Search

This study examines the Jesuits' significant contributions to China's modernization through their involvement in textbook publication. It analyzes a recently discovered historical Catalogus of 1934 written in Latin to uncover insights. Specifically, it explores how the Jesuit T'ou-sè-wè Press in Shanghai responded to changes in education, society, and the interplay of religious and political forces. By investigating the Jesuits' strategic adaptations in their educational and cultural pursuits, revised compilation and publishing methods, and proactive engagement with the dynamic environment, this study aims to provide a deeper understanding of their approach. Additionally, it investigates the nuanced accommodation strategies employed by the T'ou-sè-wè Press to navigate the complex challenges of the era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Object. L6 cells were cultured to explore the possible mechanism underlying the improvement of insulin resistance by Liraglutide (LR). Methods. Cells were divided into 5 groups—control, high-fat, 10 nmol/L LR + 0.6 mmol/L palmitic acid (PA) (10LR), 100 nmol/L LR + 0.6 mmol/L PA (100LR), and 1000 nmol/L LR + 0.6 mmol/L PA (1000LR). CCK-8 method to detect cell viability, GPO-PAP enzymatic method to detect intracellular triglyceride content, and reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting methods to detect fatty acid translocase CD36 (FAT/CD36) and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) in L6 cells, glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) expression at the mRNA and protein levels, respectively, were performed. Results. We found that after PA intervention for 24 h, the cell viability decreased significantly; the cell viability of the LR group was higher than that of the high-fat group (P < 0.01). After PA intervention, compared with those in the high-fat group, GRP-78, FAT/CD36, FABP4 mRNA ((4.36 ± 0.32 vs. 8.15 ± 0.35); (1.00 ± 0.04 vs. 2.46 ± 0.08); (2.88 ± 0.55 vs. 8.29 ± 0.52), P < 0.01) and protein ((3338.13 ± 333.15 vs. 4963.98 ± 277.29); (1978.85 ± 124.24 vs. 2676.07 ± 100.64); (3372.00 ± 219.84 vs. 6083.20 ± 284.70), both P < 0.01) expression decreased in the LR group. The expression levels of GLUT4 mRNA ((0.75 ± 0.04 vs. 0.34 ± 0.03), P < 0.01) and protein ((3443.71 ± 191.89 vs. 2137.79 ± 118.75), P < 0.01) increased. Conclusion. Therefore, we conclude that LR can reverse PA-induced cell inactivation and lipid deposition, which may be related to the change in GRP-78, FAT/CD36, FABP4, GLUT4, and other factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the sixteenth century onwards, the Jesuit educational model, as well as the method of evangelization propounded by the same religious Order, have been relying on the mastery of certain rhetorical techniques and, notably, in strong linguistic competency. This contribution examines how the Jesuits in modern Shanghai understood and put into application their traditional focus on rhetoric in the semi-colonial context of the time. After having recalled how Jesuits engaged with Chinese language and discourse in the Ming and early Qing dynasties, we take the 1923 Catalogue of the Jesuit publications in the missionary enclave of Zi-ka-wei as a reference point so as to describe and assess a number of trends that we summarize as follows. A privileged relationship was maintained between Latin and ancient Chinese and a growing interest in the "margins" and the way to address them efficiently triggered a renewal of ethnographic and linguistic studies; specifically, the expertise developed in dialectology testifies to the change that was occurring in the way to rhetorically address hearts and minds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel approach is proposed, combining pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes, to enhance the recovery of Fe and Al while effectively breaking down the mineral composition of red mud. The study delves into the roasting reduction behavior and conversion mechanism of red mud, utilizing thermodynamic analysis and conducting roasting experiments. Extensive investigations were conducted to analyze the impact of roasting temperature and time on the carbothermal reduction of red mud. The results indicate that the most favorable leaching effect of iron and aluminum from red mud was achieved after roasting at 1000 °C for 45 min. The behavior of roasted red mud during acid leaching was meticulously explored. During the roasting process, the majority of hematite in the red mud underwent reduction to wustite (FeO) and zero-valent iron, while the aluminum-bearing minerals melted and decomposed to form NaAlSiO 4 and Ca 2 Al 2 SiO 7 , along with other substances. The formation of low-valent and independently present iron products played a role in achieving high Fe leaching efficiency. The presence of Ca and Al-containing compounds such as Ca 2 Al 2 SiO 7 in the product of roasting proved difficult to leach, leading to poor Al leaching efficiency. The acid leaching process exhibited promising results, with maximum leaching efficiency of iron and aluminum reaching 95.7% and 72.5%, respectively. This success can be attributed to the control over experimental conditions, which allowed for the generation of desired iron oxides with various valence states. • A controlled reduction process for red mud roasting is proposed. • The recovery of iron from red mud exceeded 95%. • The directions of physical phase changes and valence transformations of iron and aluminum during roasting were traced. • A definite direction was given for the subsequent improvement of the process of aluminum recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large amounts of xanthate wastewater generated from mineral beneficiation significantly threaten the ecological environment. MOF photocatalysis is considered as a promising method for the removal of xanthate that is environmentally friendly and has high efficiency. However, the defects in MOFs limit their large-scale application due to poor visible light absorption efficiency and stability in water. In this study, a novel composite material composed of g-C 3 N 4 /AgCl/Ti-MOFs was prepared, and the catalytic degradation effect of butyl xanthate solution under different catalyst ratios and reaction conditions was investigated. The results showed that the composite could still maintain excellent catalytic performance (degradation rate of 99.5% within 90 min) under xenon light and low dosage. The characterization results showed that this excellent photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the following three points: 1) The material could absorb up to 670 nm visible light absorption capacity; 2) excellent stability was achieved (86% degradation efficiency after six cycles); and 3) the Schottky junctions formed by Ag0 and other materials in the composite increased the transfer rate of e−/h+. The possible photodegradation mechanism was proposed according to UV–vis DRS and trapping experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dysregulated transcripts of irradiated human skin keratinocytes were identified by Microarray-based expression profiling. • These dysregulated transcripts were implicated in multiple pathways including type I interferon-mediated pathways. • Interferon α inducible protein 6 (IFI6) is induced by radiation in human skin cells and confers radio protection. • IFI6 is translocated into nucleus and regulating the transcriptional activity of HSF1. 5. A certain amount of potential HSF1-targeted genes upregulated by IFI6 overexpression post radiation is involved. Radiation-induced skin injury is one of the main adverse effects and a dose-limiting factor of radiotherapy without feasible treatment. The underlying mechanism of this disease is still limited. To investigate the potential molecular pathways and mechanisms of radiation-induced skin injury. mRNA expression profiles were determined by Affymetrix Human HTA2.0 microarray. IFI6 overexpression and knockdown were mediated by lentivirus. The functional changes of skin cells were measured by flow cytometry, ROS probe and Edu probe. Protein distribution was detected by immunofluorescence experiment, and IFI6-interacting proteins were detected by immunoprecipitation (IP) combined with mass spectrometry. The global gene changes in IFI6-overexpressed skin cells after irradiation were detected by RNA-seq. mRNA expression profiling showed 50 upregulated and 13 down regulated genes and interferon alpha inducible protein 6 (IFI6) was top upregulated. Overexpression of IFI6 promoted cell proliferation and reduced cell apoptosis as well as ROS production following radiation, and conversely, increased the radiosensitivity of HaCaT and human skin fibroblast (WS1). IFI6 was translocated into nucleus in irradiated skin cells and the interacting relationship with mitochondrial single-stranded DNA-binding protein 1 (SSBP1), which could enhance the transcriptional activity of heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1). IFI6 augmented HSF1 activity following radiation in HaCaT and WS1 cells. RNA-seq analysis showed IFI6 modulated virus infection and cellular response to stress pathways, which may help to further explore how IFI6 regulate the transcriptional activity of HSF1. This study reveals that IFI6 is induced by ionizing radiation and confers radioprotection in skin cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been demonstrated that reactivation of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), the remnants of ancient retroviral infection, participate in various physiological and pathological conditions. Liu et al. recently showed us very interesting findings that aberrant expression of ERVs, induced by epigenetic alterations, accelerates cellular senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colonoscopy is one of the main methods to detect colon polyps, and its detection is widely used to prevent and diagnose colon cancer. With the rapid development of computer vision, deep learning-based semantic segmentation methods for colon polyps have been widely researched. However, the accuracy and stability of some methods in colon polyp segmentation tasks show potential for further improvement. In addition, the issue of selecting appropriate sub-models in ensemble learning for the colon polyp segmentation task still needs to be explored. In order to solve the above problems, we first implement the utilization of multi-complementary high-level semantic features through the Multi-Head Control Ensemble. Then, to solve the sub-model selection problem in training, we propose SDBH-PSO Ensemble for sub-model selection and optimization of ensemble weights for different datasets. The experiments were conducted on the public datasets CVC-ClinicDB, Kvasir, CVC-ColonDB, ETIS-LaribPolypDB and PolypGen. The results show that the DET-Former, constructed based on the Multi-Head Control Ensemble and the SDBH-PSO Ensemble, consistently provides improved accuracy across different datasets. Among them, the Multi-Head Control Ensemble demonstrated superior feature fusion capability in the experiments, and the SDBH-PSO Ensemble demonstrated excellent sub-model selection capability. The sub-model selection capabilities of the SDBH-PSO Ensemble will continue to have significant reference value and practical utility as deep learning networks evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pitaya is rich in nutrition and unique in function and contains vegetable albumin, anthocyanins, rich vitamins, and water soluble dietary fiber, which are rare in fruits and vegetables. However, researches mostly focused on pitaya cultivation, biological characteristics, fresh‐keeping, and lacked analyses about chemical composition of pitaya. Therefore, ethanol extraction and GC/MS were used to extract and identify the bioactive components in pulp and pericarp of red pitaya and white pitaya. The extracting results showed that percentages of ethanol extracts from pulp and pericarp of red pitaya were 14.5% and 12%, whereas those of white pitaya were 16% and 12%. The GC/MS results showed that different kinds of bioactive constituents were identified in fresh pericarp and pulp of red pitaya and white pitaya. In the four ethanol extracts, there are rich polysiloxane plant organosilicon with total contents of 10.09%, 24.21%, 25.77%, and 23.25%. Meanwhile, there are many heterocyclic substances, and the content of pericarp is much higher than that of pulp. The four ethanol extracts also contain some other bioactive ingredients, such as esters, hydrocarbons, alcohols, amides, halides, and fatty acids, which can be used as raw materials for biomedicine, advanced cosmetics, and skin care products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs are a class of endogenous noncoding RNAs that play an important role in gene regulation. These RNAs are involved in the development and progression of various cancers, but their roles in gastric cancer have not yet been thoroughly elucidated. This study showed that hsa_circ_0000467 expression was higher in gastric cancer tissues than in corresponding adjacent tissues (P < 0.050) and that hsa_circ_0000467 expression levels were correlated with gastric cancer histological grade (P < 0.050). In addition, hsa_circ_0000467 was remarkably upregulated in gastric cancer cell lines (P < 0.001). Cell function experiments indicated that hsa_circ_0000467 downregulation decreased the proliferation and invasion ability of BGC-823 and SGC-7901 cells and the number of cells entering the G2/M phase. A direct binding interaction was detected between hsa_circ_0000467 and miR-326-3p by dual-luciferase reporter assays. In addition, the results showed that inhibition of miR-326-3p reversed the decreases in the proliferation and invasion of BGC-823 and SGC-7901 cells caused by hsa_circ_0000647 downregulation. Inhibition of miR-326-3p also decreased the number of cells entering the G2/M phase and the expression of cyclin D1. In conclusion, hsa_circ_0000467 plays a regulatory role in the development and progression of gastric cancer by regulating miR-326-3p, and this circRNA may be a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Radiation modulates the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes and decreases skin fat mass with altered lipid metabolite profiles. • Increased skin adipose mass induced by a high-fat diet confers resistance against radiogenic skin injury. • Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) from skin adipocytes could be incorporated into skin cells and promote DNA damage repair. Radiation-induced skin injury is a serious concern during radiotherapy and radiation accidents. Skin fat represents the dominant architectural component of the human skin. However, the interplay between skin fat and the progression of radiation-induced skin injury remains largely unexplored. This study aims to elucidate the interplay between skin fat and the progression of radiation-induced skin injury. SD rats were irradiated with an electron beam. mRNA profiles were determined by RNA-Seq. The skin lipid mass was monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and lipid profiles were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS). Human mature adipocytes isolated from dermal and subcutaneous white adipose tissues (WATs) were co-cultured with human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and skin fibroblasts (WS1) in the transwell culture system. Cell migration ability was measured by migration assay. Radiation modulated cutaneous lipid metabolism by downregulating multiple pathways. Moreover, radiation decreased skin fat mass with altered lipid metabolite profiles. The rats fed with a high-fat diet showed resistance to radiogenic skin injury compared with that with a control diet, indicating that skin lipid plays a radioprotective role. Mature adipocytes promoted the migration but not the proliferation of co-cultured skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Palmitic acid, the most abundant fatty acid in skin tissues, facilitated the migration of WS1 cells. Moreover, fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) could be incorporated into skin cells and promote DNA damage repair in irradiated skin fibroblasts. Radiation induces cutaneous lipid remolding, and skin adipocytes confer a protective role against radiation-induced skin injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiogenic skin injury (RSI) is a common complication during cancer radiotherapy or accidental exposure to radiation. The aim of this study is to investigate the metabolism of bile acids (BAs) and their derivatives during RSI. Rat skin tissues were irradiated by an X-ray linear accelerator. The quantification of BAs and their derivatives were performed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS)-based quantitative analysis. Key enzymes in BA biosynthesis were analyzed from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) data of RSI in the human patient and animal models. The in vivo radioprotective effect of deoxycholic acid (DCA) was detected in irradiated SD rats. Twelve BA metabolites showed significant differences during the progression of RSI. Among them, the levels of cholic acid (CA), DCA, muricholic acid (MCA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), glycocholic acid (GCA), glycohyodeoxycholic acid (GHCA), 12-ketolithocholic acid (12-ketoLCA) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) were significantly elevated in irradiated skin, whereas lithocholic acid (LCA), tauro-β-muricholic acid (Tβ-MCA) and taurocholic acid (TCA) were significantly decreased. Additionally, the results of scRNA-Seq indicated that genes involved in 7a-hydroxylation process, the first step in BA synthesis, showed pronounced alterations in skin fibroblasts or keratinocytes. The alternative pathway of BA synthesis is more actively altered than the classical pathway after ionizing radiation. In the model of rat radiogenic skin damage, DCA promoted wound healing and attenuated epidermal hyperplasia. Ionizing radiation modulates the metabolism of BAs. DCA is a prospective therapeutic agent for the treatment of RSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bentonite is an important clay for preparation of adsorbents for potential treatment of industrial effluents. However, due to its natural occurrence as fine particles and swelling after moisture absorption, bentonite is difficult to be separated from the liquid for regeneration purpose, which limits its application in effluent treatment. In this study, two different bentonite-polypropylene composites were synthesized, i.e., with and without pore-enlarging treatment. They both showed strong ability to resist hydraulic agitation damage with a small breakage rate in water. The obtained results from SEM and XRD characterization revealed that the compounding of bentonite with the polypropylene was a physical process, and the structural characteristics of bentonite particles were maintained in the new products. The granular composite adsorbents were effective in removing Pb 2+ in aqueous solution. The suggested pore-enlarging treatment was verified as a successful operation to increase greatly the adsorption rate of contaminants on the granular bentonite composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a switchable metamaterial absorber (MMA) for bandwidth tunable broadband and four-band absorption in the terahertz (THz) band based on the phase-transition characteristics of vanadium dioxide (VO2). The proposed MMA can achieve over 90% broadband absorption in the 3.06–7.61, 3.18–8.91, and 2.78–9.22 THz ranges when the conductivity of VO2 is 3 × 1 0 5 , 3 × 1 0 4 , and 2 × 1 0 4 S m − 1 , respectively, and has the advantages of polarization insensitivity and wide-angle absorption. When VO2 is in the insulator phase, the MMA can achieve four-band high absorption, and the absorptance can reach 99% at 2.23, 4.06, 5.80, and 9.82 THz. Through the joint action of the multi-layer structure, the proposed MMA solves the problem that when only VO2 is used to tune the broadband absorption, the decrease in the conductivity of VO2 by 1 order of magnitude will lead to the obvious decrease in the broadband absorption bandwidth. A switchable absorber designed by a simple tuning method without changing the structure has significant development prospects in stealth technology and selective thermal emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a novel heterojunction model of RF AlGaN/GaN based high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) combined with n-Si drain extension is proposed and investigated with numerical simulations to decrease the miller capacitance and improve RF power characteristic. Firstly, after verifying the analytical heterojunction model, the simulation model parameters of the traditional HEMTs are extracted by fitting test data of the fabricated device. Then, the extracted model and the n-type silicon structure are combined in the simulation tool to further investigate the mechanism and performance of the proposed HEMTs. It shows that the capacitance effect in the proposed device efficiently reduces by 60% of the original capacitance C gd. Moreover, the RF characteristic of the proposed device and the traditional device are analyzed, respectively. Both the cut-off frequency and the oscillation frequency of the proposed HEMTs are improved compared to the traditional device and the optimized n-Si width below 0.05 μm. The results show that the proposed device is a potential candidate for high radio frequency (RF) application due to its excellent RF Power properties. • Proposing novel n-Si Drain Extension GaN HEMT device. • Deriving and validating fully 2D analytical model with simulator. • Device modeling is useful for device design and physical understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oleanolic acid, which can be isolated from many foods and medicinal plants, has been reported to possess diverse biological activities. It has been found that the acylation of the hydroxyl groups of the A-ring in the triterpene skeleton of oleanolic acid could be favorable for biological activities. The pyrimidinyl group has been constructed in many new compounds in various anti-tumor studies. Results: Five acyl oleanolic acid-uracil conjugates were synthesized. Most of the IC values of these conjugates were lower than 10.0 μM, and some of them were even under 0.1 μM. Cytotoxicity selectivity detection revealed that conjugate 4c exhibited low cytotoxicity towards the normal human liver cell line HL-7702. Further studies revealed that 4c clearly possessed apoptosis inducing effects, could arrest the Hep-G2 cell line in the G1 phase, induce late-stage apoptosis, and activate effector caspase-3/9 to trigger apoptosis. Conclusions: Conjugates of five different acyl OA derivatives with uracil were synthesized and identified as possessing high selectivity toward tumor cell lines. These conjugates could induce apoptosis in Hep-G2 cells by triggering caspase-3/9 activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of trace elements on the powder metallurgy of Cu was investigated. It was found that 1 wt. % of Ti can effectively increase the green density of the compacts and facilitate the subsequent sintering process, thus resulting in increased sintered density. Although 1 wt. % of W added into the Cu leads to similar increasing of green density, W significantly retarded the sintering process and has a negative effect on the sintered density. Moreover, intermetallic Cu 4 Ti were formed, which not only creates a short-circuit diffusion path for Cu but also forms liquid phases during sintering. However, it was hardly dissolved between W and Cu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A simultaneous determination method was established by gas chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) for ethyl carbamate, acrylamide and chloropropanols (1,3-dichloropropane-2-ol (1,3-DCP), 2,3-dichloropropane-1-ol (2,3-DCP), 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol (2-MCPD)) in fermented products, flavoring and related foods. Ethyl carbamate-d5, 1,3-DCP-d5, 3-MCPD-d5 and acrylamide-d3 were used as isotope internal standards for ethyl carbamate, DCPs, MCPDs and acrylamide, respectively. The sample was extracted and cleaned in one single step by a combined clean-up column packed with Extrelut™ NT and primary secondary amine (PSA). The concentrated extract was directly injected without derivatization, separated by an Innowax (cross-bonded polyethylene glycol) capillary column and measured by GC–MS/MS. The calculated limits of detection (LODs) in the sample matrix were 1.8, 1.0, 2.1, 5.3, 5.1 and 5.0 μg kg−1 for ethyl carbamate, 1,3-DCP, 2,3-DCP, acrylamide, 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD, respectively. The average recoveries in different matrices at three spiked concentration levels (20, 100 and 400 μg kg−1) were 88.6–112, 92.6–103, 92.1–106, 86.2–107, 90.4–109 and 91.0–105% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) (Average RSDs in bracket) of 4.4–10.2 (6.4%), 3.7–7.3 (5.4%), 3.9–7.7 (5.2%), 4.4–9.3 (6.4%), 4.1–10.7 (6.3%) and 3.7–7.9% (5.6%), respectively. Two to six contaminants were simultaneously found in some of the soy sauce samples. Ethyl carbamate, acrylamide, 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD were found in the instant noodle flavoring. Trace levels (<12 μg kg−1) of ethyl carbamate, acrylamide or 3-MCPD were detected in tomato sauce and salad dressing. Both ethyl carbamate and acrylamide were found in some of the curry products and Chinese yellow rice wine. Only ethyl carbamate was found in beer and grape wine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Impedance-source inverters are inverters with voltage-buck–boost capability that cannot be achieved by the traditional inverters. Their boost capability is introduced by shorting their phase legs without causing damages. Impedance-source inverters are therefore less prone to false triggering caused by electromagnetic interference. Present impedance-source inverters are, however, burdened by their low modulation ratio at high input-to-output gain. Such low modulation usually leads to high-voltage stresses across the components and poor spectral performance at the inverter output. To avoid these problems, inverters with coupled transformers have been introduced, but they usually lead to high turns ratio, and hence many winding turns, at high gain. An alternative would then be the asymmetrical \Gamma-source inverters proposed in this paper, whose gain is raised by lowering their turns ratio toward unity. The input current drawn by the proposed inverters is smoother and, hence, more adaptable by the source. Theories and experimental results have been presented in this paper for validating the concepts proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study investigates how surgery for pituitary adenoma (PA) affects the visual pathway, examining changes in the retina, blood vessel density, and nerve function. Since PAs often impair vision as a result of their location near visual structures, this research is key to understanding and improving vision recovery after surgery. Methods: Our study is based on a retrospective analysis of the historical data of 28 patients diagnosed with pituitary adenomas. We conducted assessments by reviewing preoperative and postoperative imaging records. These included optical coherence tomography (OCT) for retinal structure analysis, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for neural transmission evaluation, and optical coherence tomography angiography for assessing blood vessel density. These tools allowed for a detailed understanding of the structural and functional changes within the visual pathway following PA surgery. Results: OCT findings show postoperative changes in the eye: thinning in average and nasal circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer, thickening in macular central 1 mm inner plexus layer, ganglion cell complex, and nasal retinal nerve fiber layer. DTI reveals increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left optic chiasm and posterior optic nerve, decreased mid-segment optic nerve FA, and increased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the right optic chiasm and nerve segments. Early postoperative reduction in radial peripapillary capillaries plexus density is noted. Preoperative ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness correlates with postoperative visual radiation FA and ADC values, especially in the inferior quadrant. A negative correlation exists between preoperative GCL thickness and postoperative visual field mean defect values, particularly on the temporal side and superior inner ring. All changes are statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The study finds that surgery for PA has varied effects on vision. Early post surgery, there are changes in the retina and nerve signals. Macular GCL thickness before surgery might predict early visual recovery, influencing future research and treatment for vision issues related to PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological mechanisms triggered by low-dose exposure still need to be explored in depth. In this study, the potential mechanisms of low-dose radiation when irradiating the BEAS-2B cell lines with a Cs-137 gamma-ray source were investigated through simulations and experiments. Monolayer cell population models were constructed for simulating and analyzing distributions of nucleus-specific energy within cell populations combined with the Monte Carlo method and microdosimetric analysis. Furthermore, the 10 × Genomics single-cell sequencing technology was employed to capture the heterogeneity of individual cell responses to low-dose radiation in the same irradiated sample. The numerical uncertainties can be found both in the specific energy distribution in microdosimetry and in differential gene expressions in radiation cytogenetics. Subsequently, the distribution of nucleus-specific energy was compared with the distribution of differential gene expressions to guide the selection of differential genes bioinformatics analysis. Dose inhomogeneity is pronounced at low doses, where an increase in dose corresponds to a decrease in the dispersion of cellular-specific energy distribution. Multiple screening of differential genes by microdosimetric features and statistical analysis indicate a number of potential pathways induced by low-dose exposure. It also provides a novel perspective on the selection of sensitive biomarkers that respond to low-dose radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae ( Xoo) is the causal agent of rice bacterial leaf blight, one of the most important rice bacterial diseases in China and many other countries. The upstream portions of 41 candidate genes encoding non-transcription activator-like effectors of Xoo Chinese strain 13751 were fused with the coding sequence of AvrBs1 in a broad host-range vector. The constructed plasmids were respectively introduced into Xoo strain 13751 and avrBs1 deletion mutant of X. campestris pv. campestris strain 8004 by tri-parental conjugation. The resultant transconjugants were respectively tested for hypersensitive response (HR) elicitation on pepper ECW-10R. Nine strains were able to elicit HR on pepper, indicating that the nine genes ( XOO0037, XOO0103, XOO0110, XOO0315, XOO1488, XOO2875, XOO3150, XOO3222 and XOO4134) encoded effectors. Among them, xopAE ( XOO0110), expressed in Xoo strain 13751 growing in rice leaves, was a new experimentally confirmed effector gene. XopAE contains 11 leucine rich repeats. Furthermore, mutants for the nine effector genes were created in Xoo strain 13751 and subsequently tested for virulence in rice. As a result, only the xopR ( XOO4134) deletion mutant GXMxopR showed a significant reduction in virulence in hybrid rice cv. Teyou63 compared to the wild type. However, the growth of GXMxopR in host plant rice was not affected. These results indicated that xopR was required for full virulence of Xoo strain 13751 by inducing rice disease tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are soft tissue sarcomas that arise in connective tissue surrounding peripheral nerves. They occur sporadically in a subset of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). MPNSTs are highly aggressive, therapeutically resistant, and typically fatal. Using comparative transcriptome analysis, we identified CXCR4, a G-protein-coupled receptor, as highly expressed in mouse models of NF1-deficient MPNSTs, but not in nontransformed precursor cells. The chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand, CXCL12, promote MPNST growth by stimulating cyclin D1 expression and cell-cycle progression through PI3-kinase (PI3K) and β-catenin signaling. Suppression of CXCR4 activity either by shRNA or pharmacological inhibition decreases MPNST cell growth in culture and inhibits tumorigenesis in allografts and in spontaneous genetic mouse models of MPNST. We further demonstrate conservation of these activated molecular pathways in human MPNSTs. Our findings indicate a role for CXCR4 in NF1-associated MPNST development and identify a therapeutic target. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Any plants grown during long-term space missions will inevitably experience an extremely low magnetic field (i.e. a hypogeomagnetic field, HGMF). It is possible that the innate adaptation of plants to the earth’s magnetic field (i.e. the geomagnetic field, GMF) would be disrupted. Effects of the HGMF on plant physiological and metabolic processes are unclear. In this study we established a hypogeomagnetic incubation system on the ground and investigated the effects of the HGMF on the gravitropism and germination of soybean seeds. The gravitropism angle, germination percentage, germination speed, water absorbance ratio, seed weight, radicle length, radicle weight, and radicle weight ratio of soybean seeds grown in the local field and the HGMF were compared. In general, the gravitropism angle in the HGMF was smaller than that in the local field when seeds were positioned before emergence in such a way that the direction of the radicle was opposite to that of gravity. The germination percentage, germination speed, and radicle weight ratio increased in the HGMF compared to the control. Our results indicate that the germination and gravitropism of soybean seeds are affected by elimination of the geomagnetic field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To determine whether intravitreal administration of microplasmin (μPlm) will degrade fibronectin (FN) and laminin (LN) in rat retina during μPlm-induced posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). Methods: Increasing doses of μPlm, from 0.01 U to 0.03 U, were injected into the left eyes of 60 Sprague-Dawley rats to induce PVD. The right eyes were injected with the same volume of balanced salt solution (BSS). Histochemistry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and phase contrast microscopy were performed after 1 day and 7 days, to assess the remnant vitreous cortex. The FN and LN level located at the vitreoretinal interface and the outer retina were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: μPlm induced complete PVD in a dose-dependent fashion, without internal limiting membrane (ILM) damage ( P = 0.0001, r = −0.479). The FN and LN in the photoreceptor cell layer (PCL) were completely degraded in all μPlm-treated eyes. In eyes with complete PVD, the FN, but not the LN, was completely removed from the ILM by μPlm treatment. Conclusion: Intravitreal injection of microplasmin degraded FN and LN at the vitreoretinal junction as well as at the outer retina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1) is activated by tyrosine phosphorylation upon interferon-γ (IFN-γ) stimulation. Phosphorylated STAT1 translocates into nucleus to initiate the transcription of IFN-γ target genes that are important in mediating antiviral, antiproliferative, and immune response. The inactivation of STAT1 is mainly accomplished via tyrosine dephosphorylation by the nuclear isoform of T cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC45) in nucleus. Here we show that β-arrestin1 directly interacts with STAT1 in nucleus after IFN-γ treatment and accelerates STAT1 tyrosine dephosphorylation by recruiting TC45. Consequently, β-arrestin1 negatively regulates STAT1 transcription activity as well as the IFN-γ-induced gene transcription. Application of β-arrestin1 siRNA significantly enhances IFN-γ-induced antiviral response in vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-infected cells. Our results reveal that nuclear β-arrestin1, acting as a scaffold for the dephosphorylation of STAT1, is an essential negative regulator of IFN-γ signaling and participates in the IFN-γ-induced cellular antiviral response. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electronic properties of a pair of single-walled carbon nanotubes under a uniform magnetic field are investigated by the tight-binding model. The low-energy band structures are mainly affected by the intertube interactions, the field strength, and the field direction (the azimuthal angle and the polar angle). The intertube interactions, which are closely related to the geometric structures, could destroy double degeneracy, hybridize the atomic wave functions between tubes, and thus create new subbands. Subband curvature, state degeneracy, and energy gaps are dominated by the nanotube radius and stacking types. The magnetic field would further modify energy dispersion, alter subband spacing, and induce semiconductor-metal transitions. Electronic properties are directly reflected in the density of states (DOS). DOS exhibits prominent asymmetric peaks due to the parabolic bands. The number, the heights, and the positions of the pronounced peaks are very sensitive to the intertube interactions and the magnetic field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The solution structure of a new recombinant RGD-hirudin, which has the activities of anti-thrombin and anti-platelet aggregation, was determined by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and compared with the conformations of recombinant wild-type hirudin and hirudin (variant 2, Lys47) of the hirudin thrombin complex. On the basis of total 1284 distance and dihedral angle constraints derived from a series of NMR spectra, 20 conformers were computed with ARIA/CNS programs. The structure of residues 3–30 and 37–48 form a molecular core with two antiparallel β-sheets as the other two hirudins. However, significant differences were found in the surface electrostatic charge distributions among the three hirudins, especially in the RGD segment of recombinant RGD-hirudin. This difference may be greatly beneficial to its additional function of anti-platelet aggregation. The difference in extended C-terminal makes its both ionic and hydrophobic interactions with the fibrinogen recognition exosite of thrombin more effective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present study was performed to characterize the functional properties of RGD-SAK, a novel mutant of staphylokinase (SAK). Biochemical analysis indicated that RGD-SAK maintained the similar structure and the fibrinolytic function of SAK. Measurement of platelet binding activity in vitro demonstrated that RGD-SAK had a much higher affinity with platelets than SAK. In vitro platelet-rich clot lysis assay demonstrated that the engineered mutant outperformed the non-manipulated SAK. The time required for 50% platelet-rich clot lysis was reduced significantly across different concentrations of RGD-SAK comparing with SAK. Meanwhile, RGD-SAK was found to inhibit ADP-induced platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner while SAK had negligible effect on platelet aggregation. In concordance, further study in a porcine coronary balloon injury model demonstrated the efficacy of RGD-SAK for the lysis of platelet-rich coronary blood clots and for the prevention of reocclusion after thrombolysis. These results suggested that RGD-SAK may serve as a potential thrombolytic agent with platelet-targeted fibrinolysis and antiplatelet aggregation activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A linear sweep adsorptive stripping voltammetric method (AdS-LSV) for the determination of tobramycin (TOB) has been proposed for the first time. The method is based on the formation of the voltammetrically active iso-butyraldehyde derivative of TOB and the electrochemical behavior of TOB iso-butyraldehyde derivative has been studied. TOB iso-butyraldehyde derivative exhibits a sensitive cathodic peak at −1.40V (versus SCE) in a medium of B-R buffer (pH 9.8) with a scan rate of 90mVs−1 after a preconcentration period of 120s at −1.10V (versus SCE). The linear concentration range of application was 6.87×10−9–3.44×10−7 molL−1 of TOB, with a relative standard deviation of 4.4% (for a level of 1.0×10−7 molL−1) and a detection limit of 3.44×10−9 molL−1. The method was applied to the direct determination of TOB in injectable formulations and spiked urine and serum samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The various endeavors led by Jesuits under the auspices to the Plan Scientifique du Kiang-Nan (Scientific Plan for the Jiangnan region) constituted a defining moment in the history of their mission in modern China. The Jesuits aimed to found a scientific capital that would also constitute the base of their East Asian mission, a project that led to a far-reaching engagement in education and sciences. The multiple projects they undertook were located within the framework of Western knowledge. The traditional Jesuit strategy adapted itself to a new context by encouraging a constructive and fruitful interaction between religion and science. Jesuit intellectual apostolate included not only research but also the dissemination of technologies and knowledge central to the rise of modernity in China. The entry into this country of well-educated, deeply zealous Jesuit missionaries along with their observations on the social and political changes taking place decisively contributed to the modernization of Shanghai and to the emergence of multi-perspective narratives about the destiny of the city. Assessing the Jiangnan-based Jesuits' continuous efforts as well as the challenges and contradictions they met with help us to integrate the seemingly conflicting ethos of Christian mission and scientific quest into a reframed perspective of global history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A shielded geomagnetic field, also called the hypomagnetic field (HMF), interferes with the metabolic processes of various cells and animals exhibiting diverse effects in different models, however, its underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the effect on the energy metabolism of SH-SY5Y cells in HMF and found that HMF-induced cell proliferation depends on glucose supply. HMF promoted SH-SY5Y cell proliferation by increasing glucose consumption rate via up-regulating anaerobic glycolysis in the cells. Increased activity of LDH, a key member of glycolysis, was possibly a direct response to HMF-induced cell proliferation. Thus, we unveiled a novel subcellular mechanism underlying the HMF-induced cellular response: the up-regulation of anaerobic glycolysis and repression of oxidative stress shifted cellular metabolism more towards the Warburg effect commonly observed in cancer metabolism. We suggest that cellular metabolic profiles of various cell types may determine HMF-induced cellular effects, and a magnetic field can be applied as a non-invasive regulator of cell metabolism. • Hypomagnetic field exposure accelerates glucose consumption by promoting glycolysis. • Hypomagnetic field regulates cell metabolism via up-regulating LDH activity. • HMF shifts cellular metabolism towards to the enhanced Warburg Effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we assess the prediction for May rainfall over southern China (SC) by using the NCEP CFSv2 outputs. Results show that the CFSv2 is able to depict the climatology of May rainfall and associated circulations. However, the model has a poor skill in predicting interannual variation due to its poor performance in capturing related anomalous circulations. In observation, the above-normal SC rainfall is associated with two anomalous anticyclones over the western tropical Pacific and northeastern China, respectively, with a low-pressure convergence in between. In the CFSv2, however, the anomalous circulations exhibit the patterns in response to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), demonstrating that the model overestimates the relationship between May SC rainfall and ENSO. Because of the onset of the South China Sea monsoon, the atmospheric circulation in May over SC is more complex, so the prediction for May SC rainfall is more challenging. In this study, we establish a dynamic-statistical forecast model for May SC rainfall based on the relationship between the interannual variation of rainfall and large-scale ocean-atmosphere variables in the CFSv2. The sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the northeastern Pacific and the centraleastern equatorial Pacific, and the 500-hPa geopotential height anomalies over western Siberia in previous April, which exert great influence on the SC rainfall in May, are chosen as predictors. Furthermore, multiple linear regression is employed between the predictors obtained from the CFSv2 and observed May SC rainfall. Both cross validation and independent test show that the hybrid model significantly improve the model's skill in predicting the interannual variation of May SC rainfall by two months in advance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Clinical presentations encompass respiratory, feeding issues, nasopharyngeal mass, meningitis, CSF leakage, craniofacial anomalies, and endocrine problems. Surgery is the primary treatment, transitioning from frontal craniotomy to endoscopic methods, offering improved outcomes. Yet, more studies are needed. A comprehensive review on trans-sellar trans-sphenoidal encephalocele (TSTSE) is missing. Our study aims to fill this gap, offering a comprehensive perspective for physicians. Methods: This review adhered to the PRISMA guideline. Eligible studies focused on human subjects, specifically trans-sellar encephaloceles, and provided comprehensive treatment details. English language articles published up to April 11th, 2023, were considered. Two trained researchers conducted article screening using consistent criteria. Data extraction covered various aspects, including clinical presentation, surgical methods, and outcomes, with results presented descriptively in two tables. Due to the rarity of this congenital anomaly, meta-analysis and publication bias assessment were not feasible. Data extraction was independently conducted by two reviewers, with subsequent cross-verification. Results: A total of 36 patients were identified from 14 studies, the most frequently observed clinical presentation was dyspnea (41.67%) and the most frequently observed accompanying anomaly was cleft lip/palate (55.56%). CT and MRI were adopted in nearly all the cases, and trans-nasal approach was the most often used surgical approach (57.14%) with the 'soft material combination' the most commonly used method for cranial base repairment (35.71%). A total of two deaths occurred and diabetes insipidus was the most common perioperative complication which occurred in six surgery patients (21.43%). Conclusion: TSTSE predominantly affects males and presents with dyspnea, visual deficits, pituitary insufficiency, and cranial base-related symptoms. Early diagnosis is critical, with advanced imaging playing a key role. Endocrine assessment is vital for hormone management. Surgery offers symptom relief but entails risks, including reported fatalities and complications. The choice between surgery and conservative management requires careful deliberation. The trans-nasal approach is favored for its reduced trauma, yet further research is necessary to validate this preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time electrical impedance tomography (EIT) data sharing is becoming increasingly necessary, due to the extensive use of EIT technology in various sectors, including material analysis, biomedicine, and industrial process monitoring. The prevalence of portable EIT equipment and remote imaging technology has led to a predominance of centralized storage, Internet protocol transmission, and certificates from certificate authorities (CA) in telemedicine data. This has resulted in compromised data security, network communication delays, high CA maintenance costs, increased risks of medical data privacy breaches, and low security. Therefore, this paper offers a consortia blockchain-based method for exchanging EIT data that addresses security and integrity concerns during data storage and exchange, while maintaining transparency and traceability. Proprietary re-encryption techniques are employed to guarantee traceability when exchanging anonymous data, enabling precise control over data access. This scheme serves to protect both data and identity privacy, as well as to trace the actual identity of potential malicious users, while also thwarting any coordinated efforts between partially trusted parties and data requesters seeking unauthorized access to confidential information. Additionally, a combination of blockchain and InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) distributed storage technology is utilized to ease the burden of EIT data storage. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed solution were validated through a series of experiments, demonstrating its ability to effectively prevent data tampering and misuse, reduce data management costs, and enhance the efficiency and quality of data sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hygroscopicity of expanded vermiculite is one of major influence factors for thermal insulating performance. To explore the water absorption properties of expanded vermiculite prepared via electrical heating method, heating temperature effect on the hygroscopicity of expanded vermiculite was investigated under various humidity circumstances. The influencing mechanisms were analyzed by means of Thermogravimetric Analysis-Differential Scanning Calorimeter technique (TG-DSC), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller technique (BET) for the measurement of the specific surface area. The results of water absorption experiments indicated that the hygroscopicity of vermiculite showed an inversely proportional relationship to heating temperature and the water absorption content of EV-900 was only 6.206 mg/g with a dramatic decline of 91.5% in comparison with that of RV. This decline of water absorption capacity was mainly attributed to the decrease of interlamellar spacing and specific surface area. In addition, environment humidity had a significant effect on water absorption capacity and velocity. The water absorption content of EV-400 sample increased dramatically from 48.414 mg/g at the humidity of 55%–72.929 mg/g at the humidity of 95%, and the equilibrium time reduced from 3 h to 0.5 h. This study will provide a new perspective and theoretical guidance for the development of vermiculite based thermal insulating materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A uniform transverse electric field is applied to a pair of narrow-gap carbon nanotubes with intertube interactions, and the electronic structures at low energy are studied within the tight-binding model. Unlike a single nanotube, the band structures of an aligned pair vary with not only the strength of the electric field but its direction. When the transverse field is applied along the plane containing both tube axes of the pair, the low energy bands are found to have significant changes with the field strength higher than , only a tenth of the order for a single tube. A small energy gap could be opened by the intertube interactions, nevertheless, the hybridization of atomic wave functions between tubes is suppressed by increasing the electric field. By contrast, a field perpendicular to the plane of tube axes alters the band structures at the same level as for a single tube, and the electronic states between tubes are still strongly coupled. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To improve CdS photocatalytic activity, both Cu x Cd 1- x S nanorods and Cu 2 S@CdS p-n heterostructures have been prepared with a simple solvothermal method. The results showed that the maximum H 2 generation rate is equal to 10 mmol h−1 g−1 and 12.1 mmol h−1 g−1 for samples 0.3-Cu 2 S@CdS and Cu 0.1 Cd 0.9 S, respectively, which are nearly 9 and 12 times larger than that of CdS (1.2 mmol h−1 g−1) without using Pt as the co-catalyst. The measurements of the light absorption revealed that the samples Cu 2 S@CdS p-n heterostructures and Cu x Cd 1- x S nanorods have an increased visible light absorption. Band structure revealed that Cu 2 S@CdS p-n composite is a type-II heterostructure, which facilitates the separation of photoexcited charge carriers. Furthermore, as the Cu-doping CdS introduced a defect level, which induced the increase of carrier density, and the defect energy level in Cu 0.1 Cd 0.9 S and the band energy in CdS form a type-II heterostructure. Due to the appropriate band structure and stronger light absorption, Cu 2 S@CdS p-n heterostructures and Cu+-doping CdS demonstrated an improved photocatalytic activity and stability. Schematic illustration of band structure diagram and photogenerated carriers' transfer of Cu 2 S@CdS and Cu 0.1 Cd 0.9 S/CdS under visible light irradiation. [Display omitted] • Type-II p-Cu 2 S@n-CdS heterostructures and Cu x Cd 1- x S composites were prepared. • The optimized Cu 2 S@CdS copmposites have a H 2 evolution rate of 10 mmol h−1 g−1. • The optimized Cu x Cd 1-x S composites have a hydrogen rate of 12.1 mmol h−1 g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a global context, the story of the Jesuit compound in Shanghai, since its establishment by French Jesuits in 1847, reflected not only conflicts between rival powers in Europe but also the fight for their interests in the Eastern world. The female Catholic orders at the east bank of Zi-ka-wei compound provided a unique window approaching the complexity. The Pope, who was stuck without legal status in the Vatican after 1861, was also seeking the chance to save the authority of the Church in the face of questions regarding the extent of his temporal power and the status of Rome in the context of Italian unification. As in the Reformation, a break-through in the east seemed to offer a solution for losses in Europe. However, the Jesuits to the East in the late 19th century were not only troops working and fighting on behalf of the Pope; their identities under the French Protectorate added complexity to an already complicated story involving not just the Church, but the course of world history. Locating the Jesuit-affiliated women and children hospice in the French Concession but outside the Zi-ka-wei compound was a result of how different conflicts played themselves out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, 3D dental intraoral scanning technology has been developed rapidly and applied widely in everyday dental practice. Since 3D dental scanning could provide valuable personal information, it enabled researchers to develop novel procedures for individual identification through 3D–3D dentition superimposition. This study aimed to test the applicability of this method in an Eastern Chinese population and propose a threshold for personal identification. For this purpose, 40 volunteers were recruited, and the initial 80 (upper and lower) 3D intraoral scans (IOS) were collected. After one year, 80 IOS of these volunteers were repeatedly collected. In addition, the other 120 IOS of 60 patients were extracted from the database. The 3D models were trimmed, aligned, and superimposed via Geomagic Control X software, and then the root mean square (RMS) value of point-to-point distance between the two models was calculated. The superimposition of two IOS belonging to the same individual was considered as a match, and superimposition of two IOS belonging to different individuals was considered as a mismatch. Totally, superimpositions of 80 matches and 3120 mismatches were obtained. Intra- and inter-observer errors were assessed through the calculation of relative technical error of measurement (rTEM). Mann-Whitney U test verified possible statistically significant differences between matches and mismatches (P < 0.05). The rTEM of intra- and inter-observer repeatability analyses was lower than 4.7 %. The range of RMS value was 0.05–0.18 mm in matches and 0.72–2.28 mm in mismatches without overlapping. The percentage of accurate identification reached 100 % in blind test through an arbitrary RMS threshold of 0.45 mm. The results indicated that individual identification through the 3D–3D dentition superimposition was effective in Eastern Chinese population. Successful identification could be achieved with high probability when the RMS value of the point-to-point distance of two dentitions is <0.45 mm. • Verified the effectiveness of individual identification through 3D dentition superimposition in Eastern Chinese population. • Demonstrated the uniqueness of the 3D human dental arch. • Provided the RMS threshold for individual identification in Eastern Chinese population. • Suggested RMS < 0.18 mm as matches and RMS＞0.72 mm as mismatches for identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keloids are benign dermal tumors that arise from abnormal wound healing processes following skin lesions. Surgical excision followed by radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of keloids. Nevertheless, radioresistance remains a serious impediment to treatment efficacy. Investigation of the molecular response of keloids to radiation may contribute to radiosensitizing strategies. Primary keloid fibroblasts from human keloids were isolated and irradiated with X-ray. The expression profiles of messenger RNA (mRNA) in nonradiated and irradiated primary keloid fibroblasts were measured by mRNA sequencing analysis. Then, we identified common motifs and corresponding transcription factors of dysregulated mRNAs by using bioinformatic analysis of the proximal promoters. Whereafter, GO and KEGG were used to analyze the functional enrichment of the differentially expressed genes. We found that radiation not only suppressed proliferation but also increased cell senescence of primary keloid fibroblasts. There were 184 mRNAs and 204 mRNAs that showed significant changes in 4 and 8 Gy irradiated primary keloid fibroblasts, respectively. Among them, 8 upregulated and 30 downregulated mRNAs showed consistent alterations in 4 and 8 Gy irradiated primary keloid fibroblasts. More importantly, the xForkhead box O1 (FOXO1) signaling pathway was involved in the irradiation response. Pretreatment with the FOXO1 signaling inhibitor AS1842856 significantly promoted LDH release, apoptosis and senescence of primary keloid fibroblasts following irradiation. Our findings illustrated the molecular changes in human keloid fibroblasts in response to radiation, and FOXO1 pathway inhibition is expected to provide a novel strategy for the radiosensitization of keloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR), a newly discovered long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), has been reported to be a poor prognostic marker in many types of cancers. The current study attempted to investigate the biological roles and clinicopathlogical implications of HOTAIR in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as understand the molecular mechanisms of HOTAIR in HCC progression. HOTAIR expression in 95 HCC patients with paired HCC tissues and adjacent non-cancer tissues were investigated using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The association between HOTAIR expression and clinicopathological features was assessed. The effects of HOTAIR were examined in vitro assays by silencing the lncRNA. Pathway analyses were performed to illustrate the biological functions of the HOTAIR and coexpression genes. The expression level of HOTAIR was observed significantly higher in the HCC tissue than the adjacent non-tumor tissue. HOTAIR expression levels were significantly higher in tumor samples from patients with distant metastasis, advanced stage, portal vein tumor embolus, vasoinvasion, tumor capsular infiltration or positive nm23 expression than those from patients without these conditions, correspondingly. The silencing of HOTAIR in liver cancer cells induced the inhibition of cell proliferation and promotion of apoptosis. Several pathways such as extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, pathways in cancer were annotated with the HOTAIR and coexpression genes. In summary, the present analysis indicates that HOTAIR might be an oncogene in HCC. It functions though promoting tumor cell growth and inhibiting apoptosis. HOTAIR may potentially be involved in HCC metastatic progression by several pathways correlated to cell adhesion, and may be a therapeutic target in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified version of empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is presented to solve the mode mixing problem. The sifting process is completed using a time varying filter technique. In this paper, the local cut-off frequency is adaptively designed by fully facilitating the instantaneous amplitude and frequency information. Then nonuniform B-spline approximation is adopted as a time varying filter. In order to solve the intermittence problem, a cut-off frequency realignment algorithm is also introduced. Aimed at improving the performance under low sampling rates, a bandwidth criterion for intrinsic mode function (IMF) is proposed. The proposed method is fully adaptive and suitable for the analysis of linear and non-stationary signals. Compared with EMD, the proposed method is able to improve the frequency separation performance, as well as the stability under low sampling rates. Besides, the proposed method is robust against noise interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Installation of cross cables improves flutter stability of the bridge during erection. • Modal characteristics between two main spans are determined for different stages. • Suppression mechanism of cross cables changes with the increasing girder length. • Effects of static and dynamic wind loads on cross cables are further revealed. Long-span suspension bridges during erection show more flexible dynamic characteristics and worse flutter performance. The aerodynamic optimization may make the flutter performance meet the requirement, but some countermeasures are costly or difficult to realize. Therefore, it is necessary to design some practicable structural countermeasures which could improve the dynamic characteristics of long-span suspension bridges during erection and so does their flutter stability. This paper takes a long-span suspension bridge with two main spans as the example. The effect of cross cables on the structural dynamic characteristics is studied, and the critical flutter state of the bridge is accurately determined by the most unfavorable modal combination. The reason why the flutter stability could be improved is revealed by changing the stiffness of the cross cables. The wind-induced static and dynamic response of the bridge is further discussed, and the effectiveness of the cross cables at high wind speeds is evaluated. The results show that the installation of the cross cables on the free ends of the girders is favorable to the flutter performance of the bridge during erection. When the bridge is equipped with the cross cables, the association between the girder lateral bending and torsion will be enhanced for later erection stages with longer suspender girder lengths, which should be taken into account in the flutter analysis. With the static wind loads, the cross cables on one side are in compression and lose the effectiveness, but the cross cables on the other side could still improve the flutter performance of the bridge. As the internal force fluctuates significantly, the cross cables and the temporary connections should have enough strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common conditional pathogen found in natural soil water sources and vegetation and can infect invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants. In this study, we isolated K. pneumoniae from the hepatopancreas of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) for the first time and then we analysed its effects of on the histopathological changes, the transcriptome of the hepatopancreas, and the gut microbiota of this crab species. The findings of this study showed that K. pneumoniae infection has led to significant structural changes in the hepatopancreas, such as the production of vacuolated tissue structures, disorganized cell arrangement, and lysis of some hepatopancreatic cells. Also, the infection caused activation of the antioxidant-related enzymes such as SOD and CAT by inducing oxidative stress. The transcriptome of the hepatopancreas identified 10,940 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the susceptible (SG) groups and control (CG) groups, and 8495 DEGs in the SG groups and anti-infective (AI) groups. The KEGG pathway revealed upregulated DEGs caused by K. pneumoniae infection that involved in the immune response and apoptotic functional pathways, and also downregulated DEGs involved in the digestive absorption, metabolic, and biosynthetic signaling pathways. Meanwhile, metagenics sequencing revealed that at the phylum, class, order, family, and genus levels, K. pneumoniae infection altered the composition of the gut microbiota of E. sinensis , through increasing the abundance of Prolixibacteraceae , Enterobacterales , and Roseimarinus and decreasing the abundance of Alphaproteobacteria. The flora structure has also been changed between the SG and AI groups, with the abundance of Firmicutes , Erysipelotrichales , and Erysipelotrichaceae that were significantly decreased in the SG groups than in the AI groups. But, the abundance of Acinetobacter was considerably higher than in the AI group. In summary, K. pneumoniae infection induced oxidative stress in E. sinensis , triggered changes in immune-related gene expression, and caused structural changes in the gut microbiota. This study provides data to support the analysis of bacterial infection probes in several crustacean species. • K. pneumoniae K57 can infect E. sinensis and leads to hepatopancreatic vacuolation. • RNA transcriptome has been changed during K. pneumoniae infection in E. sinensis hepatopancreas. • K. pneumoniae infection affects the gut microbiota structure of E. sinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation-induced skin injury is a serious concern during radiotherapy and accidental exposure to radiation. This study aims to investigate the molecular events in early response to ionizing radiation of skin tissues and underlying mechanism. Mice and rats were irradiated with an electron beam. Skin tissues were used for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics, mRNA-Seq and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq). Human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and skin fibroblasts (WS1) were used for functional studies. The integrated analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics showed that 6 key fatty acid-associated metabolites, 9 key fatty acid-associated genes and multiple fatty acid-associated pathways were most obviously enriched and increased in the irradiated skins. Among them, acyl-CoA dehydrogenase very long chain (ACADVL) was investigated in greater detail due to its most obvious expression difference and significance in fatty acid metabolism. ScRNA-Seq of rat skin from irradiated individuals revealed that ACADVL was expressed in all subpopulations of skin tissues, with variations at different timepoints after radiation. Immunohistochemistry confirmed an increased ACADVL expression in the epidermis from human sample and various animal models, including monkeys, rats and mice. The knockdown of ACADVL increased the radiosensitivity of human keratinocytes and human skin fibroblasts. Silencing of ACADVL facilitated the expression of apoptosis and pyroptosis-related proteins following ionizing radiation. This study illustrated that cutaneous fatty acid metabolism was altered in the early response of ionizing radiation, and fatty acid metabolism-associated ACADVL is involved in radiation-induced cell death. ● Cutaneous fatty acid metabolism was altered in the early response of ionizing radiation. ● Fatty acid metabolism-associated ACADVL is involved in radiation-induced cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Cancer cachexia and cancer‐associated thrombosis are potentially fatal outcomes of advanced cancer. Nevertheless, thrombin expression in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) primary tumour tissues and the association between prognosis of NSCLC patients remain largely unknown. Experimental Approach Clinical pathological analysis was performed to determine the relationship between thrombin and tumour progression. Effects of r‐hirudin and direct thrombin inhibitor peptide (DTIP) on cancer progression were evaluated. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were used to explore the inhibition mechanism of r‐hirudin and DTIP. The therapeutic effect of the combination of DTIP and chemotherapy was determined. Key Results: Thrombin expression in NSCLC tissues was closely related to clinicopathological features and the prognosis of patients. Thrombin deficiency inhibited tumour progression. The novel thrombin inhibitors, r‐hirudin and DTIP, inhibited cell invasion and metastasis in vitro. They inhibited tumour growth and metastasis in orthotopic lung cancer model, inhibited cell invasion, and prolonged survival after injection of tumour cells via the tail vein. They also inhibited angiogenesis and spontaneous metastases from subcutaneously inoculated tumours. The promotion by thrombin of invasion and metastasis was abolished in PAR‐1‐deficient NSCLC cells. r‐hirudin and DTIP inhibited tumour progression through the thrombin‐PAR‐1‐mediated RhoA and NF‐κB signalling cascades via inhibiting MMP9 and IL6 expression. DTIP potentiated chemotherapy‐induced growth and metastatic inhibition and inhibited chemotherapy‐induced resistance in mice. Conclusions and Implications: Thrombin makes a substantial contribution, together with PAR‐1, to NSCLC malignancy. The anti‐coagulants, r‐hirudin and DTIP, could be used in anti‐tumour therapy and a combination of DTIP and chemotherapy might improve therapeutic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A switchable bi-functional optical metamaterial for broadband absorption and broadband cross-polarization conversion is proposed in the terahertz band based on the phase transition of vanadium dioxide (VO 2). When VO 2 is in the metal phase, the designed metamaterial has the function of a broadband absorber. This absorber consists of a VO 2 top structure, a polyimide layer, and VO 2 film. Calculated results show that the absorptance of the absorber is higher than 90% in the 3.33–5.62 THz range. Because of its symmetry, the absorber is insensitive to polarization and maintains high absorptance in incident angles from 0° to 60°. When VO 2 is in the insulator phase, the designed metamaterial has the function of a broadband cross-polarization converter. This polarization converter comprises two gap gold square rings, a polyimide layer, and a gold substrate. The calculated results show that more than 90% cross-polarization conversion can be achieved at the vertical incidence of x and y polarization in the 2.54–4.55 THz range. Nearly 100% cross-polarization conversion can be achieved at 2.62, 3.29, and 4.33 THz. The designed metamaterial has a wide potential application prospect in fields including stealth technology, solar electromagnetism, and radar communication. • Have the dual functions of broadband absorption and broadband polarization. • The switching of dual functions can be realized within similar operating bandwidths. • Function switching can be realized by a small range of temperature changes. • High working efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]