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In the postgenomics era, comparative genomics have advanced the understanding of evolutionary processes of neuropeptidergic signaling systems. The evolutionary origin of many neuropeptidergic signaling systems can be traced date back to early metazoan evolution based on the conserved sequences. Insect parathyroid hormone receptor (iPTHR) was previously described as an ortholog of vertebrate PTHR that has a well-known function in controlling bone remodeling. However, there was no sequence homologous to PTH sequence in insect genomes, leaving the iPTHR as an orphan receptor. Here, we identified the authentic ligand insect PTH (iPTH) for the iPTHR. The taxonomic distribution of iPTHR, which is lacking in Diptera and Lepidoptera, provided a lead for identifying the authentic ligand. We found that a previously described orphan ligand known as PXXXamide (where X is any amino acid) described in the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis has a similar taxonomic distribution pattern as iPTHR. Tests of this peptide, iPTH, in functional reporter assays confirmed the interaction of the ligand-receptor pair. Study of a model beetle, Tribolium castaneum, was used to investigate the function of the iPTH signaling system by RNA interference followed by RNA sequencing and phenotyping. The results suggested that the iPTH system is likely involved in the regulation of cuticle formation that culminates with a phenotype of defects in wing exoskeleton maturation at the time of adult eclosion. Moreover, RNAi of iPTHRs also led to significant reductions in egg numbers and hatching rates after parental RNAi. Author summary: Vertebrate parathyroid hormone (PTH) and its receptors have been extensively studied with respect to their function in bone remodeling and calcium metabolism. Insect parathyroid hormone receptors (iPTHRs) have been previously described as counterparts of vertebrate PTHRs, however, they are still orphan receptors for which the authentic ligands and biological functions remain unknown. We describe an insect form of parathyroid hormone (iPTH) by analyzing its interactions with iPTHRs. Identification of this new insect peptidergic system proved that the PTH system is an ancestral signaling system dating back to the evolutionary time before the divergence of protostomes and deuterostomes. We also investigated the functions of the iPTH system in a model beetle Tribolium castaneum by using RNA interference. RNA interference of iPTHR resulted in defects in wing exoskeleton maturation and fecundity. Based on the differential gene expression patterns and the phenotype induced by RNAi, we propose that the iPTH system is likely involved in the regulation of exoskeletal cuticle formation and fecundity in insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of fluorene‐capped pendant conjugated molecules (T‐m and T‐p), which consist of a triazine center with three carbazole substituents as the donor–acceptor (D‐A) type pendant structure, were designed, synthesized, and investigated as gain media for organic semiconductor lasers (OSLs). In particular, varying the capping positions of the fluorene units on the pendant core structures results in significantly different intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) properties, where T‐m manifested depressed ICT characteristic and high fluorescence quantum yield. The lowest amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold in neat films was recorded as 1.9 μJ cm−2 for T‐m and 83.8 μJ cm−2 for T‐p, which indicated that the depressed ICT characteristics in the case of T‐m help to enhance the ASE properties. Remarkably, the ASE threshold remained almost unchanged and the ASE spectra showed very small shifts (within 1 nm) for T‐m with film samples annealed up to 180 °C in open air. In contrast, its linear counterpart 2FEtCz‐m showed a clearly increased ASE threshold upon annealing above 100 °C. The results suggest that the selective construction of conjugated pendant molecules with depressed ICT characteristics is beneficial for finely modulating the optical and electrical properties as well as improving the thermostability and photostability, which manifests the great potential as a robust gain media for OSLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme for controlled joint remote state preparation of an arbitrary equatorial two-qubit state by using a seven-qubit entangled state as the quantum channel. In this scheme, two senders wish to help a receiver to remotely prepare an arbitrary equatorial two-qubit state, and the receiver can obtain the original quantum state with 100% success probability by performing the appropriate unitary operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cat (Felis catus) BAFF and its receptor BAFF-R were cloned. • csBAFF, EGFP/csBAFF, and cBAFF-R were expressed in E. coli and purified using a Ni2+ column. • csBAFF cellular localization was assessed. • csBAFF promoted B-cell survival in vitro. • Ligand–receptor interaction was assessed. B-cell survival depends on signals induced by binding of B-cell activating factor (BAFF) to its receptor (BAFF-R). In this study, the full-length cDNAs of cat BAFF (cBAFF) and BAFF-R (cBAFF-R) were amplified from the spleen by reverse transcription PCR. The open reading frame of cBAFF cDNA encodes a protein of 285 amino acids containing a predicted transmembrane domain and a furin protease cleavage site, similar to mammalian, avian, and reptile BAFFs. The cBAFF-R gene encodes a 189 amino acid protein. Real-time quantitative PCR analyses revealed that the two genes are predominantly expressed in the spleen. csBAFF, EGFP/csBAFF, and cBAFF-R were efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), as confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting analyses. After purification, the EGFP/csBAFF fusion protein showed a fluorescence spectrum similar to that of EGFP. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that EGFP/csBAFF bound to its receptor. In vitro , csBAFF promoted the survival of cat and mouse splenic B cells with/without a priming agent (Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1, SAC) or anti-mouse IgM. Furthermore, it stimulated the survival of mouse B cells, similar to msBAFF. Recombinant cBAFF-R blocked the function of sBAFF in vitro. These findings indicate that csBAFF plays an important role in the survival of cat B cells and has functional cross reactivity between cats and other mammals, and suggest a role for the BAFF–BAFF-R system in regulating B-cell survival. Therefore, BAFF and BAFF-R show promise for enhancing the immune systems of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation plays pivotal role in the development of chronic diseases. Reducing chronic inflammation is an important strategy for preventing and managing many chronic diseases. In traditional Chinese medicine, the processed Buthus martensii Karsch (BmK) scorpion (also called "Quanxie") has been used to treat chronic inflammatory arthritis and spondylitis for hundreds of years suggests that "Quanxie" could potentially be utilized as a resource for identifying new anti-inflammatory compounds. However, the molecular basis and the underline mechanism for the anti-inflammatory effect of processed BmK scorpion are still unclear. The study aims to determine the potential involvement of macrophage-expressed Kv1.3 in the anti-inflammatory effect of processed BmK scorpion venom, as well as to identify new Kv1.3 blockers derived from processed BmK scorpion. In this study, the in vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory activities were determined using carrageenan-induced paw edema, LPS-induced sepsis mouse models and LPS-induced macrophage activation model respectively. The effect of processed BmK scorpion water extract, processed BmK venom and BmKK2 on different potassium channels were detected by whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings on transfected HEK293 cells or mouse BMDMs. The cytokines were detected using Q-PCR and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. High performance liquid chromatography, SDS-PAGE and peptide Mass Spectrometry analysis were used to isolate and identify the BmKK2. SiRNA, western blotting and flow cytometry were used to analysis the anti-inflammatory mechanism of BmKK2. Here we demonstrate that BmKK2, a thermostable toxin targeting Kv1.3 is the critical anti-inflammatory component in the processed BmK scorpion. BmKK2 inhibits inflammation by targeting and inhibiting the activity of macrophage Kv1.3, thereby inhibiting the activation of NF-κB-NLRP3 pathway and the subsequent release of inflammatory factors. These findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of the anti-inflammatory effects of "Quanxie" and highlight the importance of targeting Kv1.3 expressed on macrophages as an anti-inflammatory approach. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Insect-derived serine protease inhibitors (serpins) exhibit multiple inhibitory activities. Todate some functional roles for serpins in Hyphantria cunea Drury have been identified. Here, new functional features of the H. cunea serine protease inhibitor (dHC-serpin) were characterized. In this study, the cDNA encoding serpin was amplified from H. cunea (dHC) pupa fat body total RNA using RT-PCR. The full-length dHC-serpin cDNA encoded a protein of 440 amino acids with a predicted 19-amino acid signal peptide and a 421-amino acid functional domain. The functional domain was cloned into a pSUMO vector and transformed into Escherichia coli , resulting in the production of a pSUMO-dHC-serpin fusion protein. The soluble form of this protein was then purified by Ni-IDA chromatography. The SUMO-dHC-serpin fusion protein was then cleaved using a SUMO protease and purified again by Ni-IDA chromatography. dHC-serpin did not inhibit trypsin, elastase, proteinase K or cathepsin B, but strongly inhibited papain. The inhibitor retained its inhibitory activity over a broad range of pH (pH 2–12), temperature (20–50 °C), and DTT concentration (up to 100 mM). A complete loss of inhibitory activity was observed at pH 13 and 70 °C. Serpins generally serve as inhibitors that use a mobile reactive center loop (RCL) as bait to trap protease targets. dHC-serpin, like others serpins, binds papain using the RCL structure. Highlights • The full length dHC-serpin gene cloned from Hyphantria cunea Drury. • The SUMO-dHC-serpin fusion protein is highly soluble in Escherichia coli. • dHC-serpin exhibits activity against papain. • dHC-serpin remained active and stable between 20 °C and 50 °C and pH 2 and 12. • The reactive center loop region is important for dHC-serpin binding with papain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IGF2BP2 is a new identified N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) reader and associated with poor prognosis in many tumors. However, its role and related mechanism in breast cancer, especially in triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC), remains unclear. In this study, it is found that IGF2BP2 is highly expressed in TNBC due to the lower methylation level in its promoter region. Functional and mechanical studies displayed that IGF2BP2 could promote TNBC proliferation and the G1/S phase transition of the cell cycle via directly regulating CDK6 in an m6A‐dependent manner. Surprising, the regulation of protein levels of CDK6 by IGF2BP2 is related to the changes in translation rate during translation initiation, rather than mRNA stability. Moreover, EIF4A1 is found to be recruited by IGF2BP2 to promote the translation output of CDK6, providing new evidence for a regulatory role of IGF2BP2 between m6A methylation and translation. Downregulation of IGF2BP2 in TNBC cell could enhance the sensitivity to abemaciclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor. To sum up, our study revealed IGF2BP2 could facilitate the translation output of CDK6 via recruiting EIF4A1 and also provided a potential therapeutic target for the diagnosis and treatment of TNBC, as well as a new strategy for broadening the drug indications for CDK4/6 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a protocol for bidirectional controlled quantum communication by using a seven-qubit entangled state. In our protocol, Alice can teleport an arbitrary unknown two-qubit state to Bob, at the same time Bob can help Alice remotely prepares an arbitrary known single-qubit state. It is shown that, with the help of the controller Charlie, the total success probability of our protocol can reach 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABP-dHC-cecropin A is a linear cationic peptide that exhibits antimicrobial properties. To explore a new approach for expression of ABP-dHC-cecropin A using the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris , we cloned the ABP-dHC-cecropin A gene into the vector pPICZαA. The Sac I-linearized plasmid pPICZαA-ABP-dHC-cecropin A was then transformed into P. pastoris GS115 by electroporation. Expression was induced after a 96-h incubation with 0.5% methanol at 20 °C in a culture supplied with 2% casamino acids to avoid proteolysis. Under these conditions, approximately 48 mg of ABP-dHC-cecropin A was secreted into 1L (4 × 250-mL)of medium. Recombinant ABP-dHC-cecropin A was purified using size-exclusion chromatography, and 21 mg of pure active ABP-dHC-cecropin A was obtained from 1L (4 × 250-mL)of culture. Electrophoresis on 4–20% gradient gels indicated that recombinant ABP-dHC-cecropin A was secreted as a protein approximately 4 kDa in size. Recombinant ABP-dHC-cecropin A was successfully expressed, as the product displayed antibacterial and antifungal activities (based on an antibacterial assay, scanning electron microscopy, and antifungal assay) indistinguishable from those of the synthesized protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate that a seven-particle entangled state can be used to realize the deterministic asymmetric bidirectional controlled quantum information transmission by performing only Bell-state measurement and two-particle projective measurement and single-particle measurement. In our protocol, Alice can teleport an arbitrary unknown single-particle state to Bob and at the same time Bob can remotely prepare an arbitrary known two-particle state for Alice via the control of the supervisor Charlie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate that a seven-qubit entangled state can be used to realize the deterministic tripartite controlled remote state preparation by performing only Pauli operations and single-qubit measurements. In our scheme, three distant senders can simultaneously and deterministically exchange their quantum state with the other senders under the control of the supervisor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate that a seven-qubit entangled state can be used to realize the deterministic tripartite controlled teleportation by performing Bell-state measurements, where Alice wants to teleport an arbitrary single-qubit state of qubit a to Bob, Charlie wants to teleport an arbitrary single-qubit state of qubit b to David and at the same time Edison wants to teleport an arbitrary single-qubit state of qubit c to Ford via the control of the supervisor Tom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA-sequencing, a powerful tool, yields a comprehensive view of whole transcriptome. Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating form of stroke. To date, RNA-sequencing analysis of ICH has not been reported. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were used as a source of mRNA for gene expression profile analysis in stroke. In this study, we performed transcriptome analyses for PBMCs from four ICH patients and four healthy volunteers on Illumina platform. We identified 4040 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional annotation of DEGs with DAVID Bioinformatics Resources indicated that genes associated with cell apoptosis, autophagy, cell-cell adhesion, inflammatory response, protein binding, positive regulation of gene expression, and signal transduction were most significantly enriched by DEGs. Gene set enrichment analysis identified 40 significant Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, including chemokine signaling, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, oxidative phosphorylation, and glutathione metabolism processes. These data point to a complex mechanism for ICH pathogenesis. Overall, the present study demonstrated an altered gene expression profile of PBMCs in response to acute ICH. Our study provided important information for understanding the molecular mechanisms of ICH pathogenesis at system-wide levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have demonstrated that a six-qubit cluster state can be used to realize the deterministic controlled remote state preparation of an arbitrary two-qubit state by performing only the special two-qubit projective measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a deterministic protocol for remotely preparing an arbitrary four-qubit entangled cluster-type state. In our protocol, a seven-qubit cluster state is employed to link the two senders (Alice and Bob) and the receiver Charlie. The to-be-prepared state is realized successfully with the probability of 100 % by performing the local unitary operation and classical communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some cationic antibacterial peptides, with typical amphiphilic α-helical conformations in a membrane-mimicking environment, exhibit anticancer properties as a result of a similar mechanism of action towards both bacteria and cancer cells. We previously reported the cDNA sequence of the antimicrobial peptide ABP- dHC -Cecropin A precursor cloned from drury ( Hyphantria cunea ) ( dHC ). In the present study, we synthesized and structurally characterized ABP- dHC -Cecropin A and its analog, ABP- dHC -Cecropin A-K(24). Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that ABP- dHC -Cecropin A and its analog adopt a well-defined α-helical structure in a 50% trifluorethanol solution. The cytotoxicity and cell selectivity of these peptides were further examined in three leukemia cell lines and two non-cancerous cell lines. The MTT assay indicated both of these peptides have a concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect in leukemia cells, although the observed cytotoxicity was greater with ABP- dHC -Cecropin A-K(24) treatment, whereas they were not cytotoxic towards the non-cancerous cell lines. Moreover, ABP- dHC -Cecropin A and its analog had a lower hemolytic effect in human red blood cells. Together, these results suggest the peptides are selectively cytotoxic towards leukemia cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy determined that the peptides were concentrated at the surface of the leukemia cells, and changes in the cell membrane were determined with a permeability assay, which suggested that the anticancer activity of ABP- dHC -Cecropin A and its analog is a result of its presence at the leukemia cell membrane. ABP- dHC -Cecropin A and its analog may represent a novel anticancer agent for leukemia therapy, considering its cancer cell selectivity and relatively low cytotoxicity in normal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the TNF superfamily and plays multifunctional roles in the immune system. In the present study, a homolog of TRAIL from the Mongolian horse (named ecTRAIL) was identified and characterized. The 870-bp open reading frame encodes a polypeptide of 289 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 33.47 kDa and p I of 8.47. The genomic structure of ecTRAIL shares a five-exon/six-intron arrangement similar to its orthologs. Multiple alignments show that ecTRAIL is a type II transmembrane protein with a typical transmembrane region, three conserved cysteine residues (Cys56, Cys77, Cys238) and a TNF family signature sequence ([LV]-x-[LIVM]-x(3)-G-[LIVMF]-Y-[LIVMFY](2)-x(2)-[QEKHL]-[LIVMGT]-x-[LIVMFY]). Three-dimensional structure prediction based on the same template revealed that the positional arrangement of the key amino acid residues, Cys238 and Cys230 in ecTRAIL and human TRAIL, respectively, is significantly conserved. Evolutionary analysis suggests that ecTRAIL is most closely related to its ortholog from pigs, with an identity of 83.99%. The solubilizing small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) tag fused recombinant protein SUMO-ecsTRAIL was successfully expressed in E. coli and exhibited binding activity and cytotoxicity to HeLa cells in a cross-species manner in vitro . These results provide a better understanding of TRAILs in mammals and indicate that ecTRAIL may play an important role in the immune response in horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a scheme for asymmetric bidirectional controlled teleportation via a six-qubit cluster state in noisy environments, which includes the phase-damping and amplitude-damping channels. We analytically derive the fidelities of the asymmetric bidirectional controlled teleportation process in these two noise channels. We show that the fidelities only depend on the initial state and the noisy rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental protocol for preparing an eight-qubit entangled state in cavity QED is proposed, which is insensitive to the cavity decay and the thermal field. And the experimental feasibility of our protocol is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme for perfect quantum teleportation of a special form of four-qubit state by using a six-qubit cluster state as quantum channel. In our scheme, the sender only needs six-qubit von-Neumann projective measurements, and the receiver can reconstruct the original four-qubit state by applying the appropriate unitary operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insulin and insulin-like signaling (IIS) pathway exists in a wide range of organisms from mammals to invertebrates and regulates several vital physiological functions. A phylogenetic analysis have indicated that insulin receptors have been duplicated at least twice among vertebrates, whereas only one duplication occurred in insects before the differentiation of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera. Thus, we cloned two putative insulin receptor genes, T.cas-ir1 and T.cas-ir2 , from T. castaneum and determined that T.cas-ir1 is most strongly expressed during the late adult and early pupal stages, whereas T.cas-ir2 is most strongly expressed during the late larval stage. We found that larval RNAi against T.cas-ir1 and T.cas-ir2 causes 100% and 42.0% insect death, respectively, and that parental RNAi against T.cas-ir1 and T.cas-ir2 leads to 100% and 33.3% reductions in beetle fecundity, respectively. The hatching rate of ds- ir2 insects was 66.2%. Moreover, RNAi against these two genes increased the expression of the pkc , foxo , jnk , cdc42 , ikk , and mekk genes but decreased erk gene expression. Despite these similarities, these two genes act via distinct regulatory pathways. These results indicate that these two receptors have functionally diverged with respect to the development and reproduction of T. castaneum , even though they retain some common regulatory signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A TRAIL-CM4 fusion protein in soluble form with tumor selective apoptosis and antibacterial functions was expressed in the Escherichia coli expression system and isolated through dialysis refolding and histidine-tag Nickel-affinity purification. Fresh Jurkat cells were treated with the TRAIL-CM4 fusion protein. Trypan blue staining and MTT analyses showed that, similar to a TRAIL positive control, Jurkat cell proliferation was significantly inhibited. Flow cytometry analyses using Annexin V-fluorescein revealed that Jurkat cells treated with the TRAIL-CM4 fusion protein exhibited increased apoptosis. Laser confocal microscopy showed that APB-CM4 and the fusion protein TRAIL-CM4 can bind to Jurkat cell membranes and initiate their destruction. ABP-CM4 enhances the antitumor activity of TRAIL by targeting and damaging the tumor cell membrane. In antibacterial experiments, agar well diffusion and bacterial growth inhibition curve assays revealed concentration-dependent TRAIL-CM4 antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli K12D31. The expressed TRAIL-CM4 fusion protein exhibited enhanced antitumor and antibacterial activities. Fusion protein expression allowed the two different proteins to function in combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new protocol of bidirectional quantum controlled teleportation by using a seven-qubit entangled state as the quantum channel. That is to say Alice may transmit an arbitrary single-qubit state to Bob and Bob may transmit an arbitrary two-qubit state to Alice via the control of the supervisor Charlie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is associated with a state of low-grade inflammation that leads to insulin resistance under sustained high-fat and glucose (HFG) stress. Mitochondria from pancreatic beta cells play an essential role by metabolizing nutrients and generating signals required for both triggering and amplifying pathways of insulin secretion responding to HFG. However, the underlying pathway linking mitochondrial function to initiate and integrate inflammatory responses within the pancreatic beta cells under HFG stress remains poorly defined. Here, we demonstrated that HFG induced Ca 2+ -mediated deleterious effects on mitochondrial rho GTPase 1 (Miro1), a protein allowing mitochondria to move along microtubules to regulate mitochondria dynamics. This redistribution of Miro1 by HFG led to aggravation of proinflammatory responses in rat islets due to damaged mitochondria-producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, HFG-induced Ca 2+ -mediated increased expression of mitochondrial dynamin-like protein (DLP1) was assembled on the outer membrane of mitochondria to initiate fission events. Higher expression of DLP1 induced mitochondria fragmentation as expected but was not essential for ROS-induced proinflammatory responses, while Miro1-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction induced proinflammatory responses under HFG stress. Combined, we proposed in this study that HFG stress caused mtROS release mainly through Miro1-mediated effects on mitochondria in pancreatic beta cells triggering the NLRP3-dependent proinflammatory responses and, subsequently, damaged insulin secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a protocol of asymmetric bidirectional controlled teleportation by using a seven-photon entangled state. In our protocol, Alice can teleport an arbitrary single-photon state to Bob and at the same time Bob can teleport an arbitrary two-photon state to Alice via the control of the supervisor Charlie. In addition, ones only carry out the Bell-state measurements and single-photon measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) recognizes double-stranded RNA and induces multiple intracellular events responsible for innate antiviral immunity against viral infections. Here we demonstrate that TLR3 signaling of monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from rhesus monkeys by poly I:C inhibited simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection and replication. Investigation of the mechanisms showed that TLR3 activation resulted in the induction of type I and type III interferons (IFNs) and IFN-inducible antiviral factors, including APOBEC3G (A3G), tetherin and SAMHD1. In addition, poly I:C-treated macaque macrophages expressed increased levels of CC chemokines including CCL3, CCL4 and CCL5, the ligands for HIV or SIV coreceptor CCR5. Furthermore, TLR3 signaling of macaque macrophages induced the expression of cellular microRNAs (miR-29a, -29b, -146a and -9), the newly identified intracellular SIV restriction factors. TLR3 activation-mediated anti-SIV effect could be compromised by the knockdown of IRF3 and IRF7. These findings indicate that TLR3-mediated induction of multiple viral restriction factors contribute to the inhibition of SIV infection in macaque macrophages, which support future preclinical studies using rhesus macaques to determine whether in vivo TLR3 activation is safe and beneficial for treating people infected with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new application of the genuinely entangled five-qubit state is investigated for quantum information splitting of a particular type of two-qubit state. In this scheme, a genuinely entangled five-qubit state is shared by Alice (a sender), Charlie (a controller) and Bob (a receiver), and Alice only needs to perform two Bell-state measurements and Charlie performs a single-qubit measurement, Bob can reconstruct the two-qubit state by performing some appropriately unitary transformations on his qubits after he knows the measured results of both Alice and Charlie. This quantum information splitting scheme is deterministic, i.e. the probability of success is 100 %. The presented protocol is showed to be secure against certain eavesdropping attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate that two four-qubit entangled states can be used to realize the deterministic controlled teleportation of an arbitrary three-qubit state by performing only the Bell-state measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a scheme for quantum information splitting of an arbitrary three-qubit state by using a seven-qubit composite GHZ-Bell state as quantum channel. We illustrate the procedure in the ion-trap systems, but the scheme can also be realized in other systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a scheme for the generation of a genuine four-atom entangled state in Cavity QED. This state has many interesting entanglement properties and wide applications in quantum information processing and fundamental tests of quantum physics. Our scheme is insensitive to both the cavity decay and the thermal field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Full-length cDNA encoding TWEAK and Fn14 from bovine was isolated. We used bioinformatics to analyze the gene structure, function, evolutionary relationships, and predicted three-dimensional structure of proteins and binding sites. Real-time quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) analysis revealed that both TWEAK and Fn14 are constitutively expressed in various tissues in bovine. Bovine TWEAK and Fn14 interaction analysis by yeast two-hybrid. Our results suggest that the TWEAK–Fn14 pathway is evolutionarily highly conserved. It will be helpful for investigation on the biological role of the TWEAK/Fn14 system in this important animal model. Furthermore, it provides insight into the molecular evolution of the emerging TWEAK and Fn14 families. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

For the conventional translational shape-invariant potentials (TSIPs), it has demonstrated that the phase contribution devoted by the scattered subwaves in the analytical transfer matrix quantization condition is integrable and independent of n. Based on this fact we propose a novel strategy to generate the whole set of conventional TSIPs and classify them into three types. The generating functions are given explicitly and the Morse potential is taken as an example to illustrate this strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We point out that the complex potentials can be used to construct the reflectionless potentials and two new classes of reflectionless potentials are proposed. In particular, the robustness of these reflectionless potentials is thoroughly studied by the analytical transfer matrix method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme for splitting an arbitrary two-qubit state among three parties by using a six-qubit cluster-class state as a quantum channel. Based on two Bell-state measurements (BSMs) and a two-qubit projective measurement, any one of the two agents can reconstruct the original state if he/she collaborates with the other one, whilst individual agent obtains no information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: TWEAK is a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily. The interaction of TWEAK with its receptor Fn14 regulates multiple cellular responses, including stimulation of proliferation, migration, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and induction of proinflammatory cytokines. This paper reports for the first time the molecular cloning of dog TWEAK and Fn14. The open reading frame (ORF) of dog TWEAK is 750bp, its genomic DNA consists of seven exons and six introns and is approximately 10kb in size by computer-assisted analysis. Sequence similarity at the amino acid level between dog TWEAK and human or mouse was 95 and 92%, respectively. The ORF of dog Fn14 contains 390bp. Sequence similarity at the amino acid level between dog Fn14 and human, or mouse, or frog was 95, 93 and 64%, respectively. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that both TWEAK and Fn14 are constitutively expressed in various tissues in dog. Furthermore, we verified dTWEAK interacted with dFn14 by yeast two-hybrid assay. Our results suggest that the TWEAK–Fn14 pathway is evolutionarily highly conserved. It will be helpful for investigation on the biological role of the TWEAK/Fn14 system in this important animal model. Furthermore, it provides insight into the molecular evolution of the emerging TWEAK and Fn14 families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme for bidirectional quantum teleportation by using a five-qubit cluster state. In our scheme, Alice can transmit an arbitrary two-qubit entangled state to Bob and at the same time Bob can teleport an arbitrary single-qubit state to Alice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a realizable quantum information splitting scheme for an arbitrary two-qubit state. In our scheme, a genuine six-qubit entangled state is used as quantum channel. The sender and controller only need to perform Bell-state measurements and single-qubit measurements, respectively. The receiver can reconstruct the arbitrary two-qubit state by classical communication and local operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To establish a mouse model of breast cancer lung metastasis with miR-155 knockout (miR155-/-) mice, and to compare the difference of peripheral blood immune cell typing between miR155-/- mice and C57BL/6J wide-type (WT) mice. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis was used to explore the expression level of miR-155 in breast cancer tissues and peripheral serum, and its relationship with prognosis. Mouse model of lung metastasis of breast cancer was established by tail vein injection; peripheral blood was collected for flow cytometry, and the immune cell typing was analyzed; the lung tissues were collected for immunohisto-chemical detection to observe the tumor metastasis. Results: Percentage of T lymphocytes and monocytes in peripheral blood of miR155-/- mice was significantly decreased compared with WT mice (P<0.05), percentage of myeloid inhibitory cells (MDSCs) was increased significantly (P<0.05), in which the proportion of monocyte subsets (M-MDSC) was significantly decreased (P<0.05), while the proportion of granulocyte subsets (G-MDSC) was significantly increased (P<0.05). In lung metastasis model of breast cancer, percentage of T lymphocytes in peripheral blood of miR155-/- mice was significantly higher compared with WT mice, while percentage of NK cells was decreased significantly (P<0.05), percentage of neutrophil was significantly decreased (P<0.001), proportion of Th cells in T lymphocytes was significantly decreased (P<0.05), proportion of M-MDSCs was significantly decreased (P< 0.01), while proportion of G-MDSCs was significantly increased (P<0.01). Conclusion: Deletion of miR-155 gene leads to significant differences in peripheral immune cell typing, making mice more susceptible to lung metastasis of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mammary carcinoma, a pervasive and potentially lethal affliction, is conjectured to be profoundly influenced by physical exercise, both in prophylaxis and therapeutic contexts. This study endeavors to explore the repercussions of exercise training on the progression of mammary carcinoma, particularly the mechanisms by which the amalgamation of an exercise regimen and doxorubicin induces tumor cell apoptosis. Methods: Female BALB/c mice were categorized into four distinct groups: A sedentary group (SED), an exercise group (Ex), a doxorubicin group (Dox, 5 mg/kg), and a combined treatment group (Dox + Ex). The exercise training lasted for 21 days and included aerobic rotarod exercise and resistance training. The impact of exercise training on tumor growth, immune cell proportions, inflammatory factor levels, and cell apoptosis pathway was assessed. Results: Exercise training significantly curtailed tumor growth in a mouse model of breast cancer. Both the Ex and Dox groups exhibited significant reductions in tumor volume and weight (p < 0.01) in comparison to the SED group, while the Dox + Ex group had a significantly lower tumor volume and weight than the Dox group (p < 0.01). Exercise training also significantly increased the proportion of NK and T cells in various parts of the body and tumor tissue, while decreasing tumor blood vessels density. Exercise training also increased IL‐6 and IL‐15 levels in the blood and altered the expression of apoptosis‐related proteins in tumor tissue, with the combined treatment group showing even more significant changes. Conclusions: Physical training improves the effectiveness of doxorubicin in treating breast cancer by activating cytotoxic immune cells, releasing tumor suppressor factors, and initiating mt‐apoptosis, all while mitigating the adverse effects of chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By analyzing the electric heated solid thermal storage and supply unit, a performance index system consisting of three level-I indexes(including thermal storage capacity, thermal release capacity and unit efficiency) and eight level-II indexes (including thermal storage temperature uniformity, thermal storage completion degree, etc.) is established, to evaluate the performance of the unit. Taking the electric heated solid thermal storage and supply unit of one shopping mall in Zhangjiakou city as an evaluation object, the combination weighting is used to combine the variable coefficient method, entropy weight method and analytic hierarchy process, and obtain a reasonable weighted value. Then, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method is used to acquire the performance evaluation grade of this boiler unit, and optimization proposals are raised according to the evaluation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme of controlled teleportation of an arbitrary three-qubit state by using a five-qubit cluster state. In our scheme, the sender Alice performs five sets of single-qubit measurements and the controller Charlie needs only take a single-qubit measurement. The receiver Bob can reconstruct the arbitrary three-qubit state by performing the single-qubit unitary operations and a controlled-NOT operation if he obtains the help of the controller. We show that the efficiency in this scheme approaches 100% [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme of bidirectional controlled remote state preparation of an arbitrary two-qubit state, where a nine-qubit entangled state is used as the quantum channel. In our scheme, Alice and Bob can prepare simultaneously an arbitrary two-qubit state for each other's place with the help of the controller Charlie. The total success probability for our scheme reaches 100%. PACS numbers 03.67.Hk, 03.65.Ud, 42.50.Dv. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme of controlled cyclic quantum teleportation of an arbitrary two-qubit entangled state by using a ten-qubit entangled state. In our scheme, Alice can teleport an arbitrary two-qubit entangled state to Bob, Bob can teleport an arbitrary two-qubit entangled state to Charlie and at the same time Charlie can teleport an arbitrary two-qubit entangled state to Alice with the help of the controller David. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of atorvastatinon p38 phosphorylation and cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction in rats. A total of 43 rats were randomly divided into the control, sham operation, post-modeling medication (medication) and post-modeling non-medication (non-medication) groups. The control group did not receive any treatment. Anterior descending arteries of the rats in the medication and non-medication groups were ligated, and threading at the anterior descending arteries was conducted for the rats in the sham operation group. Atorvastatin (10 mg/kg) was given daily to the rats in the medication group, and an equivalent amount of normal saline was given daily to the rats in the sham operation group. Four weeks later, the cardiac function, morphological changes in the myocardial cells, and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and p38 in each group was detected. At 4 weeks after treatment, the myocardial infarction size, fibrosis and myocardial necrosis of the rats in the medication group was examined compared with those in the non-medication group (P<0.05). The cardiac function of the rats in the non-medication group was significantly lower than that of the rats in the control and sham groups (P<0.05), while it was obviously elevated in the medication group compared with that in the non-medication group (P<0.05). The expression of TNF-α and phosphorylated p38 of the left ventricle in the non-medication group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), while it was obviously reduced in the non-medication group compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). Atorvastatin can improve cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction in rats, which may be associated with its inhibition of p38 phosphorylation and its decrease of TNF-α expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigated the potential for phosphorescent emitters to achieve the BT.2020 color standard in displays, where the CIE coordinates for red and green are (0.709, 0.292) and (0.170, 0.797), respectively. Optical simulations were performed for both green and red top emission organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). For the green emitter, it is possible to reach (0.170, 0.785) using a spectrum with a peak wavelength (λmax) at 526 nm and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) less than 30 nm. For the red emitter, in order to achieve (0.708, 0.292) while maintaining a high current efficiency (CE), it is important to decrease the FWHM instead of red‐shifting the spectrum. Following the guidance of these simulation results, we designed and synthesized novel deep green (DGD) and deep red phosphorescent (DRD‐II) emitters. The photoluminescent (PL) spectrum of DGD shows an FWHM of 30 nm and a λmax of 523 nm. A top‐emission green OLED built using DGD reached a CE of 171 cd/A at an operating voltage of 3.3 V and a lifetime of 95% of initial brightness (LT95) > 1300 h at 10 mA/cm2 with a CIE (x, y) = (0.170, 0.777). This is, to our knowledge, the best device performance ever reported for a green phosphorescent OLED at this CIE y. The PL spectrum of DRD‐II has a λmax of 630 nm with an FWHM of 30 nm. A top‐emission red OLED built with DRD‐II achieved a CE of 59 cd/A, an operating voltage of 3.2 V and an LT95 over 20,000 h at a drive current of 10 mA/cm2 with a CIE (x, y) = (0.708, 0.292). We also studied the angular dependence of the above devices and found they were comparable to devices with commercial emitters for the Digital Cinema Initiative P3 (DCI‐P3) standard that had a wider FWHM. Combining these green and red emitters with a commercial blue OLED at (0.131, 0.046), we are able to cover 97% of the BT.2020 color gamut. The results using DGD and DRD‐II suggest that they have great potential to satisfy BT.2020 in an organic phosphorescent system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nucleoside diphosphate kinases (NDPKs) are multifunctional proteins that regulate a variety of eukaryotic cellular activities, including cell proliferation, development, and differentiation. NDPK2 regulates the expression of antioxidant genes in plants. In a previous study, the Arabidopsis thaliana NDPK2 gene ( AtNDPK2 ) was found to be associated with H 2 O 2 -mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana . Proteins from transgenic plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 showed higher levels of autophosphorylation and NDPK activity and lower levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) than those of wild-type (WT) plants. Therefore, constitutive overexpression of AtNDPK2 in Arabidopsis plants conferred enhanced tolerance to multiple environmental stresses that elicit ROS accumulation in situ . In this study, we cloned the Populus trichocarpa NDPK2 gene and analyzed its molecular structure and function. We generated and evaluated transgenic poplar plants expressing the PtNDPK2 gene under the control of the 35S promoter to achieve enhanced tolerance to various abiotic stresses. Transgenic poplar plants showed enhanced tolerance to salt and drought stress at the whole-plant level. The transgenic poplar plants showed significantly greater tolerance to 200 mM NaCl and drought stresses than WT poplar plants. In addition, the transgenic plants exhibited better growth due to increased expression of auxin-related indole acetic acid genes under normal growth conditions compared with WT plants. Our results suggest that induction of PtNDPK2 overexpression in poplars will be useful for increasing biomass production in the presence of various abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B-cell activating factor (BAFF) from the TNF family is critical for B-cell survival and maturation. In this study, we identified a Yangtze alligator ( Alligator sinensis , Alligatoridae) BAFF cDNA, designated as asBAFF, using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The open reading frame of this cDNA encodes a 287-amino acid protein containing a predicted transmembrane domain and a furin protease cleavage site, similar to mammalian and avian BAFF. The amino acid identity between biologically soluble asBAFF (assBAFF) and csBAFF, hsBAFF, and msBAFF is 94, 76, and 71%, respectively. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that the asBAFF gene is strongly expressed in the spleen. Since BAFF is always expressed as inclusion bodies in bacteria, it is difficult to purify. To enhance the soluble expression of assBAFF in Escherichia coli , we fused the extracellular region of the asBAFF gene to a small ubiquitin-related modifier gene (SUMO). Purified assBAFF was able to promote the survival of splenic lymphocytes and co-stimulate the proliferation of mouse B cells with anti-mouse IgM. These findings suggest that asBAFF plays an important role in the survival and proliferation of Yangtze alligator B cells, and because it is evolutionarily highly conserved, functional cross-reactivity exists between mammalian and Yangtze alligator BAFF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gain-of-function and loss-of-function mutations in Nav1.7 cause chronic pain and pain insensitivity, respectively. The preferential expression of Nav1.7 in the peripheral nervous system and its role in human pain signaling make Nav1.7 a promising target for next-generation pain therapeutics. However, pharmacological agents have not fully recapitulated these pain phenotypes, and because of the lack of subtype-selective molecular modulators, the role of Nav1.7 in the perception of pain remains poorly understood. Scorpion venom is an excellent source of bioactive peptides that modulate various ion channels, including voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels. Here, we demonstrate that Buthus martensii Karsch scorpion venom (BV) elicits pain responses in mice through direct enhancement of Nav1.7 activity and have identified Makatoxin-3, an α-like toxin, as a critical component for BV-mediated effects on Nav1.7. Blocking other Nav subtypes did not eliminate BV-evoked pain responses, supporting the pivotal role of Nav1.7 in BV-induced pain. Makatoxin-3 acts on the S3-S4 loop of voltage sensor domain IV (VSD4) of Nav1.7, which causes a hyperpolarizing shift in the steady-state fast inactivation and impairs inactivation kinetics. We also determined the key residues and structure-function relationships for the toxin-channel interactions, which are distinct from those of other well-studied α toxins. This study not only reveals a new mechanism underlying BV-evoked pain but also enriches our knowledge of key structural elements of scorpion toxins that are pivotal for toxin-Nav1.7 interactions, which facilitates the design of novel Nav1.7 selective modulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raman spectroscopy (RS) has been used in clinical diagnostics, tissue engineering, and toxicology experiments owing to its label‐free, low‐destructive, high sensitivity, and strong specificity. Nonetheless, their application has been limited because of the integrated analysis of biological experimental methods and RS. In this study, it was challenged that applied RS in combination with biological experiments to distinguish colorectal cancer (CC) cells from which treated with artesunate (ART), which has obvious antitumor effects. Heavy water (D2O) was used to detect changes in colorectal cancer cell metabolism. The Raman spectral intensity of the C–D band at 2100–2300 cm−1 was significantly weakened in CC (SW480, SW620, and HCT116) treated with ART. According to the CCK‐8, wound healing, and Transwell assays, the activity of SW480 and SW620 cells was significantly inhibited by ART. Through literature tracking and transcriptome sequencing, multiple signal pathways of SW480 and SW620 cells have changed significantly after treatment with ART, such as "apoptotic signaling pathway," "cell cycle phase transition," "mitochondrial part," and "mRNA metabolic process." The Raman peak area significantly decreased at 490 cm−1, 746 cm−1, 1126 cm−1, 1311 cm−1, 1337 cm−1, and 1582 cm−1 in SW480 and SW620 cells treated with ART. It showed that these Raman bands are associated with ART‐induced apoptosis‐related signaling pathways. In addition, we found that application of the RS in cell type identification will be prosperous. By integrating RS with biological mechanisms, its application in the biomedical field is increasing, and its significance in biological sample detection has become more prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain management represents a serious healthcare problem worldwide. The use of opioid analgesics for pain has always been hampered by their side effects; in particular, the addictive liability associated with chronic use. Finding a morphine replacement has been a long-standing goal in the field of analgesia. In traditional Chinese medicine, processed Buthus martensii Karsch (BmK) scorpion has been used as a painkiller to treat chronic inflammatory arthritis and spondylitis, so called "Scorpio-analgesia". However, the molecular basis and the underline mechanism for the Scorpio-analgesia are still unclear. The study aims to investigate the molecular basis of "Scorpio analgesia" and identify novel analgesics from BmK scorpion. In this study, the analgesic abilities were determined using formalin-, acetic acid- and complete Freund's adjuvant-induced pain models. The effect of BmK venom and processed BmK venom on Nav1.7 were detected by whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings on HEK293-hNav1.7 stable cell line. Action potentials in Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons induced by Makatoxin-3-R58A were recorded in current-clamp mode. The content of Makatoxin-3 was detected using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on the Makatoxin-3 antibody. High performance liquid chromatography, western blot and circular dichroism spectroscopy were used to analysis the stability of Makatoxin-3. Here we demonstrate that Makatoxin-3, an α-like toxin in BmK scorpion venom targeting Nav1.7 is the critical component in Scorpio-analgesia. The analgesic effect of Makatoxin-3 could not be reversed by naloxone and is more potent than Nav1.7-selective inhibitors and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in inflammatory models. Moreover, a R58A mutant of Makatoxin-3 is capable of eliciting analgesia effect without inducing pain response. This study advances ion channel biology and proposes Nav1.7 agonists, rather than the presumed Nav1.7-only blockers, for non-narcotic relief of chronic pain. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]