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This paper is to study finite horizon linear quadratic (LQ) non-zero sum Nash game for discrete-time infinite Markov jump stochastic systems (IMJSSs). Based on the theory of stochastic analysis, a countably infinite set of coupled generalized algebraic Riccati equations are solved and a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of Nash equilibrium points is obtained. From a new perspective, the finite horizon mixed robust H 2 / H ∞ control is investigated, and summarize the relationship between Nash game and H 2 / H ∞ control problem. Moreover, the feasibility and validity of the proposed method has been proved by applying it to a numerical example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the establishment of a high-efficiency genome editing system in white birch trees. The researchers aimed to optimize the genome editing system in white birch to address the challenges of climate change and growing societal demands. They conducted a screening process using a superior white birch strain and tested different endogenous promoters to drive sgRNA expression. The study found that the efficiency of genome editing varied depending on the promoters used, with endogenous promoters showing higher editing efficiencies compared to exogenous promoters. The findings provide valuable support for the development of a multiple-gene editing system and molecular breeding in white birch and other forest trees. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common histological subtype of lung cancer (LC) and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. LUAD has a low survival rate owing to tumour invasion and metastasis. Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are precursors of distant metastasis, which are considered to adopt the characteristics of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Therefore, analysing the risk factors of LUAD from the perspective of CTCs may provide novel insights into the metastatic mechanisms and may help to develop diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.Methods: A total of 447 patients from TCGA dataset were included in the training cohort, and 460 patients from the GEO dataset were included in the validation cohort. A CTC-related-gene risk model was constructed using LASSO penalty-Cox analysis, and its predictive value was further verified. Functional enrichment analysis was performed on differentially expressed genes (DEGs), followed by immune correlation analysis based on the results. In addition, western blot, CCK-8 and colony formation assays were used to validate the biological function of RAB26 in LUAD.Results: A novel in-silico CTC-related-gene risk model, named the CTCR model, was constructed, which successfully divided patients into the high- and low-risk groups. The prognosis of the high-risk group was worse than that of the low-risk group. ROC analysis revealed that the risk model outperformed traditional clinical markers in predicting the prognosis of patients with LUAD. Further study demonstrated that the identified DEGs were significantly enriched in immune-related pathways. The immune score of the low-risk group was higher than that of the high-risk group. In addition, RAB26 was found to promote the proliferation of LUAD.Conclusion: A prognostic risk model based on CTC-related genes was successfully constructed, and the relationship between DEGs and tumour immunity was analysed. In addition, RAB26 was found to promote the proliferation of LUAD cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is to develop high-performance thin film gas sensors on the alumina ceramic substrate. Here, porous NiO films of about 2 μm were obtained by the simple electrochemical deposition technique. The NiO gas sensing thin films obtained by the in-situ growth overcomes the disadvantages of great thickness, material agglomeration, and uneven size of the conventional device structure. The films exhibit good uniformity, consistency, and reproducibility. The composition of the films and their porous morphological characteristics were demonstrated by SEM, XRD, AFM, and XPS characterization. The doping of PdO significantly enhanced the sensitivity and specificity selection of the NiO films for H 2 S gas. 2 wt% PdO/NiO thin film sensor exhibited a high response (515.27) and fast dynamic process at 155 °C for 10 ppm H 2 S. The outstanding gas-sensing performance of the thin film sensor is due to the doping of PdO and the porous structure of the film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a corrigendum for an article titled "Relationship between changes in mitochondrial function and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis after recurrent convulsion during developmental stage." The authors of the article discovered that they mistakenly used the same control GAPDH bands in Figures 3 and 5. They have provided corrected versions of the figures and stated that this error did not impact the overall conclusions of the paper. The authors apologize for any inconvenience caused. The article was authored by Yueying Liu, Jieru Chen, Meifang Jin, Zhenhong Li, Tian Tian, Lili Li, and Hong Ni. [Extracted from the article]

The majority of women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with metastatic disease, therefore elucidating molecular events that contribute to successful metastatic dissemination may identify additional targets for therapeutic intervention and thereby positively impact survival. Using two human high grade serous ovarian cancer cell lines with inactive TP53 and multiple rounds of serial in vivo passaging, we generated sublines with significantly accelerated intra-peritoneal (IP) growth. Comparative analysis of the parental and IP sublines identified a common panel of differentially expressed genes. The most highly differentially expressed gene, upregulated by 60-65-fold in IP-selected sublines, was the type I transmembrane protein AMIGO2. As the role of AMIGO2 in ovarian cancer metastasis remains unexplored, CRISPR/Cas9 was used to reduce AMIGO2 expression, followed by in vitro and in vivo functional analyses. Knockdown of AMIGO2 modified the sphere-forming potential of ovarian cancer cells, reduced adhesion and invasion in vitro, and significantly attenuated IP metastasis. These data highlight AMIGO2 as a new target for a novel anti-metastatic therapeutic approach aimed at blocking cohesion, survival, and adhesion of metastatic tumorspheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within triple negative breast cancer, several molecular subtypes have been identified, underlying the heterogeneity of such an aggressive disease. The basal-like subtype is characterized by mutations in the TP53 gene, and is associated with a low pathologic complete response rate following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In a genome-scale short hairpin RNA (shRNA) screen of breast cancer cells, polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) was a frequent and strong hit in the basal breast cancer cell lines indicating its importance for growth and survival of these breast cancer cells. Plk1 regulates progression of cells through the G2-M phase of the cell cycle. We assessed the activity of two ATP-competitive Plk1 inhibitors, GSK461364 and onvansertib, alone and with a taxane in a set of triple negative breast cancer cell lines and in vivo. GSK461364 showed synergism with docetaxel in SUM149 (Combination Index 0.70) and SUM159 (CI, 0.62). GSK461364 in combination with docetaxel decreased the clonogenic potential (interaction test for SUM149 and SUM159, p<0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively) and the tumorsphere formation of SUM149 and SUM159 (interaction test, p = 0.01 and p< 0.001). In the SUM159 xenograft model, onvansertib plus paclitaxel significantly decreased tumor volume compared to single agent paclitaxel (p<0.0001). Inhibition of Plk1 in combination with taxanes shows promising results in a subset of triple negative breast cancer intrinsically resistant to chemotherapy. Onvansertib showed significant tumor volume shrinkage when combined with paclitaxel in vivo and should be considered in clinical trials for the treatment of triple negative cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower-liked ZnO architectures and Ce doped ZnO materials with different amounts (0.2, 0.5, 1.2 and 2 at% Ce) were successfully synthesized by a simple room-temperature precipitation route. As the gas sensing materials, their sensing performance were investigated systematically. The results indicate that Ce doping can improve the performance of ZnO sensor. The ZnO doped with 0.5 at% Ce exhibited the highest response to ethanol at the operating temperature of 300 °C, and the response value was about 72.6–100 ppm ethanol. With Ce doping, the proportions of oxygen vacancy and chemisorbed oxygen species were increased obviously, which could greatly promote the gas sensing properties of surface resistance-type metal oxide semiconductors. Thus, the doping of flower-liked ZnO with Ce should be a promising approach for designing and fabricating the high performance gas sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss the infinite horizon H∞ control problem for a class of nonlinear stochastic systems with state, control, and disturbance dependent noise. The jumping parameters are modelled as an infinite-state Markov chain. Based on the solvability of a set of coupled Hamilton-Jacobi inequalities (HJIs), the exponential mean square H∞ controller for the considered nonlinear stochastic systems is obtained. A numerical example is given to show the effectiveness of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, exponential stability and robust H∞ control problem are investigated for a class of discrete-time time-delay stochastic systems with infinite Markov jump and multiplicative noises. The jumping parameters are modeled as an infinite-state Markov chain. By using a novel Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, a new sufficient condition in terms of matrix inequalities is derived to guarantee the mean square exponential stability of the equilibrium point. Then some sufficient conditions for the existence of feedback controller are presented to guarantee that the resulting closed-loop system has mean square exponential stability for the zero exogenous disturbance and satisfies a prescribed H∞ performance level. Numerical simulations are exploited to validate the applicability of developed theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to establish a recurrent convulsion model during the developmental stage using inhalation of flurothyl, and to observe the relationship between the changes in mitochondrial function in hippocampal neurons and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis after recurrent convulsion. A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley male rats were selected and randomly divided into the control (NS) group and recurrent-seizure (RS) group for 0, 1.5, 3, 12 and 24 h. After the last seizure the rats were subdivided with 6 animals in each group. Rats in the seizure group inhaled flurothyl repeatedly to induce status convulsivus, 30 min once daily, for 7 consecutive days, while the same operation was conducted in the control group without inhalation of flurothyl. At each time-point after the last seizure, blood was taken from the heart, followed by decapitation and immediate removal of the brain. Half of the brain tissue was immediately fixed in 10% paraformaldehyde to prepare paraffin-embedded tissues for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) histological staining. Hippocampus was taken from the other half of the brain and stored at −80°C. Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) in hippocampal neurons were detected by flow cytometer. Dynamic changes of mitochondrial fusion and division-related genes, mitochondrial fusion protein 2 (Mfn2) and dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), in the hippocampus after recurrent convulsion were observed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)and western blot analysis. The expression of caspase-3 and cytochrome c (Cyt c) was determined by RT-PCR and western blot analysis. After successful establishment of the recurrent convulsion model in rats during developmental stage using flurothyl, H&E staining results exhibited that in the CA1 region of hippocampus in the NS group, karyopyknosis occurred in nucleus that was stained to be brown and yellow, and the expression peak of apoptotic cells mainly existed at 24 h after the last convulsion. RT-PCR and western analysis revealed that apoptosis-related gene caspase-3 expression in the RS group was elevated at 1.5 h after the last convulsion, and lasted 24 h after convulsion. Detection results of mitochondrial ΔΨm revealed a significant reduction 1.5, 3 and 12 h after convulsion in hippocampal neurons of experimental rats, which reached the trough at 12 h, and rapidly increased after 24 h. The expression of Mfn2 mRNA in the RS group was significantly lower than that in the control group, while the expression of Drp1 mRNA in RS group was distinctly higher than that in the control group. RT-PCR and western blot analysis revealed that, mitochondrial apoptosis-related gene Cyt c expression was increased at 3 h after the last convulsion, and lasted 24 h after convulsion. Correlation analysis showed that the changes in mitochondrial function were closely related to neuronal apoptosis. The results of the study show that apoptosis exists in the hippocampus of rats after recurrent convulsion, which is closely related to the changes in mitochondrial function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In diabetic individuals, macular edema is a major cause of vision loss. This condition is refractory to insulin therapy and has been attributed to metabolic memory. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is central to maintaining fluid balance in the retina, and this function is compromised by the activation of advanced glycation end-product receptors (RAGE). Here we provide evidence that acute administration of the RAGE agonist, glycated-albumin (gAlb) or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), increased histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity in RPE cells. The administration of the class I/II HDAC inhibitor, trichostatin-A (TSA), suppressed gAlb-induced reductions in RPE transepithelial resistance (in vitro) and fluid transport (in vivo). Systemic TSA also restored normal RPE fluid transport in rats with subchronic hyperglycemia. Both gAlb and VEGF increased HDAC activity and reduced acetyl-α-tubulin levels. Tubastatin-A, a relatively specific antagonist of HDAC6, inhibited gAlb-induced changes in RPE cell resistance. These data are consistent with the idea that RPE dysfunction following exposure to gAlb, VEGF, or hyperglycemia is associated with increased HDAC6 activity and decreased acetyl-α-tubulin. Therefore, we propose inhibiting HDAC6 in the RPE as a potential therapy for preserving normal fluid homeostasis in the hyperglycemic retina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In online influence maximization, a learner aims to find a specified number of nodes that have the greatest influence in a network, by iteratively selecting seed nodes (i.e., initially activated nodes) and updating its knowledge of the network via activation feedback. Existing approaches to this problem customarily assume that the structure of the network is known in advance, and focus on how to utilize activation feedback to reveal the features of seed nodes in each iteration, regardless of non-seed nodes which occupy the majority of the node set. In this paper, we present a novel learning framework to carry out online influence maximization in the absence of network structure. In our framework, the underlying influence relationships between nodes are inferred based on activation feedback, and then the influence reachabilities of both seed nodes and non-seed nodes are updated with the latest inferred influence relationships, so that more knowledge about the network can be used to guide the selection of seed nodes in the next iteration. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world networks are conducted, and the results verify the efficacy of our proposed framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mice with inactivation of the Plppr5 gene (Plppr5 −/−) had aggravated hypoxic-ischemic damage and partially weakened neuroprotection of melatonin (a mitochondrial targeted antioxidant), suggesting that abnormal mitochondrial homeostasis contributes to neurological abnormalities in these mice. We examined the hypothesis that Plppr5 inactivation disturbs mitochondrial homeostasis, which may cause long-term adverse consequences on behavior and cognition. We studied the long-term effects of Plppr5 knockout (KO) in both wild-type (WT) and Plppr5 -null mice using a combination of neurobehavior, cognition, and standard cellular glutamate-induced excitotoxicity techniques. The change in mitochondrial membrane potential was determined by detecting MitoTracker Green FM and MitoTracker Red CMXROS with a Gallios flow cytometer. Our results suggest that Plppr5 gene knockout aggravated the impairment of exploratory behavior (open field test) and memory (novel object recognition and passive avoidance tests) in Plppr5 -null mice following juvenile seizures. Furthermore, Plppr5 gene silencing aggravated the decrease in the cell survival rate of HT22 cells treated with glutamate for 24 h and further resulted in a decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels and the ratio of active mitochondria and a parallel increase in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content. Interestingly, silencing the Plppr5 gene alone in vitro is sufficient to reduce the cell survival rate, aggravate oxidative stress damage, reduce the proportion of surviving mitochondria, and upregulate mitophagy activity. In summary, the present data reveal the first direct link between Plppr5 KO and neurobehavioral and cognitive impairment following juvenile seizures and provide a potential mechanistic explanation for the adverse consequences. Given that silencing the Plppr5 gene is sufficient to upregulate mitophagy activity and aggravate oxidative stress neuronal damage, our results suggest that Plppr5 substrates and/or mitophagy-based treatments may provide valuable new targets for the treatment of developmental convulsive brain injury. • Plppr5 gene knockout aggravated the impairment of emotional and cognitive function following juvenile seizures. • Silencing the Plppr5 is sufficient to reduce the proportion of surviving mitochondria, and up-regulate mitophagy activity. • Plppr5 has an important protective effect on neuronal oxidative stress injury and on the developmental convulsive brain injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which investigated the properties of gold adsorption by the mycelial waste. Materials and methods used; Optimum pH value of gold adsorption; Rate of biosorption; Effect of temperature.

To effectively photocatalytic removal of Cr (VI), this work focuses on constructing the inorganic-organic hybridized heterojunction composite photocatalyst of Ag/AgCl/NH 2 -MIL-88B (Fe), where the Ag/AgCl nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of mesoporous NH 2 -MIL-88B (Fe) via a simple photo-assisted reduction method. The formation of the ternary Ag/AgCl/NH 2 -MIL-88B (Fe) composite presented more stable and higher photocatalytic reduction performance for Cr (VI) removal than that of MIL-88B (Fe) photocatalyst. Its photo-reduction rate reached to 85.7%, which was ascribed to its high separation and migration efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes pair. The formed heterojunction structure and surface plasmon resonance effect originated from Ag/AgCl could largely enhance the absorption capacity of visible light, which promotes the excitation of photogenerated electrons, accelerates their transfer, and reduces the recombination rate of electrons and holes. Besides, a possible catalytic mechanism of this reaction is proposed by the photo-induced charge transfer path in the Ag/AgCl/NH 2 -MIL-88B (Fe) inorganic-organic hybridized system. ga1 • Ag/AgCl/NH 2 -MIL-88B (Fe) ternary heterostructure composite was constructed. • Its photocatalytic reduction efficiency for Cr (VI) reached to 85.7%. • The formation of the heterojunction and the SPR effect of Ag/AgCl improved photocatalytic activity effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign epilepsy in childhood with centrotemporal spikes (VBECT) has been associated with electroencephalography (EEG), but the relationship of VBECT with zinc, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and intelligence quotient (IQ) tests is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of VBECT with zinc, MRS, EEG, and IQ tests. In this retrospective study, we selected 58 children with variable benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes as the experimental group. A total of 120 children with typical benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes were selected as the control group. The zinc, MRS, EEG, and IQ test results of 178 children were measured and analyzed. The results showed that the zinc, MRS, and IQ test results of the patients in the experimental group decreased significantly. The spinal slow wave results in the experimental group showed a significant upward trend. Linear correlation analysis of zinc with MRS, EEG, and IQ tests showed that 13 pairs of indicators were significantly negatively correlated. Our results suggest the importance of zinc, MRS, EEG, and IQ during VBECT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death, playing a significant role in cancer. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor. The poor prognosis in GBM due to temozolomide (TMZ) resistance has been widely discussed. Such being the case, the correlation between TMZ resistance and pyroptosis is seldom investigated. On this basis, this paper aims to explore the potential prognostic value of genes related to TMZ resistance and pyroptosis as well as their relationship to the immune microenvironment in GBM. Methods. A total of 103 patients from TCGA were assigned to a training cohort; 190 from CGGA were assigned to a validation cohort. The prognostic risk model reflecting pyroptosis and TMZ resistance was built from the training cohort using multivariate Cox regression and performed validation. RT-qPCR was used to examine the expression of 4 genes from the risk signature. FOXP3 was selected for overexpression and verified using the western blot. The TMZ IC50 of FOXP3-overexpressed cell lines was determined by CCK8. Results. A four genes-based risk signature was established and validated, separating GBM patients into high- and low-risk groups. Compared with the low-risk group, the high-risk group presented worse clinical survival outcomes. Its differential expressed genes were enriched in immune-related pathways and closely related to the immune microenvironment. Moreover, RT-qPCR results suggested that FOXP3, IRF3, and CD274 were significantly upregulated in TMZ-resistant strains, while TP63 was downregulated. FOXP3-overexpressed GBM cell lines had higher TMZ IC50, implying an increased resistance of TMZ. Conclusion. A novel gene signature relevant to pyroptosis and TMZ resistance was constructed and could be used for the prognosis of GBM. The four genes from the risk model might play a potential role in antitumor immunity and serve as therapeutic targets for GBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NiO thin films have been successfully grown directly on the alumina ceramic substrates by electrochemical deposition. • Cu doped NiO thin film sensors exhibited the good selectivity to H 2 S. • The sensor with Ni: Cu molar ratio of 9:1 exhibited the highest response to H 2 S at 140 °C and detection limit of 100 ppb. NiO thin films were grown directly on the Al 2 O 3 substrates by electrochemical deposition. The H 2 S gas sensing properties of the thin films were enhanced by Cu doping. The X-ray diffraction revealed the as-prepared films were NiO crystalline phase. The scanning electron microscope showed the film has 1.87 μm thickness and pores of different sizes, more porous has a higher exposed surface, which can provide more active sites for reaction with the gas. The atomic force microscopy characterization further confirmed the high roughness and porosity of the thin films. Gas sensitivity test displayed that the thin film sensor based on Ni: Cu molar ratio of 9:1 exhibited the highest response and good selectivity to H 2 S at 140 °C. Furthermore, the NiO doped by Cu thin film gas sensor also possesses good stability and low detection limit of 100 ppb. The extraordinary gas sensing properties can be attributed to the lamellar structures with the porous channel and substitution doping of Cu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Electronic structure and grain size of ZnO was tuned by Sn/Ce co-modification to enhance the surface catalytic activity. • The enhanced sensitivity of Sn/Ce co-modified ZnO to TEA at RT is attributed to the synergistic effect of Sn and Ce. • The sensor based on ZSC-3 exhibits the optimum sensing performance with the highest response of 11.5 to 10 ppm TEA. • The ZSC-3 sensor shows fast response/recovery speed to TEA at RT as well as good selectivity, repeatability and stability. Metal elements doping and the construction of heterojunction are commonly effective strategies to achieve the excellent gas sensing performance at room temperature (RT). This work realizes the detection of triethylamine (TEA) at RT under UV light by co-modifying ZnO with Sn and Ce, and the sensor based on ZSC-3 (2 at% Sn/0.7 at% Ce) exhibits optimal sensing properties to TEA with the responses of 11.5, fast response/recovery time of 18 s/137 s to 10 ppm TEA, and a low theoretical detection limit of 46 ppb. In the meantime, the sensor also possesses good selectivity, repeatability, and stability. Furthermore, the mechanism of sensor to TEA is discussed in the work, and the boosting properties are contributed to the synergistic effect of Sn and Ce by the adjustment of grain sizes, oxygen vacancies content, electron concentration, and even the separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many practitioners, such as pilots, frequently face working memory (WM) demands under acute stress environments, while the effect of acute stress on WM has not been conclusively studied because it is moderated by a variety of factors. The current study investigated how acute stress affects pilots' WM under different memory load conditions. There are 42 pilots conducting the experiments, consisting of 21 stress group participants experiencing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and 21 control group participants experiencing the controlled TSST (C-TSST). Subsequently, both groups performed N-back tasks under three memory load conditions (0-back, 1-back, and 2-back). State Anxiety Inventory (S-AI), heart rate (HR), and salivary cortisol concentrations (SCC) were collected to analyze acute stress induction. The results revealed that (1) the TSST could effectively induce acute stress with higher S-AI, HR, and SCC; (2) higher memory load reduces WM accuracy (ACC) and delays response times (RT); (3) acute stress increases WM ACC under moderate load conditions (1-back task). These results suggest that acute stress may not necessarily impair WM and even improve WM performance under certain memory load conditions. Potential mechanisms of acute stress effects on WM and alternative explanations for the modulatory role of memory load consistent with the emotion and motivation regulation theory are discussed. These findings not only provide insight into the field of acute stress and WM but are also beneficial for pilot training and the development of stress management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A MAPbI 3 layer was deposited on a mesoporous TiO 2 layer via electrochemical deposition. • These perovskite layers were made into mesoporous PSCs without annealing. • No high voltage pulse was needed. A uniform CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 layer was successfully deposited on a mesoporous TiO 2 layer (mp-TiO 2) via a two-step low-voltage room-temperature electrochemical deposition method without annealing. The deposited perovskite crystals were applied to cover a surface mp-TiO 2 electron transport material and fill the nanoscale blank of mp-TiO 2. A mesoporous electron transport material and a platinum sheet were used as working and counter electrodes, respectively. The obtained film was then utilized to fabricate a mesoporous hybrid perovskite solar cell (PSC) with the configuration of a fluorine-doped tin oxide/compact TiO 2 /mp-TiO 2 /perovskite/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au electrode. An efficiency of 15% was achieved by adjusting Pb and MAI deposition and by using champion cells with an active area of 2 mm × 2 mm at 1 sun under an AM 1.5 condition. The perovskite layers and PSCs were analyzed through several characterization methods. Results demonstrated that this deposition technology could be applied to easily control the morphological characteristics of perovskite layers. Thus, a high power conversion efficiency was obtained. This study proposed a possible perovskite deposition process and demonstrated that electrochemical deposition could have potential for application in PSC fabrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sliver (Ag) modified zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were successfully obtained with a simplified and environmentally friendly solvothermal method. Materials characterization indicated that the metallic Ag was located on the outside of ZnO nanorods after annealing. In comparison with ZnO nanorods, Ag modified ZnO (Ag–ZnO) nanorods exhibited a considerably enhanced response to C 2 H 2. The response of the 3 at% Ag–ZnO based sensor operating at 175 °C is 539 (R a /R g), which is the highest value among all the sensors in detecting 100 ppm C 2 H 2. The Ag–ZnO based sensors exhibited fast response speed, lower operation temperature and higher selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of graphene-based catalysts in the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR) for mitigating the greenhouse effect and energy shortage is a growing trend. The unique and extraordinary properties of graphene-based catalysts, such as low cost, high electrical conductivity, structural tunability, and environmental friendliness, have rendered them promising materials in this area. By doping heteroatoms or artificially inducing defects in graphene, its catalytic performance can be effectively improved. In this work, the mechanisms underlying the CO2 reduction reaction on 10 graphene-based catalysts were systematically studied. N/B/O-codoped graphene with a single-atom vacancy defect showed the best performance and substantial improvement in catalytic activity compared with pristine graphene. The specific roles of the doped elements, including B, N, and O, as well as the defects, are discussed in detail. By analysing the geometric and electronic structures of the catalysts, we showed how the doped heteroatoms and defects influence the catalytic reaction process and synergistically promoted the catalytic efficiency of graphene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Systemic inflammation occurs commonly during many human disease settings and increases vascular permeability, leading to organ failure, and lethal outcomes. Lipocalin 10 (Lcn10), a poorly characterized member of the lipocalin family, is remarkably altered in the cardiovascular system of human patients with inflammatory conditions. Nonetheless, whether Lcn10 regulates inflammation-induced endothelial permeability remains unknown. Methods and results Systemic inflammation models were induced using mice by injection of endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or caecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery. We observed that the expression of Lcn10 was dynamically altered only in endothelial cells (ECs), but not in either fibroblasts or cardiomyocytes isolated from mouse hearts following the LPS challenge or CLP surgery. Using in vitro gain- and loss-of-function approaches and an in vivo global knockout mouse model, we discovered that Lcn10 negatively regulated endothelial permeability upon inflammatory stimuli. Loss of Lcn10 augmented vascular leakage, leading to severe organ damage and higher mortality following LPS challenge, compared to wild-type controls. By contrast, overexpression of Lcn10 in ECs displayed opposite effects. A mechanistic analysis revealed that both endogenous and exogenous elevation of Lcn10 in ECs could activate slingshot homologue 1 (Ssh1)-Cofilin signalling cascade, a key axis known to control actin filament dynamics. Accordingly, a reduced formation of stress fibre and increased generation of cortical actin band were exhibited in Lcn10-ECs, when compared to controls upon endotoxin insults. Furthermore, we identified that Lcn10 interacted with LDL receptor-related protein 2 (LRP2) in ECs, which acted as an upstream factor of the Ssh1-Confilin signalling. Finally, injection of recombinant Lcn10 protein into endotoxic mice showed therapeutic effects against inflammation-induced vascular leakage. Conclusion This study identifies Lcn10 as a novel regulator of EC function and illustrates a new link in the Lcn10-LRP2-Ssh1 axis to controlling endothelial barrier integrity. Our findings may provide novel strategies for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mulberry-shaped tin oxide (SnO 2 ) hierarchical architectures and samarium oxide (Sm 2 O 3 ) loaded tin oxide with different amounts (0.5, 1, 2.5, and 4 mol% Sm 2 O 3 ) were successfully synthesized by facile hydrothermal synthesis method and simple isometric impregnation method. The gas sensing performance of the sensors based on pure SnO 2 and Sm 2 O 3 loaded SnO 2 materials were systematically investigated. The results indicated that Sm 2 O 3 loading considerably affected the improvement of the sensing performance of the SnO 2 sensor. The 2.5 mol% Sm 2 O 3 /SnO 2 exhibited the highest response (41.14) to 100 ppm acetone, the response was 2.29 times higher than that of pure SnO 2 (18). In addition, with 2.5 mol% Sm 2 O 3 loading, the low detection threshold of the sensor dropped from 500 ppb to 100 ppb. The enhanced gas sensing performance was mainly bacause of the increased oxygen vacancies created by the substitution of samarium in the SnO 2 lattice, which enhanced the adsorption of oxygen and the exceptional catalytic effect of Sm 2 O 3 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death in women, and both occurrence and mortality are increased in women over the age of 60. There are documented age-related changes in the ovarian cancer microenvironment that have been shown to create a permissive metastatic niche, including the formation of advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, that form crosslinks between collagen molecules. Small molecules that disrupt AGEs, known as AGE breakers, have been examined in other diseases, but their efficacy in ovarian cancer has not been evaluated. The goal of this pilot study is to target age-related changes in the tumor microenvironment with the long-term aim of improving response to therapy in older patients. Here, we show that AGE breakers have the potential to change the omental collagen structure and modulate the peritoneal immune landscape, suggesting a potential use for AGE breakers in the treatment of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is known as one of the most important oilseed crops cultivated around the world. However, its production continuously faces a huge challenge of Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR), a destructive disease caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, resulting in huge yield loss annually. The SSR resistance in B. napus is quantitative and controlled by a set of minor genes. Identification of these genes and pyramiding them into a variety are a major strategy for SSR resistance breeding in B. napus. Results: Here, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a natural population of B. napus consisting of 222 accessions to identify BnaA08g25340D (BnMLO2_2) as a candidate gene that regulates the SSR resistance. BnMLO2_2 was a member of seven homolog genes of Arabidopsis Mildew Locus O 2 (MLO2) and the significantly SNPs were mainly distributed in the promoter of BnMLO2_2, suggesting a role of BnMLO2_2 expression level in the regulation of SSR resistance. We expressed BnMLO2_2 in Arabidopsis and the transgenic plants displayed an enhanced SSR resistance. Transcriptome profiling of different tissues of B. napus revealed that BnMLO2_2 had the most expression level in leaf and silique tissues among all the 7 BnMLO2 members and also expressed higher in the SSR resistant accession than in the susceptible accession. In Arabidopsis, mlo2 plants displayed reduced resistance to SSR, whereas overexpression of MLO2 conferred plants an enhanced SSR resistance. Moreover, a higher expression level of MLO2 showed a stronger SSR resistance in the transgenic plants. The regulation of MLO2 in SSR resistance may be associated with the cell death. Collinearity and phylogenetic analysis revealed a large expansion of MLO family in Brassica crops. Conclusion: Our study revealed an important role of BnMLO2 in the regulation of SSR resistance and provided a new gene candidate for future improvement of SSR resistance in B. napus and also new insights into understanding of MLO family evolution in Brassica crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the help of a stochastic bounded real lemma, we deal with finite horizon H2/H∞ control problem for discrete-time MJLS, whose Markov chain takes values in an infinite set. Besides, a unified control design for H2, H∞, and H2/H∞ is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a magnetoelectric nanocomposite, LiNbO3-CoFe2O4 (LNO-CFO), consisting of rhombohedral R3c LNO and R3m CFO phases. It is characterized by a maximum inverse magnetoelectric coefficient of 6.5 Oe cm·V-1 measured in a 106 V/m electric field, and a magnetic field dependent Vogel-Fulcher-like relaxation characterized by a relaxation time τ=τ0exp(-ΔH/k(Tm-TvfH)), τ0=29.66 s, ΔH=1.06 eV, TvfH represents the magnetic field-dependent Vogel-Fulcher temperature. The activation energy equals the activation energy of oxygen vacancy diffusion in niobate-based crystals. The room temperature electric field-induced magnetization change relaxes as τ=18.05 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osimertinib-based therapy effectively improves the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations. However, patients will have cancer progression after approximately one year due to the occurrence of drug resistance. Extensive evidence has revealed that lipid metabolism and tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) are associated with drug resistance, which deserves further exploration. Methods: An osimertinib resistance index (ORi) was built to investigate the link between lipid metabolism and osimertinib resistance. The ORi was constructed and validated using TCGA and GEO data, and the relationship between ORi and immune infiltration was discussed. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis based on the M2/M1 macrophage ratio determined the hub gene TIAM2 and the biological function of TIAM2 in LUAD was verified in vitro. Results: ORi based on nine lipid metabolism-related genes was successfully constructed, which could accurately reflect the resistance of LUAD patients to osimertinib, predict the prognosis, and correlate with M2-like TAM. Additionally, TIAM2 was found to increase osimertinib tolerance, enhance cell motility, and promote M2-like TAM polarization in LUAD. Conclusions: The lipid metabolism gene is strongly connected with osimertinib resistance. TIAM2 contributes to osimertinib resistance, enhances cell motility, and induces M2-like TAM polarization in LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During tumor progression, epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which influences metastatic success. Mutation-dependent activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been implicated in gain of mesenchymal phenotype and loss of differentiation in several solid tumors; however, similar mutations are rare in most EOC histotypes. Nevertheless, evidence for activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling in EOC has been reported, and immunohistochemical analysis of human EOC tumors demonstrates nuclear staining in all histotypes. This study addresses the hypothesis that the bioactive lipid lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), prevalent in the EOC microenvironment, functions to regulate EMT in EOC. Our results demonstrate that LPA induces loss of junctional β-catenin, stimulates clustering of β1 integrins, and enhances the conformationally active population of surface β1 integrins. Furthermore, LPA treatment initiates nuclear translocation of β-catenin and transcriptional activation of Wnt/β-catenin target genes resulting in gain of mesenchymal marker expression. Together these data suggest that LPA initiates EMT in ovarian tumors through β1-integrin-dependent activation of Wnt/β- catenin signaling, providing a novel mechanism for mutationindependent activation of this pathway in EOC progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a major cause of visual impairment. Although DME is generally believed to be a microvascular disease, dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) can also contribute to its development. Advanced glycation end-products (AGE) are thought to be one of the key factors involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes in the eye, and we have previously demonstrated a rapid breakdown of RPE function following glycated-albumin (Glyc-alb, a common AGE mimetic) administration in monolayer cultures of fetal human RPE cells. Here we present new evidence that this response is attributed to apically oriented AGE receptors (RAGE). Moreover, time-lapse optical coherence tomography in Dutch-belted rabbits 48 h post intravitreal Glyc-alb injections demonstrated a significant decrease in RPE-mediated fluid resorption in vivo . In both the animal and tissue culture models, the response to Glyc-alb was blocked by the relatively selective RAGE antagonist, FPS-ZM1 and was also inhibited by ZM323881, a relatively selective vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGF-R2) antagonist. Our data establish that the Glyc-alb-induced breakdown of RPE function is mediated via specific RAGE and VEGF-R2 signaling both in vitro and in vivo . These results are consistent with the notion that the RPE is a key player in the pathogenesis of DME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plants, phloem is not only a vital structure that is used for nutrient transportation, but it is also the location of a response that defends against various stresses, named phloem-based defense (PBD). Phloem proteins (PP2s) are among the predominant proteins in phloem, indicating their potential functional role in PBD. Sclerotinia disease (SD), which is caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen S. sclerotiorum (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), is a devastating disease that affects oil crops, especially Brassica napus (B. napus), mainly by blocking nutrition and water transportation through xylem and phloem. Presently, the role of PP2s in SD resistance is still largely estimated. Therefore, in this study, we identified 62 members of the PP2 gene family in the B. napus genome with an uneven distribution across the 19 chromosomes. A phylogenetic analysis classified the BnPP2s into four clusters (I–IV), with cluster I containing the most members (28 genes) as a consequence of its frequent genome segmental duplication. A comparison of the gene structures and conserved motifs suggested that BnPP2 genes were well conserved in clusters II to IV, but were variable in cluster I. Interestingly, the motifs in different clusters displayed unique features, such as motif 6 specifically existing in cluster III and motif 1 being excluded from cluster IV. These results indicated the possible functional specification of BnPP2s. A transcriptome data analysis showed that the genes in clusters II to IV exhibited dynamic expression alternation in tissues and the stimulation of S. sclerotiorum, suggesting that they could participate in SD resistance. A GWAS analysis of a rapeseed population comprising 324 accessions identified four BnPP2 genes that were potentially responsible for SD resistance and a transgenic study that was conducted by transiently expressing BnPP2-6 in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves validated their positive role in regulating SD resistance in terms of reduced lesion size after inoculation with S. sclerotiorum hyphal plugs. This study provides useful information on PP2 gene functions in B. napus and could aid elaborated functional studies on the PP2 gene family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is diagnosed in 640,000 patients yearly with a poor (50%) 5-year survival rate that has not changed appreciably in decades. Paitents and Methods: To investigate molecular changes that drive OSCC progression, cDNA microarray analysis was performed using human OSCC cells that form aggressive poorly differentiated tumors (SCC25-PD) in a murine orthotopic xenograft model compared to cells that produce well-differentiated tumors (SCC25-WD). Results: As this analysis revealed that 59 upregulated genes were NF-κB target genes, the role of NF-κB activation in alteration of the transcriptional profile was evaluated. The mRNA and protein upregulation of a panel NF-κB target genes was validated by real-time qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, nuclear translocation of RelA was greatly increased in SCC25-PD, increased nuclear RelA was observed in oral tumors initiated with SCC25-PD compared with tumors initiated by SCC25-WD, and nuclear RelA correlated with stage of disease on two human OSCC tissue microarrays. Treatment of SCC25-PD cells with the IKKβ-inhibitor sc-514, that effectively prevents RelA phosphorylation on Ser 536, reversed nuclear-translocation of RelA and strongly inhibited NF-κB gene activation. Furthermore, blocking the phosphorylation of RelA using the MSK1/2 inhibitor SB 747651A significantly reduced the mRNA upregulation of a subset of target genes. Treatment with sc-514 or SB747651A markedly diminished cellular invasiveness. Conclusions: These studies support a model wherein NF-κB is constitutively active in aggressive OSCC, while blocking the NF-κB pathway reduces NF-κB target gene upregulation and cellular invasiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triethylamine is a vital chemical raw material, but its leakage will pollute the environment and harm human health. It is particularly important to achieve detection of triethylamine. Here, PdRu nanoparticles, ZnO long-grained nanoparticles and C 3 N 4 were prepared for the identification of low concentrations of triethylamine. The response value of the sensor based on PdO-Ru/ZnO-C 3 N 4 1 to 20 ppm triethylamine was 96 at 220 °C. Furthermore, the lowest detection amount of it was as low as 50 ppb. And the time for rapid detection of 20 ppm triethylamine was shown to be 1 s. Besides, a circuit was designed to detect triethylamine in real time and raise the alarm when the concentration of triethylamine exceeded a threshold. The catalytic ability of PdRu nanoparticles and the formation of n-n heterojunction between ZnO and C 3 N 4 were conducive to enhancing the sensing performance. This work provides a way for monitoring of triethylamine and timely warning in chemical plants. [Display omitted] • PdO-Ru/ZnO-C 3 N 4 1 showed a high response (R a /R g = 96) to 20 ppm triethylamine at 220 °C. • The sensor had a short response time of 1 s • The lowest detection amount of PdO-Ru/ZnO-C 3 N 4 1 was as low as 50 ppb. • A circuit was designed to detect triethylamine in real time and could raise the alarm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetallic nanocrystals (NCs) have received a lot of attention due to its excellent catalytic performance. Here, PtRu NCs were successfully synthesized by ethylene glycol and used to modify flower-like WO 3 which was prepared via a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology and structure of the as-synthesized materials were characterized, and the performance of the gas sensor based on PtRu NCs decorated WO 3 was carefully studied. The gas sensing investigation showed that there was a significant improvement in response after PtRu NCs being introduced. Among all samples, the WO 3 sample modified with 0.4 wt% PtRu NCs showed the highest response to xylene at 170 °C (Ra/Rg = 261), which is almost 75 times than that of pristine WO 3. In addition, it also presented fast response speed (2 s), good selectivity to xylene and excellent repeatability. The possible sensitization mechanism was proposed, the improvement of sensing performance could be ascribed to the high catalytic activity of PtRu NCs, and the regulation of depletion layer by Schottky barrier and heterojunction at the contact interface between WO 3 and PtRu NCs. This work can be promising for rapid detection of xylene for environmental protection at low temperature. [Display omitted] • PtRu alloy were successfully synthesized by ethylene glycol reduction and used to functionalize flower-like WO 3. • WO 3 loaded with 0.4 wt% PtRu exhibits excellent sensing properties towards 100 ppm xylene (Ra/Rg = 261, t res = 2 s). • The sensor has a low working temperature of 170 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous metal oxides have been reported as promising semiconductor gas sensing materials, showing great potential in detecting volatile organic compound (VOC) pollutants in the air. Here, we present the use of mesoporous Ru doped SnO 2 oxide semiconductor, derived from a bimetallic organic framework (MOF), as a composite material for high-performance TEA gas sensing. Mesoporous structure of bimetallic MOF-derived composites synthesised using a one-step method, has a high porosity and large specific surface area (69.48 m2 g−1), which can enhance the number of sensing reaction sites and improve its capturing ability for the target gas. Moreover, the in-situ substitution of Ru3+ ions for Sn4+ ions can adjust the carrier concentration. Therefore, the synthesized mesoporous 0.4 mol% Ru-SnMOF@SnO 2 exhibits high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, fast response kinetics, and good long-term stability for TEA sensing at 250 °C. Exceptionally, there is still an impressive response (S = 125.5–100 ppm) to triethylamine at 80 % RH. The relative humidity was set at 25 °C. [Display omitted] • 0.4 mol% Ru-SnMOF@ SnO 2 at 250 °C, still showed high response to 100 ppm triethylamine at 80 % RH (R a /R g = 125.5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luminescent materials encapsulated into zeolite imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) as fluorescent probes are widely applied to detect the various analytes. Notably, these analytes react with Zn2+ through the coordination, oxidation, or acidification of 2-methylimidazole (2-MIM) to cause the degradation of ZIF-8 shell, which enormously constraints the improvement of the sensor sensitivity and selectivity. Herein, we have rationally designed the new way to collapse the shell of ZIF-8 entrapped with copper nanoclusters (CuNCs@ZIF-8) triggered by p-benzoquinone. It is worth noting that p-benzoquinone reactions with 2-MIM through hydrogen bonding interaction. As a proof-of-concept, a sensitive method for the detection of hydroquinone (HQ) is developed based on the degradation of CuNCs@ZIF-8 because HQ is easily oxidized to p-benzoquinone. The limit of detection (LOD) is estimated as low as 76 nM. Importantly, this method is highly selective for HQ over other dihydroxybenzene isomers. Inspired by the generation of HQ from hydrolysis of α-arbutin as a substrate for α-glucosidase (α-Glu), we have further proposed a straightforward α-Glu activity assay. LOD is down to 0.003 U/mL, which is lower than most of other α-Glu activity assays. Moreover, the inhibition effect of acarbose and three kinds of natural flavonoids including baicalein, silibinin, and apigenin on α-Glu activity is measured with IC 50 values of 37, 155, 1940, and 2930 nM, respectively. The synergistic and antagonistic inhibition effect of α-Glu activity is also evaluated by binary combination with three types of flavonoids. This approach provides a promising strategy in clinical diagnosis and anti-diabetic drug screening. [Display omitted] • A novel strategy is designed to decompose CuNCs@ZIF-8 shell induced by p-benzoquinone. • LOD is as low as 76 nM and 0.003 U/mL for hydroquinone and α-glucosidase activity, respectively. • This system is not only applied to detect IC 50 value for many inhibitors but also inhibitory effect of binary mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triethylamine (TEA) is a significant compound, but it is toxic and flammable. Since the humidity in the environment is constantly changing, it is meaningful to develop a sensor that can detect TEA efficiently and is less disturbed by humidity. Here, Pd nanoparticles with a small particle size (about 4 nm) were prepared by reduction method and dispersed on Co-MOF (ZIF-67). Pd@ZIF-67-derived trace PdO and Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles were evenly decorated on SnO 2 nanofibers by electrospinning and calcination. The ratios of PdO to SnO 2 in PdO-Co 3 O 4 -SnO 2 were 0.012 wt% and 0.048 wt%, respectively. The response of the sensor based on 0.012 wt% PdO-Co 3 O 4 -SnO 2 to 20 ppm TEA was 14 at 240 °C. The response time was 3 s and the lowest concentration actually detected was 1 ppm. The synergistic effects of oxygen vacancy, p-n junction, electron sensitization of PdO and morphology of composite improved sensing performance. In addition, due to the inhibition of hydroxyl poisoning by PdO and the oxidation assisting effect of Co 3 O 4 , the composite had excellent humidity resistance. [Display omitted] • Pd nanoparticles with a small particle size (about 4 nm) were dispersed on Co-MOF (ZIF-67). • Trace PdO (0.012 wt%) and Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles were evenly decorated on SnO 2 nanofibers. • The composite had excellent humidity resistance. • The sensor had a short response time of 3 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nitrogen atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) was applied to induce DNA damage of SCC-25 oral cancer cells. Optical emission spectra were taken to characterize the reactive species produced in APPJ. In order to explore the spatial distribution of plasma effects, cells were placed onto photo-etched grid slides and the antibody H2A.X was used to locate double strand breaks of DNA inside nuclei using an immunofluorescence assay. The number of cells with double strand breaks in DNA was observed to be varied due to the distance from the irradiation center and duration of plasma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Bisphosphonates (BPs) like Zometa (ZA) are widely used to treat complications of bony metastases in cancer patients. A serious adverse event occurs in 1–12% of patients on BP therapy, osteonecrosis of the jaw (BPONJ). BPONJ develops after oral trauma and is manifested by poor wound healing and soft-tissue breakdown followed by exposure and necrosis of intra-oral bone. Currently, there is no effective clinical treatment for BPONJ. Design: We evaluated the effect of ZA on the proliferation, apoptosis and migratory capacity of the cell lines CRL-7408, an oral fibroblast culture and OKF/6, an oral epithelial cell line. Results: In both oral epithelium and fibroblasts, ZA exposure inhibited proliferation and elevated apoptosis; however oral fibroblasts were differentially influenced versus oral epithelial cells. In oral fibroblasts, ZA treatment significantly inhibited motility. Further, quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated that ZA treatment of oral fibroblasts inhibits expression of both the COL1A1 and COL1A2 chains of type-I collagen, consistent with a loss of collagen immunofluorescent staining. Conclusions: These data support a model wherein ZA treatment impedes oral wound healing by blocking the growth and migratory capacity of oral fibroblasts as well as downregulating the transcription of type-I collagen, functions necessary to deposit the granulation tissue needed for re-epithelization. Therefore, BP released from bone following tooth extraction may delay wound healing of the oral mucosal barrier and contribute to BPONJ pathogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A new mechanism of Si element improving the oxidation resistance of Ti-based materials was revealed via short-term oxidation process. • Si element was beneficial for increasing the activation energy of oxidizing and decreasing the oxidation rate of composites. • The oxidation resistance of (Ti 5 Si 3 + TiC)/Ti6Al4V composites was increased with the increase of dissolved Si element content. Initial oxidation behaviors of (Ti 5 Si 3 + TiC)/Ti6Al4V composites were investigated using the simultaneous thermal analyzer in air for 2 h at 700 °C, 750 °C and 800 °C, respectively. Composites had a higher effective activation energy of oxidizing and lower oxidation rate than Ti6Al4V alloy, revealing that the composites possessed the higher oxidation resistance. The improvement of oxidation resistance of composites derived from the dissolved Si element in matrix and was strengthened with the content of dissolved Si increasing. Ti 5 Si 3 and TiC particles showed a minor influence on the oxidation behaviors of composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epilepsy is the most common childhood neurologic disorder. Status epilepticus (SE), which refers to continuous epileptic seizures, occurs more frequently in children than in adults, and approximately 40–50% of all cases occur in children under 2 years of age. Conventional antiepileptic drugs currently used in clinical practice have a number of adverse side effects. Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) can progressively develop in children with persistent SE, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic drugs. During SE, the persistent activation of neurons leads to decreased glutamate clearance with corresponding glutamate accumulation in the synaptic extracellular space, increasing the chance of neuronal excitotoxicity. Our previous study demonstrated that after developmental seizures in rats, E-64d exerts a neuroprotective effect on the seizure-induced brain damage by modulating lipid metabolism enzymes, especially ApoE and ApoJ/clusterin. In this study, we investigated the impact and mechanisms of E-64d administration on neuronal excitotoxicity. To test our hypothesis that E-64d confers neuroprotective effects by regulating autophagy and mitochondrial pathway activity, we simulated neuronal excitotoxicity in vitro using an immortalized hippocampal neuron cell line (HT22). We found that E-64d improved cell viability while reducing oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis. In addition, E-64d treatment regulated mitochondrial pathway activity and inhibited chaperone-mediated autophagy in HT22 cells. Our findings indicate that E-64d may alleviate glutamate-induced damage via regulation of mitochondrial fission and apoptosis, as well as inhibition of chaperone-mediated autophagy. Thus, E-64d may be a promising therapeutic treatment for hippocampal injury associated with SE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GTPase-activating protein (GAP) is a negative regulator of GTPase protein that is thought to promote the conversion of the active GTPase-GTP form to the GTPase-GDP form. Based on its ability to regulate GTPase proteins and other domains, GAPs are directly or indirectly involved in various cell requirement processes. We reviewed the existing evidence of GAPs regulating regulated cell death (RCD), mainly apoptosis and autophagy, as well as some novel RCDs, with particular attention to their association in diseases, especially cancer. We also considered that GAPs could affect tumor immunity and attempted to link GAPs, RCD and tumor immunity. A deeper understanding of the GAPs for regulating these processes could lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets to avoid pathologic cell loss or to mediate cancer cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), also known as 22q13.3 deletion syndrome, is a rare neurodevelopmental syndrome resulting from a deletion of the distal long arm of chromosome 22. Case presentation: We report a case of a 21 months old Chinese girl presenting with global developmental delay, regression of language skills, unable to understand a few words or walk independently, insomnia, and autism-like behaviors. Copy number variation (CNV) analysis showed a heterozygous loss of SHANK3 gene in the 22q13 region, consistent with a diagnosis of PMS. After treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), this patient had an improvement in motor skills and social behaviors. No side effects from rhGH therapy were reported. Conclusions: This is the first report of using rhGH to treat a Chinese girl diagnosed with PMS. We speculate rhGH could be a reasonable alternative choice for PMS treatment with similar clinical outcomes in comparison to insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1). However, further clinical trials are needed to confirm this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]