Search

This study investigates the rampant spread of offensive and derogatory language during the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to mitigate it through machine learning. Employing advanced Large Language Models (LLMs), the research develops a sophisticated framework adept at detecting and transforming abusive and hateful speech. The project begins by meticulously compiling a dataset, focusing specifically on Chinese language abuse and hate speech. It incorporates an extensive list of 30 pandemic-related terms, significantly enriching the resources available for this type of research. A two-tier detection model is then introduced, achieving a remarkable accuracy of 94.42 % in its first phase and an impressive 81.48 % in the second. Furthermore, the study enhances paraphrasing efficiency by integrating generative AI techniques, primarily Large Language Models, with a Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic model. This combination allows for a thorough analysis of language before and after modification. The results highlight the transformative power of these methods. They show that the rephrased statements not only reduce the initial hostility but also preserve the essential themes and meanings. This breakthrough offers users effective rephrasing suggestions to prevent the spread of hate speech, contributing to more positive and constructive public discourse.

Vascular calcification (VC) is an accurate risk factor and predictor of adverse cardiovascular events; however, there is currently no effective therapy to specifically prevent VC progression. Capsaicin (Cap) is a bioactive alkaloid isolated from Capsicum annuum L., a traditional medicinal and edible plant that is beneficial for preventing cardiovascular diseases. However, the effect of Cap on VC remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects and related mechanisms of Cap on aortic calcification in a mouse and on Pi-induced calcification in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). First, we established a calcification mouse model with vitamin D3 and evaluated the effects of Cap on calcification mice using von Kossa staining, calcium content, and alkaline phosphatase activity tests. The results showed that Cap significantly improved calcification in mice. VSMCs were then cultured in 2.6 mM Na2HPO4 and 50 μg/mL ascorbic acid for 7 days to obtain a calcification model, and we investigated the effects and mechanisms of Cap on VSMCs calcification by assessing the changes of calcium deposition, calcium content, and subsequent VC biomarkers. These results showed that Cap alleviated VSMCs calcification by upregulating the expressions of TRPV1. Moreover, Cap reduced the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin, whereas DKK1 antagonised the inhibitory effect of Cap on VSMC calcification. This study is the first to offer direct evidence that Cap inhibits the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by upregulating the expression of the TRPV1 receptor, resulting in the decreased expression of Runx2 and BMP-2, thereby reducing VSMC calcification. Our study may provide novel strategies for preventing the progression of VC. This could serve as a theoretical basis for clinically treating VC with spicy foods.

Functionally graded (FG) graphene nanoplatelets reinforced composite (FG-GPLRC) structures are expected to be greatly developed in engineering due to their excellent mechanical properties. The nonlinear dynamic behaviors such as chaos and bifurcation are particularly important. This article explores the nonlinear dynamics of FG-GPLRC shallow shells with three different GPL distribution patterns under the transverse and the in-plane excitation. The effective material properties of the composite material were calculated using an improved Halpin-Tsai model and the mixture rule. Using the Hamilton's principle and the high-order shear deformation theory (HSDT) to design a nonlinear mathematical model of simply supported spherical shallow shells. Numerical analysis shows that the weight fraction, the layer number, and the length-to-thickness ratio of GPL have significant effects on the mechanical behavior. These parameters have varying sensitivities to different GPL distribution patterns. The X-shaped distribution is more capable of withstanding larger external excitation compared to the U-shaped and O-shaped. The O-type distribution is more sensitive to the layer number. The mechanical behavior of the two modes also different after exceeding the critical value. This article focuses on providing effective theoretical guidance for practical engineering by simulating the mechanical behavior of structures under complex excitations.

The trichomes of rice leaves are formed by the differentiation and development of epidermal cells. Plant trichomes play an important role in stress resistance and protection against direct ultraviolet irradiation. However, the development of rice trichomes remains poorly understood. In this study, we conducted ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS)-mediated mutagenesis on the wild-type (WT) indica rice ‘Xida 1B’. Phenotypic analysis led to the screening of a mutant that is defective in trichome development, designated lhl1 (less hairy leaf 1). We performed map-based cloning and localized the mutated gene to the 70-kb interval between the molecular markers V-9 and V-10 on chromosome 2. The locus LOC_Os02g25230 was identified as the candidate gene by sequencing. We constructed RNA interference (LHL1-RNAi) and overexpression lines (LHL1-OE) to verity the candidate gene. The leaves of the LHL1-RNAi lines showed the same trichome developmental defects as the lhl1 mutant, whereas the trichome morphology on the leaf surface of the LHL1-OE lines was similar to that of the WT, although the number of trichomes was significantly higher. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed that the expression levels of auxin-related genes and positive regulators of trichome development in the lhl1 mutant were down-regulated compared with the WT. Hormone response analysis revealed that LHL1 expression was affected by auxin. The results indicate that the influence of LHL1 on trichome development in rice leaves may be associated with an auxin pathway.

Abstract Background Rodents are important virus reservoirs and natural hosts for multiple viruses. They are one of the wild animals that are extremely threatening to the spread of human viruses. Therefore, research on rodents carrying viruses and identifying new viruses that rodents carry is of great significance for preventing and controlling viral diseases. Methods In this study, fecal samples from six species of forest rodents in Northeast China were sequenced using metagenomics, and an abundance of virome information was acquired. Selection of important zoonotic in individual rodents for further sequence and evolutionary analysis. Results Among the top 10 most abundant viral families, RNA virus include Orthomyxoviridae, Picornaviridae, Bunyaviridae and Arenaviridae, DNA virus include Herpesviridae, Insect virus include Nodaviridae and Baculoviridae, Plant virus Tombusviridae and Phage (Myoriviridae). Except for Myoviridae, there was no significant difference in the abundance of virus families in the feces of each rodent species. In addition, a new strain of astrovirus was discovered, with an ORF and genome arrangement comparable to other rodent astroviruses.The newly identified astrovirus had the highest similarity with the rodent astrovirus isolate, CHN/100. Conclusions The data obtained in this study provided an overview of the viral community present in these rodent fecal samples, revealing some rodent-associated viruses closely related to known human or animal pathogens. Strengthening our understanding of unclassified viruses harbored by rodents present in the natural environment could provide scientific guidance for preventing and controlling new viral outbreaks that can spread via rodents.

Obesity presents a serious threat to human health and broiler performance. The expansion of adipose tissue is mainly regulated by the differentiation of preadipocytes. The differentiation of preadipocytes is a complex biological process regulated by a variety of transcription factors and signaling pathways. Previous studies have shown that the transcription factor HMG-box protein 1 (HBP1) can regulate the differentiation of mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. However, it is unclear whether HBP1 involved in chicken preadipocyte differentiation and which signaling pathways it regulates. The aim of the current study was to explore the biological function and molecular regulatory mechanism of HBP1 in the differentiation of chicken preadipocytes. The expression patterns of chicken HBP1 in abdominal adipose tissue and during preadipocyte differentiation were analyzed by RT-qPCR and Western blot. The preadipocyte stably overexpressing HBP1 or knockout HBP1 and their control cell line were used to analyze the effect of HBP1 on preadipocyte differentiation by oil red O staining, RT-qPCR and Western blot. Cignal 45-Pathway Reporter Array was used to screen the signal pathways that HBP1 regulates in the differentiation of chicken preadipocytes. Chemical inhibitor and siRNA for signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were used to analyze the effect of STAT3 on preadipocyte differentiation. The preadipocyte stably overexpressing HBP1 was transfected by the siRNA of STAT3 or treated with a chemical inhibitor of STAT3 for the rescue experiment. The results of gene expression analysis showed that the expression of HBP1 was related to abdominal fat deposition and preadipocyte differentiation in chickens. The results of function gain and loss experiments indicated that overexpression/knockout of HBP1 in chicken preadipocytes could inhibit/promote (P

AIM:To determine the prevalence of screening myopia and refractive correction among primary and middle school students aged from 6-18 years in Xuzhou city, Jiangsu Province.METHODS: A cross-sectional cluster sampling study was designed. The total number of screened students was 63 488 in 70 schools from Xuzhou city in this study from September 2020 to December 2020. After excluding the unqualified data, 58 149 students aged 6-18 years were included to analyse. The prevalence of screening myopia, refractive correction and full correction with the aspect of different ages, genders, regions and degrees of myopia were described.RESULTS: The overall rate of screening myopia and refractive correction were 49.26% and 31.11%, respectively and both showed an increasing trend with age(P

AIM:To determine the incidence of myopia and related risk factors among Chinese school-age children in Suqian city.METHODS: The data were collected from 42 primary schools in Suqian, Jiangsu Province with a stratified cluster sampling method. According to the physical examination information in 2019 and 2020, a total of 12 452 school-age children were included. Based on their two-year information of visual acuity, diopter, height and weight, this study analyzed the incidence of myopia under different demographic factors and related risk factors among school-age children.RESULTS: It was found that the overall incidence rate of myopia among school-age children was 24.63% in Suqian(all P

AIM: To explore the related factors that affect the subfoveal choroidal thickness(SFCT)of children with low to moderate myopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study. We selected children aged 6-12 who were diagnosed as myopia in the Department of Ophthalmology of the Affiliated Xuzhou Municipal Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from October to December 2020, according to the spherical equivalent refraction(SER), 60 patients(60 eyes)with low myopia of -0.75 to -3.00D and 50 patients(50 eyes)with moderate myopia of -3.25 to -6.00D, which was obtained by cycloplegic refraction. All participants conducted ophthalmic examination, including measurements of SFCT, subfoveal retinal thickness(SFRT), axial length(AL), and parameters of ocular accommodation. Children's age, sex, parental myopia, height and weight were collected. The relationship between SFCT and various factors was investigated.RESULTS: The average SFCT of the low and moderate myopia were 273.30±44.93 and 237.16±48.56μm(P0.05). Multiple linear regression showed that SFCT became thinner as AL became longer(B= -19.87, P

Perovskite single-crystal thin films inherit the advantages of low trap-states, well-defined thickness and remarkable stability. Now, researchers successfully employed MAPbBr3 single-crystal thin film as photoanode in the photoelectrochemical production of organic 2,5-dimethoxy-2,5-dihydrofuran.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) has long been viewed as toxic gas and air pollutant, but now is being verified as a signaling molecule in mammalian cells. SO2 can be endogenously produced and rapidly transformed into sulfur-containing compounds (e.g., hydrogen sulfide, cysteine, methionine, glutathione, glucosinolate, and phytochelatin) to maintain its homeostasis in plant cells. Exogenous application of SO2 in the form of gas or solution can trigger the expression of thousands of genes. The physiological functions of these genes are involved in the antioxidant defense, osmotic adjustment, and synthesis of stress proteins, secondary metabolites, and plant hormones, thus modulating numerous plant physiological processes. The modulated physiological processes by SO2 are implicated in seed germination, stomatal action, postharvest physiology, and plant response to environmental stresses. However, the review on the signaling role of SO2 in plants is little. In this review, the anabolism and catabolism of SO2 in plants were summarized. In addition, the signaling role of SO2 in seed germination, stomatal movement, fruit fresh-keeping, and plant response to environmental stresses (including drought, cold, heavy metal, and pathogen stresses) was discussed. Finally, the research direction of SO2 in plants is also proposed.

Objective To investigate the relationship of cholinergic pathway (CP) damage and cerebral cortex structure change in patients with different degree of cognitive impairment accompanied by white matter hyperintensity (WMH). Methods From March 2016 to December 2018, a total of 80 patients with WMH were rolled into WMH with no cognitive impairment group (WMH⁃CN group, n = 43), WMH with vascular cognitive impairment⁃no dementia group (WMH⁃VCIND group, n = 21) and WMH with vascular dementia group (WMH ⁃ VaD group, n = 16), according to Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR). White matter damage in CP were evaluated by Cholinergic Pathways Hyperintensities Scale (CHIPS). MRI was performed on all patients, 34 regions of interest (ROIs) in cerebral cortex CP were marked, and layer thickness and volume were measured. Spearman rank correlation analysis and partial correlation analysis were performed to explore the correlation between the total CHIPS score of left and right hemispheres and ipsilateral cortical ROIs thickness and volume. Results 1) The CHIPS scores of WMH ⁃ CN group, WMH ⁃ VCIND group and WMH ⁃ VaD group had statistically significant differences in the whole brain (P = 0.023), the left hemisphere (P = 0.039) and the right hemisphere (P = 0.004), respectively. Among them, the CHIPS scores of WMH⁃VCIND group (P = 0.002, 0.000, 0.001) and WMH⁃VaD group (P = 0.000, 0.003, 0.000) were all higher than those of WMH⁃CN group. The CHIPS scores of three regions in WMH⁃VaD group were also higher than those in WMH⁃VCIND group (P = 0.008, 0.013, 0.020). 2) The differences of the left hemisphere ROIs layer thickness (P =0.000) and volume (P = 0.000), and the right hemisphere ROIs layer thickness (P = 0.000) were statistically significant between WMH patients and normal controls. The left hemisphere ROIs layer thickness (P =0.000, for all) and volume (P = 0.000, for all), and the right hemisphere ROIs layer thickness (P = 0.000, for all) in WMH⁃CN group, WMH⁃VCIND group and WMH⁃VaD group were all lower than those in control group. In WMH⁃VaD group, the thickness of left ROIs was higher than that of WMH⁃CN group (P = 0.000) and WMH⁃VCIND group (P = 0.036). In WMH⁃CN group, the volume of left ROIs was higher than that in WMH⁃VCIND group (P = 0.033) and lower than that in WMH⁃VaD group (P = 0.025), and the thickness of right ROIs in WMH⁃VCIND group (P = 0.001) and WMH⁃VaD group (P = 0.000) were both higher than that in WMH ⁃ CN group. 3) Correlation analysis showed that only the WMH ⁃ VCIND group had a positive correlation between left hemispheric CHIPS score and ipsilateral cortical ROIs (r = 0.439, P = 0.047). Conclusions When WMH patients with cognitive impairment, as the degree is aggravating, the thickness and volume of 34 ROIs on left hemisphere CP have a certain degree of decline. The cerebral cortex structure change was positively associated with the degree of left hemisphere CP damage, but the structural change is not obvious in right hemisphere. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1672⁃6731.2020.10.009

Carex myosuroides Villars, 1779 is a typical alpine sedge with both ecological and agricultural value. The work reported here is the first complete chloroplast genome of this species. The chloroplast genome, with a total size of 185,609 bp, consists of two inverted repeats (IRs, 38,374 bp) separated by a large single-copy (LSC, 99,911 bp) region, and a small single-copy (SSC, 8950 bp) region. The overall genome GC content is 34.12%. The genome contains 125 genes, consisting of 82 protein-coding genes, 35 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis supports the taxonomic treatment of incorporating genus Kobresia to a broader circumscription of Carex. Our work could be helpful to future research on Cyperaceae.

Objective To investigate the prognostic value of dynamic susceptibility contrast⁃enhanced MRI (DSC⁃MRI), 3D⁃arterial spin labeling (3D⁃ASL) and intravoxel incoherentmotion (IVIM) in glioblastoma. Methods From August 2016 to October 2017, a total of 34 patients with glioblastoma were enrolled. According to the overall survival (OS), they were divided into < 14 months group (17 cases) and ≥ 14 months group (17 cases). MRI conventional sequences, DSC⁃MRI, 3D⁃ASL, IVIM were acquired before operation. Multiple regions of interest (ROIs) were placed in the tumor⁃enhanced region and the peritumoral region, and recorded the values of DSC⁃maximum relative cerebral blood volume (DSC⁃rCBV max ) and relative cerebral blood flow (DSC⁃rCBF), ASL⁃cerebral blood flow (ASL⁃CBF), IVIM⁃perfusion fraction (PF). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluated the prognostic value of the imaging indicators. Results There were no significant differences in ASL⁃CBF, IVIM⁃PF, DSC⁃rCBF and DSC⁃rCBV max between the OS < 14 months group and the OS ≥ 14 months group in tumor⁃enhanced region (P > 0.05, for all). In the peritumoral region, the IVIM⁃PF of the patients in OS < 14 months was lower (P = 0.011) while DSC⁃rCBF (P = 0.009) and DSC⁃rCBV max (P = 0.012) were higher than OS ≥ 14 months group. The area under the ROC curve was 0.579 (95%CI: 0.372-0.787, P = 0.453), 0.763 (95%CI: 0.588-0.937, P = 0.013) and 0.746 (95%CI: 0.565-0.926, P = 0.020) respectively, suggesting that DSC⁃rCBF and DSC⁃ rCBV max have better reference value for prognosis. Conclusions The imaging indicators of DSC⁃MRI have an effect on the OS of glioblastoma, while IVIM and ASL have not shown an effect on overall survival. DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1672⁃6731.2019.11.008

Objective To observe the application of fMRI in detecting the default mode network (DMN) of patients with carotid artery stenosis and cognitive impairment. In the combination with neuropsychological scores, to explore the relationship between DMN and cognitive function under hypoperfusion. Methods A sample of 32 individuals, who went to Beijing Tiantan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University for treatment since June 2017 to December 2018, have been selected for this research. Among them 16 patients were confirmed by DSA with severe stenosis (stenosis rate ≥ 70%) of unilateral internal carotid artery (ICA); while the other 16 were healthy people as normal controls. The neuropsychological tests [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)] and blood oxygen level-dependent functional MRI (BOLD-fMRI) were performed to all the individuals. Furthermore, the function imaging was performed to develop a brain network model and to compare the differences of functional connectivity (FC) between 2 groups. Results The MoCA score in ICA stenosis group was lower than that in normal control group [(21.19 ± 4.00) score vs. (27.94 ± 2.00) score; t = 2.609, P = 0.048], indicating there was cognitive impairment in some degree in ICA stenosis. The significant FC in ICA stenosis group and normal control group were widely distributed between the frontal lobe and the occipital lobe, within the hemisphere and between both hemispheres. The FC of ICA stenosis group was significantly weaker than that of normal control group. The functional reduction between both hemispheres was indicated in the regions including the right frontal lobe, left parietal lobe and left temporal lobe, the lower margin of right parietal lobe and left amygdala. In the hemisphere, the FC was weaken between the frontal and prefrontal lobes. A specific enhancement in the function of the local brain region was also shown in ICA stenosis group. Conclusions Regarding the patients with carotid artery stenosis and cognitive impairment, the DMN has changed. The enhancement or attenuation of the FC within the hemisphere and between both hemispheres were reflected on fMRI. This may be related to the local functional changes under long-term hypoperfusion. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2019.10.006

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a common pathogenic bacterium in the stomach, has been demonstrated to be a major cause of gastric cancer (GC). The typical pathological evolution of H. pylori infection-induced GC involves development from gastric atrophy, via intestinal metaplasia (IM) and dysplasia, to intestinal-type GC. During this process, IM is considered to be an “irreversible point” that significantly increases the risk for GC. Therefore, the elucidation of the mechanism underlying IM is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of gastric mucosal carcinogenesis associated with H. pylori infection. Caudal type homeoboxes (CDXs) are transcription factors involved in intestinal differentiation establishment and the maintenance of normal intestinal mucosa and IM. H. pylori infection increases the expression of CDXs through epigenetic regulation, the nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathway and its downstream proinflammatory factors, and the transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathway, leading to the progression from normal gastric mucosa to IM. However, the precise mechanisms of gastric intestinal metaplasia have not yet been fully elucidated. In this review, we focus on research progress revealing the functions of CDXs in H. pylori infection-induced IM, as well as the regulators modulating this process.

Abstract Crystalline-Si (c-Si) solar cell with black Si (b-Si) layer at the rear was studied in order to develop c-Si solar cell with sub-band gap photovoltaic response. The b-Si was made by chemical etching. The c-Si solar cell with b-Si at the rear was found to perform far better than that of similar structure but with no b-Si at the rear, with the efficiency being increased relatively by 27.7%. This finding was interesting as b-Si had a large specific surface area, which could cause high surface recombination and degradation of solar cell performance. A graded band gap was found to form at the rear of the c-Si solar cell with b-Si layer at the rear. This graded band gap tended to expel free electrons away from the rear, thus reducing the probability of electron-hole recombination at b-Si and improving the performance of c-Si solar cell.

The ZnO-based nanogenerators (NGs) with a precisely controlled interlayer of AlN are fabricated based on atomic layer deposition technique, which was proved to possess an enhanced output signal. The microstructure and composition profiles of the prepared ZnO/AlN stack layer are well characterized first. It was found that the piezoelectric performance of ZnO/AlN stacked nanofilm NGs depends strongly on the thickness of AlN. The maximum piezoelectric open circuit output voltage of 4.0 V and output power of 2.42 µW have been achieved with an optimum 2.3 nm thick AlN interlayer. The piezoelectric output of the NGs also relates with the value and the frequency of the compressive force. The inherent mechanism for the improvement of piezoelectric performance in the stacked structure is well discussed. The findings are expected to provide a simple, inexpensive, and effective approach for enhancing the performance of ZnO-based NGs.

Background and Objective: Anxiety/depression and tuberculosis are global public health problems. The incidence of psychiatric morbidities is high among tuberculosis patients. However, little is known about the prevalence of anxiety and depression among Chinese pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients, especially those with tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TBTB). The goal of the present study was to explore the prevalence of and associated factors of anxiety and depressive symptoms among PTB patients with and without TBTB.Methods: A cross-sectional survey of PTB patients from three hospitals in Liaoning, China, was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Depression and anxiety were evaluated by using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).Results: According to HADS and PHQ-9, 17.73 and 18.13% of 1252 PTB patients, respectively, had significant depressive symptoms and based on HADS scale, 18.37% had significant anxiety symptoms. Approximately 70% of patients with probable depression also had significant anxiety symptoms, and vice versa, and 69.6% patients with anxiety symptoms were also diagnosed with probable depression in our study population. Dyspnea and TBTB were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Other depressive symptoms-related factors included age, divorce, abnormal body mass index (BMI), and low income. Patients with lower incomes, symptoms of dyspnea, or a combination of ≥3 clinical symptoms had an increased risk of anxiety symptoms, while patients with occasional or frequent alcohol consumption had a reduced risk of anxiety symptoms.Conclusion: Depressive and anxiety symptoms are common among PTB patients, especially those with TBTB. Screening for depression and anxiety is essential for identifying patients who require further psychosocial assessment and support.

Background: Adipocyte, the main cellular component of white adipose tissue, plays a vital role in energy balance in higher eukaryotes. In recent years, adipocytes have also been identified as a major endocrine organ involved in immunological responses, vascular diseases, and appetite regulation. In farm animals, fat content and categories are closely correlated with meat quality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of endogenous single-stranded non-coding RNA molecules, participate in the regulation of adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis through regulating the transcription or translation of target mRNAs. MiR-378 plays an important role in a number of biological processes, including cell growth, cell differentiation, tumor cell survival and angiogenesis. Methods: In the present study, bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to identify and validate the target genes of miR-378. In vitro cell transfection, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blot analysis, Oil Red O staining, and triglyceride content measurement were conducted to analyze the effects of miR-378 on bovine preadipocyte differentiation. Results: MiR-378 was induced during adipocyte differentiation. In the differentiated adipocytes overexpressing miR-378, the volume of lipid droplets was enlarged, and the triglyceride content was increased. Moreover, the mRNA expression levels of the adipocyte differentiation marker genes, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP), were significantly elevated in the differentiated, mature adipocytes. In contrast, the mRNA expression level of preadipocyte factor 1 (Pref-1) was markedly reduced. E2F transcription factor 2 (E2F2) and Ras-related nuclear (RAN)-binding protein 10 (RANBP10) were the two target genes of miR-378. The mRNA expression levels of E2F2 and RANBP10 did not significantly change in bovine preadipocytes overexpressing miR-378. However, the protein expression levels of E2F2 and RANBP10 were markedly reduced. Conclusion: MiR-378 promoted the differentiation of bovine preadipocytes. E2F2 and RANBP10 were the two target genes of miR-378, and might involve in the effects of miR-378 on the bovine preadipocyte differentiation.

Objective To investigate the potential association between vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) polymorphisms and risk of glioma in Chinese population. Methods In this study, blood samples and clinical materials were collected from 504 patients with glioma and 527 gender- and age-matched controls, and epidemiological questionnaire surveys were conducted on them. DNA was extracted from collected blood samples and VEGFR2 rs2071559 genotyping was performed with MassARRAY Sequenom single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) time-of-flight mass spectra chip system. HaploView 4.1 was used to test Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and SPSS 17.0 was used for single locus analysis. Results The results of SNP genotyping showed that the genotyping ratio of VEGFR2 rs2071559 was 99.70%. HWE suggested that the genotype frequency of the controls was in balance (P = 0.451) and was representative of the population. The analysis of allele frequency showed that C allele of VEGFR2 rs2071559 was risk allele of glioma. It could increase the risk of glioma (OR = 1.424, 95%CI: 1.186-1.710; P = 0.000). The analysis of genotype suggested that individuals with VEGFR2 rs2071559 CT or CC genotype showed increased risk of glioma (adjusted OR = 1.407, 95% CI: 1.071-1.847, P = 0.014; adjusted OR = 1.947, 95%CI: 1.294-2.928, P = 0.001). Conclusions This study indicated that CT and CC genotypes or C allele of VEGFR2 rs2071559 were associated with increased risk of glioma in Chinese population. The role of VEGFR2 rs2071559 polymorphism in glioma susceptibility needs further investigation. doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2014.11.016

Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) is the most common and widespread infectious disease in the People’s Republic of China. Although there has been a substantial increase of HFMD in many parts of the country in recent years, its spatial dynamics and determinants remain unclear. When we collected and analysed weekly data on HFMD cases from 1,456 counties and the corresponding meteorological factors from 1 May 2008 to 27 March 2009, it was found that HFMD was spatially dispersed across the country in the summer and winter, while clustered in the spring and autumn. The spatial variation of HFMD was found to be affected by a combination of climate variables, while its spatio-temporal transmission was largely driven by temperature variations with a 7-week lag implying that (i) the dispersal of the disease can be anticipated based on the variation of the temperature and other climate variables; and (ii) the spatial dynamics of HFMD can be robustly predicted 7 weeks ahead of time using temperature data only. The findings reported allow prompt preparation and implementation of appropriate public health interventions to control and prevent disease outbreaks.

The asymmetric unit, 2CH4N2O·C7H12O4, of the title cocrystal contains one urea molecule and a half-molecule of pimelic acid; the latter, together with a second urea molecule, are completed by symmetry, with the central atom of the whole pimelic acid moiety placed on a twofold crystallographic axis. The crystal packing is stabilized by O—H...O and N—H...O hydrogen-bond, generating a chain along [10overline{1}]. Additionally, the chains are assembled into a three-dimensional framework via weak N—H...O interchain interactions.

BackgroundPopulation health attributes (such as disease incidence and prevalence) are often estimated using sentinel hospital records, which are subject to multiple sources of uncertainty. When applied to these health attributes, commonly used biased estimation techniques can lead to false conclusions and ineffective disease intervention and control. Although some estimators can account for measurement error (in the form of white noise, usually after de-trending), most mainstream health statistics techniques cannot generate unbiased and minimum error variance estimates when the available data are biased.Methods and findingsA new technique, called the Biased Sample Hospital-based Area Disease Estimation (B-SHADE), is introduced that generates space-time population disease estimates using biased hospital records. The effectiveness of the technique is empirically evaluated in terms of hospital records of disease incidence (for hand-foot-mouth disease and fever syndrome cases) in Shanghai (China) during a two-year period. The B-SHADE technique uses a weighted summation of sentinel hospital records to derive unbiased and minimum error variance estimates of area incidence. The calculation of these weights is the outcome of a process that combines: the available space-time information; a rigorous assessment of both, the horizontal relationships between hospital records and the vertical links between each hospital's records and the overall disease situation in the region. In this way, the representativeness of the sentinel hospital records was improved, the possible biases of these records were corrected, and the generated area incidence estimates were best linear unbiased estimates (BLUE). Using the same hospital records, the performance of the B-SHADE technique was compared against two mainstream estimators.ConclusionsThe B-SHADE technique involves a hospital network-based model that blends the optimal estimation features of the Block Kriging method and the sample bias correction efficiency of the ratio estimator method. In this way, B-SHADE can overcome the limitations of both methods: Block Kriging's inadequacy concerning the correction of sample bias and spatial clustering; and the ratio estimator's limitation as regards error minimization. The generality of the B-SHADE technique is further demonstrated by the fact that it reduces to Block Kriging in the case of unbiased samples; to ratio estimator if there is no correlation between hospitals; and to simple statistic if the hospital records are neither biased nor space-time correlated. In addition to the theoretical advantages of the B-SHADE technique over the two other methods above, two real world case studies (hand-foot-mouth disease and fever syndrome cases) demonstrated its empirical superiority, as well.

The title compound, [Eu(C12H9.33N2O)3]NO3, was obtained by the reaction of Eu(NO3)·3H2O and the Schiff base ligand 2-(2-pyridyliminomethyl)phenol. The Eu atom is located on a threefold rotation axis and is nine-coordinated by three tridentate Schiff base ligands in a distorted tricapped trigonal-prismatic geometry. The O atom at the phenol hydroxy group is partially deprotonated and the H atoms are modelled with one-third occupancy according to the space group Roverline{3}. Offset face-to-face π–π [centroid–centroid distance = 3.886 (3) Å] and edge-to-face C—H...π interactions are found between adjacent molecules. An intramolecular O—H...N hydrogen bond is also present.

Five alternative micromechanical models (Voigt, Reuss, Tamura, LRVE, Hashin) are used to predict the valid material properties of a simply-supported functionally graded materials (FGM) plate. The free vibration and static behavior are studied based on a quasi-3D hyperbolic shear deformation theory considering the stretching effect. The profile of an FGM plate is assumed by the power-law, Sigmoid and exponential functions. The numerical results of an FGM plate behavior reveal via Navier-type solution. The temperature effects of the micromechanical models on the fundamental frequency and transverse displacement for an FGM plate are also discussed. By analyzing the influence of different micro-models on the mechanical behavior of an FGM plate, researchers can objectively understand the establishment and differences of structural micromechanical models. And considering the actual high temperature situation, the deformation prediction ability of the structure is predicted. This study provides theoretical guidance for the analysis and modeling of FGM structures for the purpose of engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata is a rare benign disease characterized by the appearance of multiple pelvic and abdominal nodules. Its pathogenesis remains unclear and preoperative diagnosis is difficult. Here, we report a case of Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata in a 48-year-old woman with post-polio paralysis and complaints of lower abdominal distending pain. Eight years ago, she underwent a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with electronic power morcellator without an in-bag containment system. Medical imaging showed unilateral pleural effusion, a small amount of ascites and a large cystic-solid mass that filled the pelvis and abdomen, measuring 25 cm in size, following which she underwent bilateral adnexectomy, omentectomy, residual cervical resection and removal of all visible lesions. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata. To our best knowledge, large Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata with ascites and pleural effusion has not been previously reported in literature. Our study showed that the patient was disease-free without any evidence of recurrence for over half a year after surgery, suggesting that the surgical resection of the tumors and bilateral adnexal was an effective and reasonable treatment. These observations suggest that more consideration should be given to Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata after laparoscopic myomectomy or supracervical hysterectomy with power morcellation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]