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This paper mainly studies the gradient-based Jacobi-type algorithms to maximize two classes of homogeneous polynomials with orthogonality constraints, and establish their convergence properties. For the first class of homogeneous polynomials subject to a constraint on a Stiefel manifold, we reformulate it as an optimization problem on a unitary group, which makes it possible to apply the gradient-based Jacobi-type (Jacobi-G) algorithm. Then, if the subproblem can always be represented as a quadratic form, we establish the global convergence of Jacobi-G under any one of three conditions. The convergence result for the first condition is an easy extension of the result by Usevich, Li, and Comon [SIAM J. Optim. 30 (2020), pp. 2998–3028], while other two conditions are new ones. This algorithm and the convergence properties apply to the well-known joint approximate symmetric tensor diagonalization. For the second class of homogeneous polynomials subject to constraints on the product of Stiefel manifolds, we reformulate it as an optimization problem on the product of unitary groups, and then develop a new gradient-based multiblock Jacobi-type (Jacobi-MG) algorithm to solve it. We establish the global convergence of Jacobi-MG under any one of the above three conditions, if the subproblem can always be represented as a quadratic form. This algorithm and the convergence properties are suitable to the well-known joint approximate tensor diagonalization. As the proximal variants of Jacobi-G and Jacobi-MG, we also propose the Jacobi-GP and Jacobi-MGP algorithms, and establish their global convergence without any further condition. Some numerical results are provided indicating the efficiency of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virus assembly, which takes place during the late stage of viral replication, is essential for virus propagation. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially for viruses with complicated structures. Here, we use correlative light and electron microscopy to examine the formation of cytoplasmic virion assembly compartments (cVACs) during infection by a γ-herpesvirus. These cVACs are membraneless organelles with liquid-like properties. Formation of cVACs during virus infection is mediated by ORF52, an abundant tegument protein. ORF52 undergoes liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), which is promoted by both DNA and RNA. Disrupting ORF52 phase separation blocks cVACs formation and virion production. These results demonstrate that phase separation of ORF52 is critical for cVACs formation. Our work defines herpesvirus cVACs as membraneless compartments that are generated through a process of LLPS mediated by a tegument protein and adds to the cellular processes that are facilitated by phase separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose generalized inverse power methods with variable shifts for finding the smallest H-/Z-eigenvalue and associated H-/Z-eigenvector of symmetric tensors. The methods are guaranteed to always converge to a H-/Z-eigenpair. Furthermore, for an even order nonsingular symmetric M -tensor, the proposed method with any positive initial point always converges to the smallest H-eigenvalue. Numerical results are reported to illustrate that the proposed methods often can find the smallest H-/Z-eigenvalue instead of other H-/Z-eigenvalues of symmetric tensors. Moreover, we can always get the smallest H-eigenvalue for an even order nonsingular symmetric M -tensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose an ascent algorithm by exploiting the Riemannian gradient, which is to solve the optimization problems with orthogonality constraints. It applies to orthogonal approximation problems of symmetric tensors. The iteration possesses some nice properties and has the same expression as the Polar decomposition. We establish that the global convergence of our algorithm. Preliminary results show that the computational advantage of our algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The real world COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness among the urban underserved Hispanic/Latino populations is unknown. We evaluated the mRNA vaccine effectiveness in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections at a major federally qualified health center in Providence, Rhode Island, and a total of 38,602 patients were included. Time period was used as the SARS-CoV-2 variant proxy. Compared to the unvaccinated group, the adjusted vaccine effectiveness for 2 doses of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 were 94.6% and 97.5% respectively against the alpha variant/wild type, which dropped to 64.8% and 65.0% respectively against the delta variant and 31.6% and 25.6% respectively against the omicron variant. However, once received the booster dose (3rd dose) of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273, the vaccine effectiveness against the omicron variant improved to 79.9% and 71.2% respectively. Improving the COVID-19 vaccine education and encouraging to receive a booster dose may help further reduce the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

User recommendation aims at recommending users with potential interests in the social network. Previous works havemainly focused on the undirected social networks with symmetric relationship such as friendship, whereas recent advances have been made on the asymmetric relationship such as the following and followed by relationship. Among the few existing direction-aware user recommendation methods, the random walk strategy has been widely adopted to extract the asymmetric proximity between users. However, according to our analysis on real-world directed social networks, we argue that the asymmetric proximity captured by existing random walk based methods are insufficient due to the inbalance in-degree and out-degree of nodes. To tackle this challenge, we propose InfoWalk, a novel informative walk strategy to efficiently capture the asymmetric proximity solely based on random walks. By transferring the direction information into the weights of each step, InfoWalk is able to overcome the limitation of edges while simultaneously maintain both the direction and proximity. Based on the asymmetric proximity captured by InfoWalk, we further propose the qualitative (DNE-L) and quantitative (DNE-T) directed network embedding methods, capable of preserving the two properties in the embedding space. Extensive experiments conducted on six real-world benchmark datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed DNE model over several state-of-the-art approaches in various tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although great progress has been made in prognostic outcome prediction, small sample size remains a challenge in obtaining accurate and robust classifiers. We proposed the Rescaled linear square Regression based Least Squares Learning (RRLSL), a jointly developed semi-supervised feature selection and classifier, for predicting prognostic outcome of cancer patients. RRLSL used the least square regression to identify the scale factors and then rank the features in available multiple types of molecular data. We applied the unlabeled multiple molecular data in conjunction with the labeled data to develop a similarity graph. RRLSL produced the constraint with kernel functions to bridge the gap between label information and geometry information from messenger RNA and microRNA expression profiling. Importantly, this semi-supervised model proposed the least squares learning with L2 regularization to develop a semi-supervised classifier. RRLSL suggested the performance improvement in the prognostic outcome prediction and successfully discriminated between the recurrent patients and non-recurrent ones. We also demonstrated that RRLSL improved the accuracy and Area Under the Precision Recall Curve (AUPRC) as compared to the baseline semi-supervised methods. RRLSL is available for a stand-alone software package (https://github.com/ShiMGLab/RRLSL). A short abstract We proposed the Rescaled linear square Regression based Least Squares Learning (RRLSL), a jointly developed semi-supervised feature selection and classifier, for predicting prognostic outcome of cancer patients. RRLSL used the least square regression to identify the scale factors to rank the features in available multiple types of molecular data. RRLSL produced the constraint with kernel functions to bridge the gap between label information and geometry information from messenger RNA and microRNA expression profiling. Importantly, this semi-supervised model proposed the least squares learning with L2 regularization to develop the semi-supervised classifier. RRLSL suggested the performance improvement in the prognostic outcome prediction and successfully discriminated between the recurrent patients and non-recurrent ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grade and stage of bladder tumors is an essential key for diagnosing and treating bladder cancer. This study proposed an automated bladder tumor prediction system to automatically assess the bladder tumor grade and stage automatically on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images. The system included three modules: tumor segmentation, feature extraction and prediction. We proposed a U-ResNet network that automatically extracts morphological and texture features for detecting tumor regions. These features were used in support vector machine (SVM) classifiers to predict the grade and stage. Our proposed method segmented the tumor area and predicted the grade and stage more accurately compared to different methods in our experiments on MRI images. The accuracy of bladder tumor grade prediction was about 70%, and the accuracy of the data set was about 77.5%. The extensive experiments demonstrated the usefulness and effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease. Besides glycemic and blood pressure control, environmental factors such as cigarette smoking (CS) adversely affect the progression of DN. The effects of CS on DN progression have been attributed to combustion-generated molecules without consideration to the role of nicotine (NIC), responsible for the addictive properties of both CS and electronic cigarettes (ECs). Podocytes are essential to preserve the structure and function of the glomerular filtration barrier, and strong evidence indicates that early podocyte loss promotes DN progression. We performed experiments in human podocytes and in a mouse model of diabetes that develops nephropathy resembling human DN. We determined that NIC binding to podocytes in concentrations achieved with CS and ECs activated NADPH oxidase, which sets in motion a dysfunctional molecular network integrated by cyclooxygenase 2, known to induce podocyte injury; downregulation of AMP-activated protein kinase, important for maintaining cellular energy stores and antioxidation; and upregulation of CD36, which increased lipid uptake and promoted apoptosis. In diabetic mice, NIC increased proteinuria, a recognized marker of chronic kidney disease progression, accompanied by reduced glomerular podocyte synaptopodin, a crucial stabilizer of the podocyte cytoskeleton, and increased fibronectin expression. This novel study critically implicates NIC itself as a contributor to DN progression in CS and EC users. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, we demonstrate that nicotine increases the production of reactive oxygen species, increases cyclooxygenase-2 expression, and upregulates Cd36 while inducing downregulation of AMP-activated protein kinase. In vivo nicotine increases proteinuria and fibronectin expression in diabetic mice. This study demonstrates that effects of nicotine on podocytes are responsible, at least in part, for the deleterious effects of smoking in the progression of chronic kidney disease, including diabetic nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel class of high-order energy-preserving algorithms are developed for simulating the coupled Klein-Gordon-Schrödinger equations. We introduce a Lagrange multiplier approach and derive a new system which warrants exactly the original total energy, instead of the modified quadratic energy in the previous energy quadratization approach. The Lagrange system is then reformulated equivalently into an optimization problem subject to PDE constraints. We discretize the optimization system by applying the Gauss collocation method together with the prediction-correction technique in time and the sine pseudo-spectral method in space, which leads to a family of fully discrete high-order energy-preserving schemes. In the numerical experiments, we compare this method with other previous methods and verify the high accuracy as well as its ability to maintain the original energy at each time layer. The feasibility and validity of new method are also witnessed for the KGS model in the nonrelativistic limit regime. Additionally, enlightened by this seminal idea, another type of high-order numerical algorithms conserving two invariants of mass and energy are also presented and relevant experimental results are listed to verify the power of the suggested method. • A linear temporal high-order Lagrange multiplier method is explored. • Numerical scheme is first constructed by discretizing an optimization problem subjected to PDE constraints. • This numerical strategy ensures the conservation of original energy and mass. • Such methodology could be generalized to other conservative systems or the dissipative systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a Cauchy point direction trust region algorithm is presented to solve nonlinear equations. The search direction is an optimal convex combination of the trust region direction and the Cauchy point direction with the sufficiently descent property and the automatic trust region property. The global convergence of the proposed algorithm is proven under some conditions. The preliminary numerical results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is promising and has better convergence behaviors than the other two existing algorithms for solving large-scale nonlinear equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical fertilizers can supply essential nutrients to crops increasing their yield, however, they can also cause serious environmental problems. Biofertilizer has received more and more attention because of its environmentally friendly and pollution-free characteristics. Haloxylon ammodendron, a desert succulent shrub, has become an important plant species for vegetation restoration in several deserts in China because of its strong drought tolerance. Its extensive root systems and unique rhizosphere bacterial community aid H. ammodendron adapt to this extreme environment. In this study, Bacillus sp. WM13-24 and Pseudomonas sp. M30-35 isolated from the rhizosphere of H. ammodendron in our previous study and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens GB03 and Sinorhizobium meliloti ACCC17578 as well-studied beneficial strains were used to prepare two types of biofertilizer, WM13-24 biofertilizer containing Bacillus sp. WM13-24 and integrated biofertilizer containing all the four strains. Results presented here showed that WM13-24 biofertilizer and the integrated biofertilizer improved chili plant growth, fruit yield and quality and the rhizosphere soil nitrogen content, enzyme activities, and the quantity and biodiversity of viable bacteria. Compared to the control, WM13-24 biofertilizer and a commercial biofertilizer, the integrated biofertilizer performed best in significantly increasing plant height, stem diameter, leaf length and width, chlorophyll content, fruit yield, soluble sugar content, ascorbic acid content, organic acid content, soil urease activity, catalase activity and the quantity and biodiversity of viable bacteria. This study provided a theoretical and practical basis for large scale development of integrated biofertilizers using beneficial rhizobacterial strains from the desert plant rhizosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an unsupervised co-segmentation algorithm is proposed, which can be applied to the image with multiple foreground objects simultaneously and the background changes dramatically. The color edge image in RGB space is extracted for semantic extraction. This method can effectively distinguish foreground and background by recursively modeling the appearance distribution of pixels and regions. The coherence of image foreground and background model is enhanced by using the correlation between different image regions and image interior. Experimental results show that deep convolutional neural network can effectively realize semantic classification of scene images by end-to-end feature learning and achieve accurate semantic segmentation of scene images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, we present an inverse iteration algorithm, to find the H-spectral radius and the associated positive eigenvector of a nonnegative weakly irreducible tensor, which always preserve the positivity of approximate eigenvectors. The local quadratical convergence of the proposed algorithm is established based on a basic result of the Newton's method for solving nonlinear equations. Some numerical examples illustrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central-loop TEM sounding data are often interpretead with apparent resistivity as a function of depth. This can quickly give a qualitative understanding of the subsurface resistivity variation. However, when the resistivity contrast between anomalies and background is weak, especially when there is a conductive overburden, the apparent resistivity image is inadequate to quickly and visually identify local anomalies. As an alternative, the apparent resistivity ratios of each measured station to a reference station is proposed as a fast way to identify local conductive anomalies qualitatively. Modeling analyses are carried out on 1D layer model, 2D fault models, and a 3D prism model with conductive overburdens. The results show that the apparent resistivity ratio outperforms the apparent resistivity on intuitively reflecting the target anomaly. As an image enhancement technique, the apparent resistivity ratio performs data transformation on the original apparent resistivity data, normalizing the background response, and highlighting the anomaly. At last, the apparent resistivity ratio method is successfully applied on interpreting a small central-loop TEM survey on investigating karst structure beneath a freshwater river. It provides an alternative simple fast way for interpretation of central loop TEM measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver serine-threonine kinase B1 (LKB1) is a tumor suppressor that has been linked to many types of tumors. However, the role of LKB1 in cartilaginous tumorigenesis is still poorly understood. In this study, we find that cartilage-specific, tamoxifen-inducible Lkb1 knockout results in multiple enchondroma-like lesions adjacent to the disorganized growth plates. We showed that chondrocytes retain an immature status caused by loss of Lkb1, which may lead to the dramatic expansion of growth-plate cartilage and the formation of enchondroma-like lesions. Additionally, increased mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity is observed in the Lkb1 conditional knockout (cKO) chondrocytes, and rapamycin (mTORC1 inhibitor) treatment significantly alleviates the expansion of growth-plate cartilage and eliminates the enchondroma-like lesions in Lkb1 cKO mice. Thus, our findings indicate that loss of Lkb1 leads to the expansion of chondrocytes and the formation of enchondroma-like lesions during postnatal cartilage development, and that the up-regulated mTORC1-signaling pathway is implicated in this process. Our findings suggest that modulation of LKB1 and related signaling is a potential therapy in cartilaginous tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate and sustained effects of static stretching (SS), dynamic stretching (DS) with no-load (DSNL), DS with a light load (DSLL, 0.25 kg), and DS with a heavy load (DSHL, 0.5 kg) on the hip joint range of motion (ROM). Sixteen participants (63.2 ± 7.13 years) were randomly assigned to perform SS, DSNL, DSLL, and DSHL exercises. The ROM for passive flexion and extension of the right hip joint was measured at pretest, as well as immediately after and at 60 min after completing the exercise. Additionally, the ROM of hip flexion and extension during the stretching exercise was evaluated by kinematic analysis of video-captured images. Passive ROM measurements reveals that the hip flexion ROM was higher after DSNL than after DSLL and DSHL at both time points (DSNL vs. DSLL, DSHL: 0 min: 7.0% vs. -1.8%, -3.9%; 60 min: 7.8% vs. -2.1%, -1.4%, p < 0.05), as well as higher than after SS at 60 min after exercise (DSNL vs. SS: 7.8% vs. 1.0%, p < 0.05). Compared to SS, all types of DS demonstrated a more sustained effect of ROM improvement at 60 min (DSNL, DSLL, DSHL vs. SS: 8.0%, 5.6%, 7.0% vs. 1.6%, p < 0.05). These results suggest that all DS modes can effectively improve hip extension ROM in the elderly. DSNL may be the most effective exercise for improving hip flexion ROM, providing sustained effect for over 60 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mid-infrared laser spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool for trace gases detection. In this study, a spectroscopic system based on an external cavity quantum cascade laser (ECQCL) and quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) was developed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) measurements. Primary laboratory test on ethanol spectroscopy was investigated and compared with traditional direct absorption spectroscopy (DAS). Experimental results show that the proposed QEPAS is more sensitive than the conventional DAS method. In addition, the significant linear dependence of photoacoustic signal on sample pressures and laser operating parameters was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China launched its national carbon emissions trading scheme (ETS) in 2017. The choice of allowance allocation methods can strongly influence the political acceptance of an ETS by enterprises/sectors that are covered by it. This article builds a computable general equilibrium model to conduct a quantitative analysis of the effects of nine common allowance allocation methods on both the macro-economy and the industries covered by the ETS. The results of the model show that national gross domestic product (GDP) decreases by 0.37-0.44% during the 13th Five-Year Plan period against a backdrop of a 2% annual reduction in carbon emissions from the sectors covered by the ETS compared with the business-as-usual scenario. China's total emissions drop by 1.71-1.76%. When auctioning and allocation approaches without ex-post adjustment are used, the allowance price is 40-45 yuan/tCO2. When the dynamic allocation methods are used, the allowance price increases to 70-75 yuan/tCO2. Auctioning and allocation approaches without ex-post adjustment exert the same influence on macroscopic indicators (such as GDP and total emissions) and industry indicators (such as output and price). The dynamic allocation methods have a subsidy effect, which can significantly reduce the effect of the ETS on GDP and industry output while significantly increasing the allowance price and decreasing the economic efficiency of the ETS. The cement and steel industries are the most sensitive to the output subsidy effect of the dynamic allocation methods. This article suggests a limit on the use of dynamic allocation approaches to avoid excessively high allowance prices and excessive subsidies for overcapacity industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C12H15N3S, orthorhombic, Pbca (no. 61), a = 11.9612(5) Å, b = 8.1215(3) Å, c = 27.5865(12) Å, V = 2679.83(19) Å3, Z = 8, Rgt(F) = 0.0520, wRref(F2) = 0.1514, T = 293(2) K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The roles of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt and polyamine (PA) degradation pathway on GABA accumulation were investigated in fresh tea leaves under anaerobic and aerobic sequential incubations. The GABA accumulation was mainly completed in the first anaerobic incubation through the interaction of the GABA shunt with the PA degradation pathway. When treated with aminoguanidine, the diamine oxidase and polyamine oxidase activities were almost completely inhibited, and the GABA contents decreased by 40.7%, 46.4%, 41.0% and 37.5% in the tea leaves of the four cultivars ‘Fuyun No. 6’, ‘Fudingdabai’, ‘Longjing No. 43’ and ‘Pingyangtezao’, respectively. The glutamate decarboxylase activity decreased significantly, and the accumulation of GABA may increase or decrease because of varietal differences, which occurred mainly relying on the PA degradation pathway during the second anaerobic incubation. Thus, approximately 37%–47% of the GABA formed in fresh tea leaves under hypoxia was supplied by the PA pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of graphene on the Faraday rotation (FR) in dielectrics/antiferromagnetic photonic crystals (D/AF PCs) is investigated by using the forth-order transfer matrix, in which the graphene (Gr) is embedded on the surface of AF. When the incident light is vertical to the surface of D/Gr/AF PCs, Gr will present anisotropic properties, in which the optical conductivity is characterized by the tensor. The numerical simulations show that the FR angle almost is enhanced by one order compared with the ones of D/AF PCs when the number of D/Gr/AF in the PC is 9. In addition, the maxima and positions of the FR angles can be adjusted by changing the external magnetic field strength. On the other hand, the effects of the Fermi energy of Gr on the FR also are discussed since it can be tuned by controlling the applied back-gate voltage. These results may be valuable in the design of THz devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standard BFGS method plays an important role among the quasi-Newton algorithms for constrained/un-constrained optimization problems. However, Dai (2003) constructed a counterexample to demonstrate that this method may fail for non-convex functions with inexact Wolfe line searches, and Mascarenhas (2004) showed the nonconvergence of this method and other methods in the Broyden family, even with exact line search techniques. These works motivate us to try to find another way to obtain another quasi-Newton method with better convergence based on the standard BFGS formula. In this paper, four approaches are used in the designed algorithm: (1) a modified weak Wolfe–Powell line search technique is introduced; (2) if one defined condition is satisfied, then the search direction and its associated step length are accepted, and the next point is designed; (3) otherwise, a parabolic will be presented, and it is regarded as the projection surface to avoid using the failed direction, and the next point x k + 1 is generated by a projection technique; and (4) to easily obtain the global convergence of the proposed algorithm, the projection point is not used in the current BFGS update but rather for all the next iterations. The new algorithm possesses global convergence for general functions under the inexact modified weak Wolfe–Powell line search technique, and it is shown that other methods in the Broyden class also have this property. Numerical results are reported to show the performance of the given algorithm and other similar methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we used the life-cycle analysis (LCA) method to evaluate the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of natural gas (NG) distributed generation (DG) projects in China. We took the China Resources Snow Breweries (CRSB) NG DG project in Sichuan province of China as a base scenario and compared its life cycle energy consumption and GHG emissions performance against five further scenarios. We found the CRSB DG project (all energy input is NG) can reduce GHG emissions by 22%, but increase energy consumption by 12% relative to the scenario, using coal combined with grid electricity as an energy input. The LCA also indicated that the CRSB project can save 24% of energy and reduce GHG emissions by 48% relative to the all-coal scenario. The studied NG-based DG project presents major GHG emissions reduction advantages over the traditional centralized energy system. Moreover, this reduction of energy consumption and GHG emissions can be expanded if the extra electricity from the DG project can be supplied to the public grid. The action of combining renewable energy into the NG DG system can also strengthen the dual merit of energy conservation and GHG emissions reduction. The marginal CO2 abatement cost of the studied project is about 51 USD/ton CO2 equivalent, which is relatively low. Policymakers are recommended to support NG DG technology development and application in China and globally to boost NG utilization and control GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the Hager and Zhang (HZ) conjugate gradient (CG) method and the modified HZ (MHZ) CG method are presented for large-scale nonsmooth convex minimization. Under some mild conditions, convergent results of the proposed methods are established. Numerical results show that the presented methods can be better efficiency for large-scale nonsmooth problems, and several problems are tested (with the maximum dimensions to 100,000 variables). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The elimination of malaria requires high-quality surveillance data to enable rapid detection and response to individual cases. Evaluation of the performance of a national malaria surveillance system could identify shortcomings which, if addressed, will improve the surveillance program for malaria elimination. Methods: Case-level data for the period 2005-2014 were extracted from the China National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting Information System and Malaria Enhanced Surveillance Information System. The occurrence of cases, accuracy and timeliness of case diagnosis, reporting and investigation, were assessed and compared between the malaria control stage (2005-2010) and elimination stage (2011-2014) in mainland China. Results: A total of 210 730 malaria cases were reported in mainland China in 2005-2014. The average annual incidence declined dramatically from 2.5 per 100 000 people at the control stage to 0.2 per 100 000 at the elimination stage, but the proportion of migrant cases increased from 9.8 % to 41.0 %. Since the initiation of the National Malaria Elimination Programme in 2010, the overall proportion of cases diagnosed by laboratory testing consistently improved, with the highest of 99.0 % in 2014. However, this proportion was significantly lower in non-endemic provinces (79.0 %) than that in endemic provinces (91.4 %) during 2011-2014. The median interval from illness onset to diagnosis was 3 days at the elimination stage, with one day earlier than that at the control stage. Since 2011, more than 99 % cases were reported within 1 day after being diagnosed, while the proportion of cases that were reported within one day after diagnosis was lowest in Tibet (37.5 %). The predominant source of cases reporting shifted from town-level hospitals at the control stage (67.9 % cases) to city-level hospitals and public health institutes at the eliminate stage (69.4 % cases). The proportion of investigation within 3 days after case reporting has improved, from 74.6 % in 2010 to 98.5 % in 2014. Conclusions: The individual case-based malaria surveillance system in China operated well during the malaria elimination stage. This ensured that malaria cases could be diagnosed, reported and timely investigated at local level. However, domestic migrants and overseas populations, as well as cases in the historically malarial non-endemic areas and hard-to-reach area are new challenges in the surveillance for malaria elimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by the accumulation of circulating immature blasts that exhibit uncontrolled growth, lack the ability to undergo normal differentiation, and have decreased sensitivity to apoptosis. Accumulating evidence shows the bone marrow (BM) niche is critical to the maintenance and retention of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), including leukemia stem cells (LSC), and an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that crosstalk between LSC and the stromal cells associated with this niche greatly influences leukemia initiation, progression, and response to therapy. Undeniably, stromal cells in the BM niche provide a sanctuary in which LSC can acquire a drug-resistant phenotype and thereby evade chemotherapyinduced death. Yin and Yang, the ancient Chinese philosophical concept, vividly portrays the intricate and dynamic interactions between LSC and the BM niche. In fact, LSC-induced microenvironmental reprogramming contributes significantly to leukemogenesis. Thus, identifying the critical signaling pathways involved in these interactions will contribute to target optimization and combinatorial drug treatment strategies to overcome acquired drug resistance and prevent relapse following therapy. In this review, we describe some of the critical signaling pathways mediating BM niche-LSC interaction, including SDF1/CXCL12, Wnt/β-catenin, VCAM/VLA-4/NF-κB, CD44, and hypoxia as a newly-recognized physical determinant of resistance, and outline therapeutic strategies for overcoming these resistance factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To describe the epidemiologic profile and trends of imported malaria, and to identify the populations at risk of malaria in China during 2010-2014. Methods: This is a descriptive analysis of laboratory confirmed malaria cases during 2010-2014. Data were obtained from surveillance reports in the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP). The distribution of imported malaria cases over the years was analysed with X²2 for trend analysis test. All important demographic and epidemiologic variables of imported malaria cases were analysed. Results: Malaria incidence in general reduced greatly in China, while the proportion of Plasmodium falciparum increased threefold from 0.08 to 0.21 per 100,000 population during the period 2010-2014. Of a total 17,725 malaria cases reported during the study period, 11,331 (64%) were imported malaria and included an increasing trend: 292 (6%), 2103 (63%), 2151 (84%), 3881 (96%), 2904 (97%), respectively, (X² = 2110.70, p < 0.01). The majority of malaria cases (imported and autochthonous) were adult (16,540, 93%), male (15,643, 88%), and farming as an occupation (11,808, 66%). Some 3027 (94%) of imported malaria cases had labour-related travel history during the study period; 90% (6340/7034) of P. falciparum infections were imported into China from Africa, while 77% of Plasmodium vivax infections (2440/3183) originated from Asia. Conclusions: Malaria elimination in China faces the challenge of imported malaria, especially imported P. falciparum. Malaria prevention activities should target exported labour groups given the increasing number of workers returning from overseas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Venous malformation (VM) is a common vascular malformation in soft tissue. Its morphological and draining features, relationship with main vein, and hemodynamics in the lesion are not completely clear till now. Above information is important for choice of treatment. Methods: From January 2012 to December 2013, 23 patients were enrolled into this study. Percutaneous puncture into the lesion was made and contrast media was injected into venous sinus. Immediately after that CT scan was performed, and repeated several minutes later. Then three-dimensional imaging was performed to show the morphology and draining veins of VMs, and the relevant main veins. The hemodynamics in the lesion was also evaluated. Results: All patients underwent successful examination. Three-dimensional imaging showed an irregular shape of VM. Based on the draining features, VMs were classified into three types: (1) Type I (7/23): malformation without visible draining vein; (2) Type II (10/23): malformation with normal draining vein; (3) Type III (6/23): malformation with abnormal dilated draining vein. The flow in type I VMs was slow. Contrast media retained in the lesion for more than 1 day. The flow in type III VMs was fast. Contrast media flowed away rapidly. The flow of type II VMs was between type I and type III. According to above information and adjacent anatomy, all patients received suitable treatment, including sclerotherapy with absolute ethanol and bleomycin A5, intralesional copper wires retention, surgical removal, and combinational therapy of the above methods. Conclusions: This procedure can clearly show the morphological and draining features of VM and its relationship with main vein, and further evaluate the hemodynamics in the lesion, which are helpful for the choice of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using NCEP reanalysis data, high-altitude and ground observation data, numerical model data, satellite and radar data, formation cause and forecast deviation of an extreme rainstorm process in Changsha urban area at night on June 9, 2020 were analyzed. The results showed that (1) the extreme rainstorm process developed near the surface convergence line, with strong localization, short duration and large hourly rainfall intensity. (2) Under the high temperature and high humidity environment, the low-level Cold advection and the hot low-pressure system interacted, and the potential convective unstable energy was released, and a strong convective weather was formed. (3) The convergence of water vapor in the lower layer and the strong upward movement provided sufficient water vapor for the rainstorm. The low-centroid thunderstorm was the main reason for the extreme rainstorm. (4) The forecast deviation of the numerical model to the low-level shear line and the mesoscale convergence line was an important reason for the forecast deviation of the heavy rainfall area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We have previously shown that in hypertensive Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats, impaired endotheliumdependent relaxation to acetylcholine and to insulin is mechanistically linked to up-regulation of angiotensin (Ang) II actions and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and to activation of the proinflammatory transcription factor (NF)κB. Here we investigated whether Ang II activation of NFκB contributed to insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle of this animal model. Methods: DS rats were fed either a normal (NS, 0.5% NaCl) or high (HS, 4% NaCl) salt diet for 6 weeks. In addition, 3 separate groups of HS rats were given angiotensin receptor 1 blocker candesartan (ARB, 10 mg/kg/day in drinking water), antioxidant tempol (1 mmol/L in drinking water) or NFκB inhibitor PDTC (150 mg/kg in drinking water). Results: DS rats manifested an increase in soleus muscle Ang II content, ROS production and phosopho-IκBα/IκBα ratio, ARB or tempol reduced ROS and phospho-IκBα/IκBα ratio. Hypertensive DS rats also manifested a reduction in glucose infusion rate, impaired insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation and Glut-4 translocation in the soleus muscle, which were prevented with treatment of either ARB, tempol, or PDTC. Data from the rat diabetes signaling pathway PCR array showed that 8 genes among 84 target genes were altered in the muscle of hypertensive rats with the increase in gene expression of ACE1 and 5 proinflammatory genes, and decrease of 2 glucose metabolic genes. Incubation of the muscle with NFκB SN50 (a specific peptide inhibitor of NFκB) ex vivo reversed changes in hypertension-induced gene expression. Conclusion: The current findings strongly suggest that the activation of NFκB inflammatory pathway by Ang II play a critical role in skeletal muscle insulin resistance in salt-sensitive hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ganoderic acids (GAs) produced by Ganoderma lucidum exhibit antitumor and antimetastasis activities. This study aimed to improve the production of individual GAs by engineering the biosynthetic pathway of GAs in G. lucidum through the overexpression of squalene synthase (SQS) gene. SQS catalyzes the first enzymatic step from the mevalonate pathway toward triterpene biosynthesis. The effects of SQS gene overexpression on the accumulation of individual GAs and their intermediates (squalene and lanosterol) by a submerged culture of G. lucidum and on the transcription levels of GA biosynthesis genes in this mushroom were investigated. The maximum contents of GA-Mk, GA-T, GA-Me, and GA-S in G. lucidum overexpressing the SQS gene were 16, 40, 43, and 53µg/100mg dry cell weight, respectively, which were 2.86-, 2.67-, 1.95-, and 1.25-fold of those obtained in wild-type strain (WT). The maximum contents of squalene and lanosterol in the SQS gene-overexpression strain were 1.55- and 1.68-fold higher than those of the WT strain. The transcription levels of the biosynthetic genes encoding SQS and lanosterol synthase were up-regulated by 15.6- and 1.93-fold, respectively, in G. lucidum overexpressing the SQS gene, suggesting that increased GA biosynthesis may result from a higher expression of those genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three labdane-type [multisins A–C (1 – 3)], two guaiane-type [multisins D (4) and E (5)], and one eudesmane-type [multisin F (6)] previously undescribed terpenoids, together with 14 mono- (7 – 20) and seven dimeric- (21 – 27) known terpenoids, were isolated from the 90% MeOH extract of the whole plant of Chloranthus multistachys. Their structures and absolute configurations were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compounds 4 and 5 are rare trinor-sesquiterpenes with a de-isopropyl guaiane skeleton, whereas compound 6 is a rearranged dinor-eudesmene featuring an uncommon octahydro-1 H -indene ring system. Among the isolates, the dimeric lindenane sesquiterpenoid shizukaol C (25) exhibited the most potent (IC 50 = 8.04 μM) anti-neuroinflammatory activity by inhibiting the nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine BV-2 microglial cells. [Display omitted] • A phytochemical reinvestigation on the herb Chloranthus multistachys was reported. • Six previously undescribed di−/sesqui-terpenoids (multisins A–F) were identified. • Multisins D/E are rare trinor-sesquiterpenes with a de-isopropyl guaiane skeleton. • Multisin F is an unusual dinor-eudesmane featuring a rearranged ring system. • Shizukaol C exhibited relatively the most potent anti-neuroinflammatory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke is currently the leading cause of functional impairments worldwide. Folate supplementation is inversely associated with risk of ischemic stroke. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an important enzyme involved in folate metabolism. The aim of this study is to examine whether genetic variants in MTHFR gene are associated with the risk of ischemic stroke and fasting total serum homocysteine (tHcy) level. We genotyped nine tag SNPs in the MTHFR gene in a case-control study, including 543 ischemic stroke cases and 655 healthy controls in China. We found that subjects with the rs1801133 TT genotype and rs1801131 CC genotype had significant increased risks of ischemic stroke (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.27-2.61, p = 0.004; adjusted OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.12-3.56, p = 0.01) compared with subjects with the major alleles. Haplotype analysis also found that carriers of the MTHFR CTTCGA haplotype (rs12121543-rs13306553-rs9651118-rs1801133-rs2274976-rs1801131) had a significant reduced risk of ischemic stroke (adjusted OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35-0.82) compared with those with the CTTTGA haplotype. Besides, the MTHFR rs1801133 and rs9651118 were significantly associated with serum levels of tHcy in healthy controls (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.02). These findings suggest that variants in the MTHFR gene may influence the risk of ischemic stroke and serum tHcy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insulin resistance and hypertension are considered as prototypical "diseases of civilization" that are manifested in the modern environment as plentiful food and sedentary life. The human propensity for insulin resistance and hypertension is a product, at least in part, of our evolutionary history. Adaptation to ancient lifestyle characterized by a low sodium, lowcalorie food supply and physical stress to injury response has driven our evolution to shape and preserve a thrifty genotype, which is favorite with energy-saving and sodium conservation. As our civilization evolved, a sedentary lifestyle and sodium- and energy-rich diet, the thrifty genotype is no longer advantageous, and may be maladaptive to disease phenotype, such as hypertension, obesity and insulin resistance syndrome. This article reviews human evolution and the impact of the modern environment on hypertension and insulin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the one step facile synthesis of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) by unzipping carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from glucose (C6H12O6) precursor, using a simple chemical vapor deposition method. Some nanotubes are partially cut resulting in a GNR–CNT hybrid whereas others are fully cut to form GNRs. The average length of GNRs achieved by this method is typically in the range of 1–10 μm. The formation of GNRs is ascribed to the in situ oxygen-driven unzipping of CNTs. The process is free from aggressive oxidants and utilizes the in situ unzipping. This method offers an alternative approach for making GNRs, compared to previously used techniques to synthesize GNRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The positive definiteness of an even degree homogeneous polynomial plays an important role in the stability study of nonlinear autonomous systems via Lyapunov's direct method in automatic control, the detection of P or P 0 tensor in tensor complementarity problems and spectral hypergraph theory, and more. Owing to the positive definiteness of an even degree homogeneous polynomial is equivalent to that of an even order symmetric tensor. In this paper, we propose a shifted inverse power method for computing tensor Z-eigenpairs, which can be viewed as a generalization of the inverse power method for matrices case. We also formulate it as a fixed point iteration form, and reveal that the relationship between the fixed points and the Z-eigenvectors of symmetric tensors. The advantages of the proposed method are simple operations and readily comprehensible convergence analysis. An efficient initialization strategy is also developed, which makes the proposed method converges to a better solution compared to not using the initialization strategy. Finally, we present applications of the proposed method in nonlinear autonomous systems, the detection of P or P 0 tensor and symmetric tensor Z-eigenproblems, some numerical results are reported to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry working in multiple reaction monitoring mode, an analytical method has been established to simultaneously determine flavonol glycosides, terpene lactones, biflavones, proanthocyanidins, and ginkgolic acids in Ginkgo biloba leaves. Chromatographic separation was carried out on an Acquity BEH C18 column (100 mm x 2.1mm, 1.7 μm) with gradient elution of acetonitrile and 0.10% formic acid (v/v) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min, and column temperature 30°C. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, stability, and sensitivity. The optimized method was successfully applied to analyze twenty-two G. biloba leaf samples of fruit cultivars collected from different places in China. Furthermore, hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) was performed to evaluate and classify the samples according to the contents of the twenty-four chemical constituents. All of the results demonstrated that the developed method was useful for the overall evaluation of the quality of G. biloba leaves, and this study was also helpful for the comprehensive utilization and development of G. biloba resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects boys more than girls, is often associated with altered levels of monoamines (serotonin and catecholamines), especially elevated serotonin levels. The monoamines act as both neurotransmitters and signaling molecules in the gastrointestinal and immune systems. The evidence related to monoamine metabolism may be summarized as follows: (i) monoamine neurotransmitters are enzymatically degraded/inactivated by three mechanisms: oxidative deamination, methylation, and sulfation. The latter two are limited by the supply of methyl groups and sulfate, respectively. (ii) A decrease in methylation- and sulfation-mediated monoamine inactivation can be compensated by an increase in the oxidative deamination catalyzed by monoamine oxidase, an X-linked enzyme exhibiting higher activity in females than in males. (iii) Vitamins can, on one hand, facilitate the synthesis of monoamine neurotransmitters and, on the other hand, inhibit their inactivation by competing for methylation and sulfation. Therefore, we postulate that excess multivitamin feeding in early infancy, which has become very popular over the past few decades, may be a potential risk factor for disturbed monoaminemetabolism. In this paper, we will focus on the relationship between excess multivitamin exposure and the inactivation/degradation of monoamine neurotransmitters and its possible role in the development of autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Winter wheat is one of major grain crops in China. To scientifically map cropping patterns, it is very important to understand the area of its viable cultivation zone in China. Based on published data, geographical information, national climate data, and the MaxEnt model, the relationship between the distribution of the winter wheat cultivation zone and climate was established. The main indices controlling the distribution of the winter wheat cultivation zone were analyzed to reveal climatic suitability. The main controls on winter wheat distribution in China were: the negative accumulation of daily mean temperatures below 0°C during winter (i.e., negative accumulated temperature), annual mean extreme minimum temperatures, potential evapotranspiration, and annual precipitation. For winter wheat to safely survive the winter, the negative accumulated temperature should be higher than −700°C, and the annual mean extreme minimum temperature should be higher than −30°C. Climate suitability classification of the winter wheat cultivation zone was mapped, based on the MaxEnt probability distribution of winter wheat. Former studies indicated that the northeast boundary of the winter wheat cultivation zone is the south of Liaoning Province, and our study indicated that the northeast boundary of the winter wheat cultivation zone is the north of Heilongjiang Province; former studies indicated that the northwest boundary of the winter wheat cultivation zone is the south of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and our study indicated that the northwest boundary of the winter wheat cultivation zone is the north of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Our study describes a suitable winter wheat cultivation zone in China and the northern boundary of winter wheat cultivation, and it will be helpful for guiding the cultivation of Chinese winter wheat. Based on our climatic indices and their threshold determining the distribution of winter wheat, it will be helpful for gaining a scientific understanding of the effects of climate change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plant phenology models, especially leafing models, play critical roles in evaluating the impact of climate change on the primary production of temperate plants. Existing models based on temperature alone could not accurately simulate plant leafing in arid and semi-arid regions. The objective of the present study was to test the suitability of the existing temperature-based leafing models in arid and semi-arid regions, and to develop a temperature-precipitation based leafing model (TP), based on the long-term (i.e., 12-27 years) ground leafing observation data and meteorological data in Northeast China. The better simulation of leafing for all the plant species in Northeast China was given by TP with the fixed starting date (TPn) than with the parameterized starting date (TPm), which gave the smallest average root mean square error (RMSE) of 4.21 days. Tree leafing models were validated with independent data, and the coefficient of determination (R2) was greater than 0.60 in 75% of the estimates by TP and the spring warming model (SW) with the fixed starting date. The average RMSE of herb leafing simulated by TPn was 5.03 days, much lower than other models (>9.51 days), while the average R2 of TPn and TPm were 0.68 and 0.57, respectively, much higher than the other models (<0.22). It indicates that TPn is a universal model and more suitable for simulating leafing of trees and herbs than the prior models. Furthermore, water is an important factor determining herb leafing in arid and semi-arid temperate regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To present rare benign orbital tumors with bone destruction in children who could not be diagnosed presurgically and may simulate malignant ones. Methods: A retrospective review of cases. Clinical, operative and pathological records in all children with a diagnosis of benign orbital tumors who showed remarkable bone destruction at a tertiary Ophthalmic Center in China between Jan 1, 2000 and Dec 31, 2009 were reviewed. All patients had definitive histopathologic diagnosis. Results: Eight patients with benign orbital tumors showed obvious bone destruction, including six cases of eosinophilic granuloma, one case of leiomyoma and one case of primary orbital intraosseous hemangioma. Among them, three patients were females and five patients were males. Tumors were unilateral in all cases, with both the right and left side affected equally. Age ranged from 3 to 7 years (mean 4.1 years). Symptom duration ranged from 1 to 5 weeks (mean 4.8 weeks). Eyelid swelling and palpable mass were the most common complaint. There was no evidence for multifocal involvement in cases with eosinophilic granuloma. Among six patients with eosinophilic granuloma, two were treated with low dose radiation (10 Gy), three received systemic corticosteroid and one was periodically observed only after incisional biopsy or subtotal curettage. There was no postoperative therapeutic intervention in the two patients with leiomyoma and intraosseous hemangioma. All eight patients regained normal vision without local recurrence after a mean follow-up time of 32.8 months. Conclusion: Benign orbital tumors such as isolated eosinophilic granuloma, leiomyoma and primary orbital intraosseous hemangioma may show remarkable bone destruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The body's total antioxidant capacity represents a sum of the antioxidant capacity of various tissues/organs. A decrease in the body's antioxidant capacity may induce oxidative stress and subsequent metabolic syndrome, a clustering of risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The skin, the largest organ of the body, is one of the major components of the body's total antioxidant defense system, primarily through its xenobiotic/drug biotransformation system, reactive oxygen species-scavenging system, and sweat glands- and sebaceous glands-mediated excretion system. Notably, unlike other contributors, the skin contribution is variable, depending on lifestyles and ambient temperature or seasonal variations. Emerging evidence suggests that decreased skin's antioxidant and excretory functions (e.g., due to sedentary lifestyles and low ambient temperature) may increase the risk for metabolic syndrome. This review focuses on the relationship between the variability of skin-mediated detoxification and elimination of exogenous and endogenous toxic substances and the development of metabolic syndrome. The potential role of sebum secretion in lipid and cholesterol homeostasis and its impact on metabolic syndrome, and the association between skin disorders (acanthosis nigricans, acne, and burn) and metabolic syndrome are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increases in cancer cells during hypoxia. Herein, we report that the MDM2 oncoprotein plays a role in hypoxia-mediated VEGF upregulation. In studying the characteristics of MDM2 and VEGF expression in neuroblastoma cells, we found that hypoxia induced significantly higher upregulation of both VEGF mRNA and protein in MDM2- positive cells than in the MDM2-negative cells, even in cells without wild-type (wt) p53. We found that hypoxia induced translocation of MDM2 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, which was associated with increased VEGF expression. Enforcing overexpression of cytoplasmic MDM2 by transfection of the mutant MDM2/166A enhanced expression of VEGF mRNA and protein production, even without hypoxia. The results of mechanistic studies demonstrated that the C-terminal RING domain of the MDM2 protein bound to the AU-rich sequence within the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of VEGF mRNA; this binding increased VEGF mRNA stability and translation. In addition, knockdown of MDM2 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in MDM2-overexpressing cancer cells resulted in inhibition of VEGF protein production, cancer cell survival, and angiogenesis. Our results suggest that MDM2 plays a p53-independent role in the regulation of VEGF, which may promote tumor growth and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consider the model of bipartite entanglement for a random pure state emerging in quantum information and quantum chaos, corresponding to the fixed trace Laguerre unitary ensemble (LUE) in random matrix theory. We focus on correlation functions of Schmidt eigenvalues for the model and prove universal limits of the correlation functions in the bulk and also at the soft and hard edges of the spectrum, as that of LUE. Further, we consider the bounded trace LUE and obtain the same universal limits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is well accepted that cell scattering (dispersion of clustered cells into single cells) is the initial step of tumor metastasis, and the downregulation of E-cadherin is associated with metastatic potential of tumor cells; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying loss of E-cadherin during tumor development are still poorly understood. Here, we report that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) induced E-cadherin downregulation and cell scattering are attributed to the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and transcriptional activation of matrix metalloproteinase MMP-7. Furthermore, the increased MMP-7 is secreted into the medium and cleaves the ectodomain of E-cadherin. Inhibition of HGF signal by siRNA of c-Met, blocking the β-catenin transcriptional activity through a dominant negative form of TCF4, MMP-7 knockdown by siRNA or suppression of MMP-7 enzymatic activity with a neutralization antibody allowed inhibition of HGF-induced loss of E-cadherin and HepG2 scattering. Our data presented here revealed the intrinsic mechanism of HGF activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulation of HepG2 cell scattering through MMP-7 transcription activation and E-cadherin degradation. The results suggest that the blocking of HGF/c-Met/β-catenin/MMP-7/E-cadherin signaling pathway might present a practical therapeutic target for interference with hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consider fixed and bounded trace Gaussian orthogonal, unitary and symplectic ensembles, closely related to Gaussian ensembles without any constraint. For three restricted trace Gaussian ensembles, we prove universal limits of correlation functions at zero and at the edge of the spectrum edge. Our argument also applies to restricted trace ensembles with monomial potentials. In addition, by using the universal result in the bulk for fixed trace Gaussian unitary ensemble, which has been obtained by Götze and Gordin, we also prove the universal limits of correlation functions everywhere in the bulk for bounded trace Gaussian unitary ensemble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recessive mutation of the XANTHA gene ( XNT) transforms seedlings and plants into a yellow color, visually distinguishable from normal (green) rice. Thus, it has been introduced into male sterile lines as a distinct marker for rapidly testing and efficiently increasing varietal purity in seed and paddy production of hybrid rice. To identify closely linked markers and eventually isolate the XNT gene, two mapping populations were developed by crossing the xantha mutant line Huangyu B ( indica) with two wild type japonica varieties; a total of 1,720 mutant type F2 individuals were analyzed for fine mapping using polymorphic InDel markers and high dense microsatellite markers. The XNT gene was mapped on chromosome 11, within in a fragment of ~100 kb, where 13 genes are annotated. The NP_001067671.1 gene within the delimited region is likely to be a candidate XNT gene, since it encodes ATP-dependent chloroplast protease ATP-binding subunit clp A. However, no sequence differences were observed between the mutant and its parent. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that four chlorophyll deficient mutations that were previously mapped on the same chromosome are located outside the XNT region, indicating XNT is a new gene. The results provide useful DNA markers not only for marker assisted selection of the xantha trait but also its eventual cloning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]