studies,and no specific treatment. Therefore, the authors summarized the study of neurological complications caused by influenza A virus in human and laboratory animals, in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the neurological diseases caused by influenza A virus.

The upward wind caused by the blockage and diversion of the mountain significantly influences the wind-induced response of the insulator strings and transmission lines located on the uphill or the top of the mountain. Based on the CFD （computational fluid dynamics） numerical simulation technology， this paper carries out numerical simulation of generalized flow field around the mountain with different incoming wind fields， different mountain slopes and different mountain heights. Furthermore， it analyzes the variation law of the acceleration ratio of wind speed in all directions and obtains through calculation the wind-induced response of the insulator strings and conductors. The research results show that with the increase of the mountain height， the wind-induced response of the insulator strings and conductors is increasing. When monitored at a point of 0.8 times as high as the mountain， the wind-induced response has exceeded the standard value； with the increase of mountain slope， the wind-induced response of insulator strings and conductors increases significantly.

Abstract Wildlife is reservoir of emerging viruses. Here we identified 27 families of mammalian viruses from 1981 wild animals and 194 zoo animals collected from south China between 2015 and 2022, isolated and characterized the pathogenicity of eight viruses. Bats harbor high diversity of coronaviruses, picornaviruses and astroviruses, and a potentially novel genus of Bornaviridae. In addition to the reported SARSr-CoV-2 and HKU4-CoV-like viruses, picornavirus and respiroviruses also likely circulate between bats and pangolins. Pikas harbor a new clade of Embecovirus and a new genus of arenaviruses. Further, the potential cross-species transmission of RNA viruses (paramyxovirus and astrovirus) and DNA viruses (pseudorabies virus, porcine circovirus 2, porcine circovirus 3 and parvovirus) between wildlife and domestic animals was identified, complicating wildlife protection and the prevention and control of these diseases in domestic animals. This study provides a nuanced view of the frequency of host-jumping events, as well as assessments of zoonotic risk.

This study aimed to explore the effects of osteogenic growth peptide C-terminal pentapeptide (G36G), and its analog G48A on bone modeling in rats with ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis. Ovariectomized rats were administered PBS (OVX group), risedronate (RISE group), G36G combined with risedronate (36GRI group), G36G (G36G group), or G48A (G48A group). The sham-operation rats (SHAM group) were administered PBS. Serum osteocalcin and IGF-2 levels in the SHAM, OVX, G36G, G48A, and RISE groups were observably lower than the 36GRI group (P < 0.01) and the bone mineral density of the entire femur, distal metaphysis, and lumbar L1–L4 in the 36GRI group were notably increased (P < 0.05). The bending energy of the 36GRI group was prominently higher than the other groups (P < 0.05). Other features measured in the study that provided significant outcomes was the ratio of femora ash weight/dry weigh, parameters of trabecular bone volume (TBV)/total tissue volume, TBV/sponge bone volume, mean trabecular plate thickness, mean trabecular plate space, bone surface, parameters of sfract(s) and sfract(d), tetracycline-labeled, and osteoid surfaces. Bone loss in ovariectomized rats may be partially inhibited by G36G and G48A. A combination treatment with G36G and risedronate may be an effective intervention for osteoporosis.

Transmission towers are highly flexible and wind-sensitive structures. Uneven settlement of foundations followed by typhoons jeopardizes the operation safety of transmission towers. In order to assess the influence of foundation settlement on the wind resistance capacity of transmission towers， a coupled finite element model of the transmission tower-line system is established to compare and analyze the change law of wind-induced vibration responses， wind vibration coefficients and main material stresses of the transmission tower-line system under different tilt angles of foundation in case of a typhoon. The study shows that under the same tilt angle， the root mean square （RMS） of wind-induced vibration response increases significantly in the horizontal tilt in relation to vertical tilt by at most 40%； the structural tilt caused by the foundation settlement will lead to the wind vibration coefficient exceeding the specified value， and the most unfavorable situation will lead to the wind vibration coefficient exceeding the specified value by 9.6%； the change law of compressive stress is consistent with that of wind vibration coefficient， and the compressive stress increases most under a tilt angle of 5°， and the compressive stress increases by 16.1% in contrast to when the tower leg is not tilted. The research results have significant reference value for the wind resistance assessment and safe operation of transmission towers in typhoon-prone areas.

Objective To investigate the effect of MDM2 inhibitor RG-7388 on the proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of diffuse large B-lymphoma (DLBCL) cells. Methods DLBCL cell strains SUDHL2 and HBL1 were treated with 2, 4, and 8 μmol/LRG7388, respectively. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 and EdU methods. Apoptosis was measured by Annexin V–FITC/PI double staining and Caspase 3/7-Glo enzyme activity methods. Cell cycle was assessed by flow cytometry. Changes in the expression of cell cycle and apoptosis-related proteins were determined by Western blot. Results The IC50 of RG7388 for inhibiting SUDHL2 and HBL1 cells were 3.36 and 3.76 μmol/L, respectively, and the inhibitory effect of RG7388 was dose dependent. The proportions of G1 phase and apoptotic cells in the SUDHL2 and HBL1 cells treated with different doses of RG7388 were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P

The world's energy system is changing dramatically. Li-ion battery, as a powerful and highly effective energy storage technique, is crucial to the new energy revolution for its continuously expanding application in electric vehicles and grids. Over the entire lifetime of these power batteries, it is essential to monitor their state of health not only for the predicted mileage and safety management of the running electric vehicles, but also for an "end-of-life" evaluation for their repurpose. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been widely used to diagnose the health state of batteries quickly and nondestructively. In this review, we have outlined the working principles of several electrochemical impedance techniques and further evaluated their application prospects to achieve the goal of nondestructive testing of battery health. EIS can scientifically and reasonably perform real-time monitoring and evaluation of electric vehicle power batteries in the future and play an important role in vehicle safety and battery gradient utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three six‐coordinate DyIII single‐molecule magnets (SMMs) [Dy(OtBu)2(L)4]+ with local D4h symmetry are obtained by optimizing the equatorial ligands. One of the compounds with L=4‐phenylpyridine shows an energy barrier (Ueff) of 2075(11) K, which is the third largest Ueff, and the first Ueff>2000 K for SMMs with axial‐type symmetry so far. Ab initio analysis indicates that the exceptional uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is deeply related to the axially compressed octahedral geometry. This work provides a new insight into the local D4h symmetry for high‐performance SMMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), which are single-stranded closed-loop RNA molecules lacking terminal 5′ caps and 3′ poly(A) tails, are attracting increasing scientific attention for their crucial regulatory roles in the occurrence and development of various diseases. With the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technologies, increasing numbers of differentially expressed circRNAs have been identified in bladder cancer (BCa) via exploration of the expression profiles of BCa and normal tissues and cell lines. CircRNAs are critically involved in BCa biological behaviours, including cell proliferation, tumour growth suppression, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, invasion, migration, metastasis, angiogenesis, and cisplatin chemoresistance. Most of the studied circRNAs in BCa regulate cancer biological behaviours via miRNA sponging regulatory mechanisms. CircRNAs have been reported to be significantly associated with many clinicopathologic characteristics of BCa, including tumour size, grade, differentiation, and stage; lymph node metastasis; tumour numbers; distant metastasis; invasion; and recurrence. Moreover, circRNA expression levels can be used to predict BCa patients’ survival parameters, such as overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and progression-free survival (PFS). The abundance, conservation, stability, specificity and detectability of circRNAs render them potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for BCa. Additionally, circRNAs play crucial regulatory roles upstream of various signalling pathways related to BCa carcinogenesis and progression, reflecting their potential as therapeutic targets for BCa. Herein, we briefly summarize the expression profiles, biological functions and mechanisms of circRNAs and the potential clinical applications of these molecules for BCa diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion-resistant coating formed on the surface of sintered Nd–Fe–B magnet by a phosphate chemical conversion (PCC) treatment was studied. The morphology, phase composition and thickness of the coating were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer and coating thickness gauge. The corrosion behaviour of the phosphated magnet was evaluated by copper sulphate spot test, neutral salt spray test and electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization experiment. The magnetic properties of the phosphated magnet were also tested. The experimental results show that the phosphate coating has such characteristics as dense granular growth, uniform distribution and thickness range of 10–18 μm. The corrosion resistance of the magnet is significantly improved by phosphate coating without losing magnetic properties. Therefore, this highly efficient PCC was a good way for increasing the corrosion resistance of the sintered Nd–Fe–B magnets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new generation of pavement technology with the goal of longevity is an important supporting technology that can promote the achievement of sustainable development of high-speed roadways. To further investigate the evolution trend of long-life pavement performance, this paper paved experimental sections to explore the correlations between pavement structure combinations and pavement performances. This paper presented four experimental sections with different pavement structures, asphalt concrete layer thicknesses, and pavement materials. Then, this paper analyzed the effects of the seasonal factors, pavement structure, and lanes on the deflection value and rut depth from three dimensions by the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC). Finally, this paper used the analysis of variance (ANOVA) to analyze the relationships between the layer thickness of various materials in the pavement structure and the pavement performances, including the deflection value, international roughness index (IRI), texture depth (TD), British Pendulum Number (BPN), sideway force coefficient (SFC), rut depth, and disease area. The results showed that the seasonal factors significantly affected the deflection values of pavement structures with PCCs of 0.61, 0.72, 0.53, and 0.78. The high temperatures increased the average deflection values by 22.85%, 72.88%, 77.61%, and 88.13%, respectively. Under the influence of high temperature in summer and traffic loads, the increased ranges of average rut depth were −0.2%, 4.89%, 9.56%, and 7.31%, respectively. The results of ANOVA showed that the pavement structure type and thickness of each structural layer significantly affected the deflection value, and there also was a strong correlation between the pavement structure type, thickness, BPN, and SFC with p-values less than 0.05. Increasing the thickness of the asphalt surface was beneficial for reducing the area of defects, while laying the semi-rigid base layer was beneficial for maintaining the deflection value and rut depth at a lower level.

Background: Vancomycin remains the cornerstone antibiotic for the treatment of infective endocarditis (IE). Vancomycin has been associated with significant nephrotoxicity. However, vancomycin associated acute kidney injury (AKI) has not been evaluated in patients with IE. We conducted this large retrospective cohort study to reveal the incidence, risk factors, and prognosis of vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury (VA-AKI) in patients with IE.Methods: Adult patients diagnosed with IE and receiving vancomycin were included. The primary outcome was VA-AKI.Results: In total, 435 of the 600 patients were enrolled. Of these, 73.6% were male, and the median age was 52 years. The incidence of VA-AKI was 17.01% (74). Only 37.2% (162) of the patients received therapeutic monitoring of vancomycin, and 30 (18.5%) patients had reached the target vancomycin trough concentration. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that body mass index [odds ratio (OR) 1.088, 95% CI 1.004, 1.179], duration of vancomycin therapy (OR 1.030, 95% CI 1.003, 1.058), preexisting chronic kidney disease (OR 2.291, 95% CI 1.018, 5.516), admission to the intensive care unit (OR 2.291, 95% CI 1.289, 3.963) and concomitant radiocontrast agents (OR 2.085, 95% CI 1.093, 3.978) were independent risk factors for VA-AKI. Vancomycin variety (Lai Kexin vs. Wen Kexin, OR 0.498, 95% CI 0.281, 0.885) were determined to be an independent protective factor for VI-AKI. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis revealed that duration of therapy longer than 10.75 days was associated with a significantly increased risk of VA-AKI (HR 1.927). Kidney function was fully or partially recovered in 73.0% (54) of patients with VA-AKI.Conclusion: The incidence of VA-AKI in patients with IE was slightly higher than in general adult patients. Concomitant contrast agents were the most alarmingly nephrotoxic in patients with IE, adding a 2-fold risk of VA-AKI. In patients with IE, a course of vancomycin therapy longer than 10.75 days was associated with a significantly increased risk of AKI. Thus, closer monitoring of kidney function and vancomycin trough concentrations was recommended in patients with concurrent contrast or courses of vancomycin longer than 10.75 days.

【Background and objective】 Drought and soil salinization are two common abiotic stresses facing agricultural production worldwide. Plants develop various strategies to grow under these stresses, and the purpose of this paper is to investigate how winter wheat at seedling stage adjusts the hydraulic conductance of its roots as a response to change in water and salt stresses. 【Method】 The experiment was conducted in hydroponic culture, using the ultra-high variety Yannong 1212 as the model plant. Water stress was created by polyethylene glycol (PEG) and NaCL was used as a proxy for soil salinization. There were three treatments: 2% of PEG6000, 0.1% of NaCl, and 2% of PEG6000+0.1% NaCl. Wheat grown in Hoagland nutrient solution without abiotic stresses was taken as the control. For each treatment, we measured the root hydraulic conductivity and analyzed its relationship with environmental factors using stepwise regression method. 【Result】 ① Water stress and salt stress, working alone or in combination, reduced plant height and leaf area significantly, though the level of the significance varied with treatment. ② Compared with the control, water stress and salt stress working alone increased root-shoot ratio by 12% and 14% respectively, while their combination reduced this ratio by 6%; ③ Salt stress and water stress, working separately or in combination, increased Na+/K+ ratio in both leaves and roots, despite that the effect of water stress was not significant. ④ Water stress and salt stress and their combination significantly reduced total nitrogen content in the leaves, and reduced the root hydraulic conductivity by 58%, 51% and 93%, respectively, compared with the control. 【Conclusion】 Water and salt stresses reduced root hydraulic conductivity of the wheat at seedling stage, and the leaf area was positively correlated with the root hydraulic conductivity.

【Objective】 The geometry of side ventilation windows is an important design parameter of greenhouse and this paper investigates the impact of their aspect ratio on air circulation in terraced greenhouses. 【Method】 The study is based on butterfly windows of terraced greenhouses in Guangzhou, using numerical simulation and experimental data measured from a greenhouse (Window C). We modelled five aspect ratios and compared the numerical simulations with experimental data. Air circulation in the greenhouse is quantified using non-uniformity coefficients. 【Result】 The average errors between the simulated and measured temperature and wind speed are 2.48% and 8.76% respectively, and their associated root mean square errors are 1.10 ℃ and 2.1×10-3 m/s, respectively. Changes in the aspect ratio do not result in significant effect on average temperature in the greenhouses, but affect temperature variation noticeably. Among the five aspect ratios we compared, Window A gives the greatest average wind speed and highest wind uniformity coefficient. Compared with Window C, it increase average wind speed by 23% and the wind speed uniformity coefficient by 41%. 【Conclusion】 Our results show that reducing the aspect ratio of the side ventilation window as currently used by local farmers can effectively increase the uniformity of both temperature and wind speed in the greenhouse.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for tumours around the duodenal ampullary. Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on cases diagnosed and treated in our hospital from October 2016 to August 2021 due to the lesions around the duodenal ampulla. All patients received EUS, abdominal enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging combined with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRI-MRCP). Pathological diagnosis was used to verify the accuracy of the imaging findings. The detection rates of periampullary tumours by EUS, abdominal enhanced CT and MRI-MRCP were determined and compared. Results: A total of 86 patients were included in this study. According to the pathological diagnosis, the detection rate of EUS was 87% (36/41) for periampullary tumour lesions with a tumour diameter

To meet the requirements of equipment performance optimization in the intelligent environment of mining machinery, a solution model of excavator resistance with wide applicability is established, which made the solution model of excavation resistance have high efficiency and accuracy. The theoretical equation of excavation force is established and solved based on d′Alembert′s principle, and its accuracy is verified by dynamic simulation. The precise soil parameters are calibrated with theoretical results, and a simulation model is constructed by coupling drive of Adams-EDEM to obtain the precise solution of excavation resistance. The accuracy of the method is verified by the measured stress. In addition, the influence of different soil parameters on simulated excavation resistance is analyzed. The results show that compared with the traditional theoretical equation, the proposed model has advantages in precision and computational efficiency. The excavation resistance output from the theoretical model is used as the standard to modify the simulated soil model. The stress output from the modified simulation model is consistent with the measured stress, which verified the accuracy of the proposed method. This method provides an important basis for the calibration of complex soil parameters and the establishment of accurate soil model.

The research of differential equation models in music creation and audio is a current research hotspot. This paper uses homogeneous first-order linear partial differential equations to analyze the relevant music signals in music creation. This paper focuses on analyzing the expression of music signals based on time series. This paper discusses its characteristic function and conducts partial differential equation modeling of music characteristic signals. The method successfully established the string vibration model and the time-series autoregressive model of the music signal. This paper becomes a new differential equation to solve the music signal processing method in music creation.

The cable-driven parallel robot is a special type of parallel robots whose end-effector is driven by cables instead of rigid rods. A three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) under-constrained parallel robot with variable cable mast angle is studied. The inverse kinematics model of the robot is established by using the vector closed-loop principle. According to the Lagrange equation, the dynamics model of the robot is established. Based on the robot PD control theory of model compensation, a PD controller of the robot is designed. Given a motion trajectory of the end-effector of the robot, the pose change of the end-effector is transformed into cable length change through the inverse kinematics of the robot. The cable length is used as the input of the control system. The experimental results verify the correctness of the inverse kinematics and dynamics model of the robot and the effectiveness of the control method.

Coronaviruses have evolved a variety of strategies to exploit normal cellular processes and signalling pathways for their efficient reproduction in a generally hostile cellular environment. One immediate-early response gene (IEG) family, the AP-1 gene family, was previously shown to be activated by coronavirus infection. In this study, we report that another IEG family, the EGR family, is also activated in cells infected with four different coronaviruses in three genera, i.e. gammacoronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), alphacoronaviruses porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) and human coronavirus-229E (HCoV-229E), and betacoronavirus HCoV-OC43. Knockdown of EGR1 reduced the expression of cJUN and cFOS, and knockdown of cJUN and/or cFOS reduced the expression of EGR1, demonstrating that these two IEG families may be cross-activated and mutual regulated. Furthermore, ERK1/2 was identified as an upstream kinase, and JNK and p38 as inhibitors of EGR1 activation in coronavirus-infected cells. However, upregulation of EGR family genes, in particular EGR1, appears to play a differential role in regulating viral replication, apoptosis and antiviral response. EGR1 was shown to play a limited role in regulation of coronavirus replication, and an anti-apoptotic role in cells infected with IBV or PEDV, but not in cells infected with HCoV-229E. Upregulation of EGR1 may also play a differential role in the regulation of antiviral response against different coronaviruses. This study reveals a novel regulatory network shared by different coronaviruses in the immediate-early response of host cells to infection.

Owing to the special structural characteristics, oxide derivatives of Prussian blue (PB)-based hollow structures are widely used in electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Here, Fe3O4 particles have been synthesized by one-step thermal decomposition of PB. The cube-sized iron-based PB and structural stability of thermal decomposition products at different amount of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) were well investigated. In the derivatived architecature, the hollow Fe3O4 nanocubes provide high-efficiency lithium ion transporation and the diffusion of electrolyte, enabling better electrochemical performance. The as-obtained Fe3O4 nanocubes show a remarkable rate capability (462 mAh g − 1 at 1.0 A/g) and outstanding specific capacity (803 mAh g − 1 at 0.1 A/g, 97.5% capacity retention over 140 cycles), which have a potential application as anode materials for lithium ion batteries due to the facile preparation method and high electrochemical performance. The hollow Fe3O4 nanocubes prepared by one-step thermal decomposition of PB provide high-efficiency lithium ions transporation and diffusion of electrolyte, enabling better electrochemical performance. The as-obtained Fe3O4 nanocubes show a remarkable rate capability (462 mAh g–1 at 1000 mA g–1) and outstanding specific capacity (803 mAh g–1 at 100 mA g–1, 97.5% capacity retention over 140 cycles). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Error-free cell division depends on the accurate assembly of the spindle midzone from dynamic spindle microtubules to ensure chromatid segregation during metaphase–anaphase transition. However, the mechanism underlying the key transition from the mitotic spindle to central spindle before anaphase onset remains elusive. Given the prevalence of chromosome instability phenotype in gastric tumorigenesis, we developed a strategy to model context-dependent cell division using a combination of light sheet microscope and 3D gastric organoids. Light sheet microscopic image analyses of 3D organoids showed that CENP-E inhibited cells undergoing aberrant metaphase–anaphase transition and exhibiting chromosome segregation errors during mitosis. High-resolution real-time imaging analyses of 2D cell culture revealed that CENP-E inhibited cells undergoing central spindle splitting and chromosome instability phenotype. Using biotinylated syntelin as an affinity matrix, we found that CENP-E forms a complex with PRC1 in mitotic cells. Chemical inhibition of CENP-E in metaphase by syntelin prevented accurate central spindle assembly by perturbing temporal assembly of PRC1 to the midzone. Thus, CENP-E-mediated PRC1 assembly to the central spindle constitutes a temporal switch to organize dynamic kinetochore microtubules into stable midzone arrays. These findings reveal a previously uncharacterized role of CENP-E in temporal control of central spindle assembly. Since CENP-E is absent from yeast, we reasoned that metazoans evolved an elaborate central spindle organization machinery to ensure accurate sister chromatid segregation during anaphase and cytokinesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progression of hepatocellular carcinoma involves multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations that promote cancer invasion and metastasis. Our recent study revealed that hyperphosphorylation of ezrin promotes intrahepatic metastasis in vivo and cell migration in vitro. Celastrol is a natural product from traditional Chinese medicine which has been used in treating liver cancer. However, the mechanism of action underlying celastrol treatment was less clear. Here we show that ROCK2 is a novel target of celastrol and inhibition of ROCK2 suppresses elicited ezrin activation and liver cancer cell migration. Using cell monolayer wound healing, we carried out a phenotype-based screen of natural products and discovered the efficacy of celastrol in inhibiting cell migration. The molecular target of celastrol was identified as ROCK2 using celastrol affinity pull-down assay. Our molecular docking analyses indicated celastrol binds to the active site of ROCK2 kinase. Mechanistically, celastrol inhibits the ROCK2-mediated phosphorylation of ezrin at Thr567 which harnesses liver cancer cell migration. Our findings suggest that targeting ROCK2-ezrin signaling is a potential therapeutic niche for celastrol-based intervention of cancer progression in hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyze the prescription characteristics of consensus formulae for the prevention and treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) also known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Methods We collected the following formulae released from the start of NCP outbreak to February 6, 2020: foumulae in the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (Trial)" (3rd to 5th ed.) issued jointly by the National Health Commission and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of PRC; the latest clinically-proven effective prescription Qingfei Paidu Tang (Lung-clearing and Toxin-expelling Decoction) (February 6, 2020 ed.); formulae in the "Prevention and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia in Beijing" (1st and 2nd ed.) issued by the Beijing Municipal Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine; prescriptions approved and released by varied health commissions, traditional Chinese medicine administrations and hospitals at provincial and municipal levels; and prescriptions made public by various medical schools and several prestigious doctors for the prevention and treatment of NCP. The R software (V 3.6.1) was used to analyze the frequency of occurrence of herbs and association rules in formulae for preventive and therapeutic purposes respectively. Results 107 preventive formulae involving 121 herbs were identified. 11 herbs with frequency of occurrence over 20% were Gancao (Licorice Root, Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae), Huangqi (Astragalus Root, Radix Astragali), Jirvyinhua (Honeysuckle Flower, Flos Lonicerae Japonicae), Jiegeng (Platycodon Root, Radix Platycodonis), Lianqiao (Weeping Forsythia Capsule, Fructus Forsythiae), Cangzhu (Atractylodes Rhizome, Rhizoma Atractylodis), Fangfeng (Siler, Radix Saposhnikoviae), Baizhu (White Atractylodes Rhizome, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae), Lugen (Reed Rhizome, Rhizoma Phragmitis), Guanghuoxiang (Cablin Patchouli, Herba Pogostemonis), and Sangye (Mulberry Leaf, Folium Mori). The core combinations of herbs included Huangqi, Gancao, Jinyinhua, Lianqiao, and Fangfeng according to association rules. There were 115 therapeutic prescriptions involving 203 herbs, of which the following 7 herbs were the most frequently used with frequency of occurrence over 20% : Gancao, Huangqin (Scutellaria Root, Radix Scutellariae), Shigao (Gypsum, Gypsum Fibrosum), Kuxingren (Bitter Apricot Kernel, Semen Armeniacae Amarum), Mahuang (Ephedra, Herba Ephedrae), Lianqiao, and Jinyinhua. The core combinations of herbs included Mahuang, Kuxingren, Shigao, and Gancao according to association rules. Conclusion For the prevention of NCP, the main method used seems to be boosting qi to consolidate the exterior, supplemented by clearing heat, resolving toxins and drying dampness. The commonly used formulae were Yupingfeng San (Jade Wind-Barrier Powder) and Yinqiao San (Lonicera and Forsythia Powder). For therapeutic purpose, clearing heat, resolving toxins, and drying dampness were the major methods adopted. The most frequently used prescription was Maxing Shigan Tang (Ephedra, Apricot Kernel, Gypsum and Licorice Decoction) plus Huangqin and Lianqiao. Treatment should vary according to the progression and stage of the disease with modifications based on complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ezrin, a membrane–cytoskeleton linker protein, plays an essential role in cell polarity establishment, cell migration, and division. Recent studies show that ezrin phosphorylation regulates breast cancer metastasis by promoting cancer cell survivor and promotes intrahepatic metastasis via cell migration. However, it was less characterized whether there are additional post-translational modifications and/or post-translational crosstalks on ezrin underlying context-dependent breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Here we show that ezrin is acetylated by p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) in breast cancer cells in response to CCL18 stimulation. Ezrin physically interacts with PCAF and is a cognate substrate of PCAF. The acetylation site of ezrin was mapped by mass spectrometric analyses, and dynamic acetylation of ezrin is essential for CCL18-induced breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Mechanistically, the acetylation reduced the lipid-binding activity of ezrin to ensure a robust and dynamic cycling between the plasma membrane and cytosol in response to CCL18 stimulation. Biochemical analyses show that ezrin acetylation prevents the phosphorylation of Thr567. Using atomic force microscopic measurements, our study revealed that acetylation of ezrin induced its unfolding into a dominant structure, which prevents ezrin phosphorylation at Thr567. Thus, these results present a previously undefined mechanism by which CCL18-elicited crosstalks between the acetylation and phosphorylation on ezrin control breast cancer cell migration and invasion. This suggests that targeting PCAF signaling could be a potential therapeutic strategy for combating hyperactive ezrin-driven cancer progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary indices are widely used in diet quality measurement, and the index-based dietary patterns are related to gastric cancer risk. To evaluate the relationship between different kinds of index-based dietary patterns and gastric cancer risk, we systematically searched four English-language databases and four Chinese-language databases. The quality of studies was assessed by the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Meta-analyses were performed to estimate the association between gastric cancer incidence and different types of index-based dietary patterns. The OR and hazard ratios (HR) of gastric cancer incidence were calculated by regression models in case–control studies and prospective cohort studies, respectively. The studies were pooled in the random effects model to calculate the summarised risk estimate of the highest quantile interval of dietary indices, taking the lowest as the referent. The dietary indices included different versions of Mediterranean diet score (MDS) and dietary inflammatory index (DII), healthy eating index, Chinese Food Pagoda score and food index score. The meta-analysis was carried out for studies on MDS and DII. The combined OR of gastric cancer for the highest MDS v. the referent was 0·42 (95 % CI 0·2, 0·86), and the combined HR was 0·89 (95 % CI 0·68, 1·17). The combined OR for DII was 2·11 (95 % CI 1·41, 3·15). Higher Mediterranean dietary pattern consumption might reduce gastric cancer risk, while higher inflammatory diet pattern consumption might increase gastric cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infection, even outbreak, caused by Cryptococcus gattii (C. gattii) has been reported in Canada and the United States, but there were sparsely-reported cases of C. gattii in China. Our interest in occurrence, clinical manifestation, laboratory identification and molecular characterization of Chinese C. gattii strains leads us to this research. Results: Out of 254 clinical isolates, initially identified as Cryptococcus neoformans (C. neoformans), eight strains were re-identified as C. gattii. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) showed genotype VGI accounted for the most (6 / 8), the other two strains were genotype VGII (VGIIa and VGIIb respectively) with 3 specific spectra of molecular weight about 4342, 8686, 9611 Da by MALDI-TOF MS. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Fluconazole with Yeast one was 2~4 times higher than that with ATB fungus 3 and MICs of antifungal agents against VGII strains were higher than against VGI strains. Comparative proteome analysis showed that 329 and 180 proteins were highly expressed by C. gattii VGI and VGII respectively. The enrichment of differentially expressed proteins was directed to Golgi complex. Conclusions: Infection by C. gattii in China occurred sparsely. Genotype VGI was predominant but VGII was more resistant to antifungal agents. There was significant difference in protein expression profile between isolates of VGI and VGII C. gattii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the pathogenesis that TIMP-1 mediated in adult orbital xanthogranulomatous disease (AOXGD), a rare type of non-Langerhans histiocytosis that damages the appearance and quality of life of patientsMethods: We reviewed 22 patients diagnosed with AOXGD based on clinical manifestations and histological analysis, and then investigated the expression of TIMP-1 and IL-6 with q-PCR and IHC in AOXGD tissues and the possible mechanism involved in the induction of TIMP-1 by IL-6.Results: IL-6 and TIMP-1 were significantly increased in AOXGD tissues. IL-6 promoted TIMP-1 production by M1 macrophages by stimulating the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3. Moreover, IL-17 and IFN-γ, the classical markers of Th1 and Th17 cells, were increased in AOXGD.Conclusion: These data implied that the IL6~JAK2/STAT3-TIMP-1 signalling pathway is activated in AOXGD and that adaptive Th1 and Th17 responses are involved in the development of AOXGD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]