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Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the difference in pain relief between stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and conventional radiation therapy (cRT) for patients with bone metastases.Methods and Materials: Clinical trials and observational studies comparing SBRT versus cRT for bone metastases were retrieved. The main endpoint was pain relief after radiation therapy; the secondary endpoints were pain score change, local progression-free survival, reirradiation rate, and toxic events. When there was a significant heterogeneity, the random-effects model was applied. Otherwise, the fixed-effects model was used. Analyses of all included studies were performed first, followed by analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) only.Results: Six RCTs, 1 prospective cohort study, and 3 retrospective observational studies were enrolled. Between 2004 and 2019, 448 patients received SBRT, and 445 patients received cRT. All prospective studies defined the lesions as oligometastatic. Pooled results based on all included studies indicated that SBRT was generally associated with a higher overall relief rate (P < .001 at 3 months; P = .015 at 6 months) and complete relief rate (P = .029 at 1 month; P < .001 at 6 months). Pooled results based on RCTs indicated that at 3 and 6 months, SBRT was associated with a higher overall relief rate (P < .001 and P = .017, respectively) and complete relief rate (P < .001 and P < .00, respectively). Subgroup analyses indicated that in more cases, the analgesic advantage of SBRT was more obvious when spinal lesions were irradiated, when the difference in the mean biological effective dose (BED) was less, or when intensity modulated radiation therapy was used to deliver SBRT.Conclusions: Excessive elevation of BED introduces the risk of diminishing the analgesic effect of SBRT. SBRT delivered using intensity modulated radiation therapy is preferred for pain relief in spinal oligometastases. More RCTs are required to determine the most appropriate BED or dose regimen for SBRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a superalloy round tube specimen prepared by directional precision casting without mechanical turning is experimentally investigated under the thermomechanical fatigue conditions of the in‐phase and out‐of‐phase thermomechanical angels from 500°C to 1000°C. The deformation behavior and damage mechanism of the round tube specimens under TMF load are discussed. It was confirmed that the tension–compression asymmetry under TMF cycling is affected by temperature–load phasing and mechanical strain range. Moreover, the damage to round tube specimens includes creep, fatigue and oxidation. Due to the concentrated stress, the rough surface of the specimen provides suitable locations for crack initiation. A novel life prediction approach that combines the Neu–Sehitoglu model and modified Manson–Coffin model was proposed in response to the traditional life model's insufficient prediction performance. This method may explain the TMF life of precision cast specimens. Highlights: TMF of precision casted round tube specimens was investigated.Crack initiation at the notches of rough surface due to stress concentration.A new life prediction method was proposed for precision casted specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Cd-based MOF fluorescent sensor [(Cd)2O(BIMB)0.5(BTB)] [CUST-580, H3BTB = 1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene, BIMB = 1,4-bis((1H-imidazol-1-yl) methyl)benzene] was successfully synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Due to the unique 3D spatial structure and pores, a methyl blue@CUST-580 composite with double emission was synthesized by soaking methyl blue dye molecules. Further studies showed that CUST-580 detected the antibiotic nitrofurantoin (NFT) to the ppb level. Compared with CUST-580, methyl blue@CUST-580 exhibited higher fluorescence emission as well as sensitive fluorescence quenching activities in response to NFT with detection limits as low as 3.3 ppb. In addition, the observed fluorescence response of the composites to NFT was highly stable and reversible after the recovery experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases recommends a high index of suspicion for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and advanced fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and an elevated fibrosis‐4 index (FIB‐4). We investigated the referral pattern of patients with T2D and FIB4 > 3.25 to the hepatology clinic and evaluated the clinical benefits to the patient. Methods: We included patients aged 18–80 years with T2D and a FIB4 score >3.25 who had visited the internal medicine, family medicine, endocrinology clinic from 01/01/2014–5/31/2019. The first time point of high‐risk FIB‐4 was identified as the baseline for time‐to‐event analysis. The patients were classified based on whether they had visited the hepatology clinic (referred vs not referred). Results: Of the 2174 patients, 290 (13.3%) were referred to the hepatology clinic, and 1884 (86.7%) were not referred. In multivariate analyses, the referred patients had a lower overall mortality risk (Hazard Ratio: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.38–87). Notably, the referred patients had the same rate of biochemical decompensation, as measured by progression to MELD ≥ 14, but a substantially higher rate of diagnosis in cirrhosis (27, 19–38) and cirrhosis complications, including ascites (2.9, 2.0–4.1), hepatic encephalopathy (99, 13–742), and liver cancer (14, 5–38). Conclusions: We found that patients with T2D and high‐risk FIB4 are associated with better overall survival after referral to a hepatology clinic. We speculate that the survival difference is due to the increased recognition of cirrhosis and cirrhosis complications in the referred populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination of water with pathogens and organic pollutants is one of the major environmental problems posing a risk to human health. Climate change with extreme weather events exacerbates this problem. The ability to monitor pollutants in a fast, continuous, and accurate manner is in increasing demand, especially under the climate change context, but is challenged by their ubiquity and trace concentrations. Optical biosensing is an attractive solution, owing to its rapid and accurate detection with high sensitivity. Principally, an optical biosensor recognizes bioactive toxins and contaminants via tailored bioreceptors (e.g., aptamers, enzymes, and cells) and transduces the biological response to optical signals. Research efforts have focused on tailoring bioreceptors and enhancing signal transduction by nanoparticles. This study comprehensively reviewed the mechanisms for optical biosensing and the recent development of bioreceptors and nanomaterials that enhance the rapid, easy, and accurate analysis of emerging contaminants in water. The advantages and challenges for the sensitivity, selectivity, and durability of biosensors are discussed, together with the opportunities and development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel nickel-based MOF [(Ni) 2 (BIMB) 1.5 (BTB)], CUST-581 was successfully synthesized under solvent thermal conditions for electrochemical catalysis of methanol and hydrogen peroxide. [Display omitted] A new Ni-MOF(CUST-581), [(Ni) 2 (BIMB) 1.5 (BTB)] [CUST-581, H 3 BTB = 1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene, BIMB = 1,4-bis((1H-imidazolyl)methyl)benzene], was synthesized using the solvothermal method. CUST-581 exhibited not only high current density but also long-term electrochemical stability during the measurement of methanol oxidation reactions. Moreover, CUST-581 was used as an enzyme-free electrochemical sensing platform for the determination of H 2 O 2. The electrochemical sensing performance of the CUST-581 modified glassy carbon electrode for H 2 O 2 was evaluated by cyclic voltammogram and time measurements in alkaline solutions. The sensor showed a good linear range (20 μM-5000 μM), a low detection limit of 0.28 μM, high sensitivity (0.37 mA mM−1 cm−2) and fast response. Importantly, good reproducibility and repeatability, long time stability and excellent selectivity were obtained in the fabricated H 2 O 2 sensor. The results of the actual samples suggest that the Ni-MOF/GCE sensor could be a promising candidate for H 2 O 2 sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• K single-atom solid base catalyst (K 1 /SBA-15) is fabricated by a pyrolysis-free, grafting strategy. • Strong basic sites can be formed at 30 °C, which is much lower than conventional pyrolysis method. • Various characterizations confirm that the atomically dispersed K exists in the form of Si-O-K. • K 1 /SBA-15 shows better activity in transesterification compared with various solid base catalysts. Solid base catalysts are appealing to a variety of reactions due to their benefits of easy separation, negligible corrosion, and environmental friendliness. However, their activity is compromised because high temperature is frequently required for the formation of basic sites and aggregation of basic components is easy to occur under those circumstances. Herein, K single-atom solid base catalysts were fabricated by a low temperature, pyrolysis-free, grafting strategy, resulting in the catalysts with highly dispersed basic sites and high activity in transesterification reaction. Potassium tert -butoxide (KTB) functions as the precursor and mesoporous silica SBA-15 is employed as the support, K atoms are successfully grafted onto SBA-15 (denoted as K 1 /SBA-15) at 30 °C. Various characterizations confirm that highly dispersed K single atoms exist in the form of K-O-Si. The amount of basic sites of K 1 /SBA-15 measured by titration is 1.62 mmol·g−1, verifying the basicity of the obtained catalyst. K 1 /SBA-15 shows excellent activity (49.1 % yield) in the transesterification reaction of ethylene carbonate (EC) and methanol to produce dimethyl carbonate (DMC), which is superior to typical alkali metal-related solid superbases. The catalyst was recovered after reaction and the yield of DMC over the recovered catalyst decreases slightly (43.4 %) due to the partial deformation of pores. Moreover, the K 1 /SBA-15 exhibits a turnover frequency (TOF) value of 82.5 h−1, obviously higher than various reported solid base catalysts (0.95–36.2 h−1) under semblable reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent medical society opinions have questioned the use of early antimicrobials in patients with sepsis, but without septic shock.Research Question: Is time from ED presentation to administration of antibiotics associated with progression to septic shock among patients with suspected infection?Study Design and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study from March 2007 through March 2020. All adults with suspected infection and first antimicrobial administered within 24 h of triage were included. Patients with shock on presentation were excluded. We performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses predicting progression to septic shock.Results: Seventy-four thousand one hundred fourteen patient encounters were included in the study. Five thousand five hundred ten patients (7.4%) progressed to septic shock. Of the patients who progressed to septic shock, 88% had received antimicrobials within the first 5 h from triage. In the multivariate logistic model, time (in hours) to first antimicrobial administration showed an OR of 1.03 (95% CI, 1.02-1.04; P < .001) for progression to septic shock and 1.02 (95% CI, 0.99-1.04; P = .121) for in-hospital mortality. When adjusted for severity of illness, each hour delayed until initial antimicrobial administration was associated with a 4.0% increase in progression to septic shock for every 1 h up to 24 h from triage. Patients with positive quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) results were given antibiotics at an earlier time point than patients with positive systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score (0.82 h vs 1.2 h; P < .05). However, median time to septic shock was significantly shorter (P < .05) for patients with positive qSOFA results at triage (11.2 h) compared with patients with positive SIRS score at triage (26 h).Interpretation: Delays in first antimicrobial administration in patients with suspected infection are associated with rapid increases in likelihood of progression to septic shock. Additionally, qSOFA score has higher specificity than SIRS score for predicting septic shock, but is associated with a worse outcome, even when patients receive early antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the study was to examine the relations of individual lifestyle factors and its composite score with healthy ageing among Chinese adults.Method: We included 14 159 participants aged 45-74 years at baseline from the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a population-based prospective cohort. A protective lifestyle score (0-5 scale) was calculated at baseline (1993-1998) and updated at the second follow-up visit (2006-2010) on the basis of optimal body mass index (18.5-22.9 kg/m2), healthy diet (upper 40% of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index score), being physically active (≥2 h/wk of moderate activity or ≥0.5 h/wk of strenuous activity), nonsmoking (never smoking), and low-to-moderate alcohol drinking (>0 to ≤14 drinks/wk for men and >0 to ≤7 drinks/wk for women). Healthy ageing was assessed at the third follow-up visit (2014-2016) and was defined as absence of specific chronic diseases, absence of cognitive impairment and limitations in instrumental activities of daily living, good mental and overall self-perceived health, good physical functioning, and no function-limiting pain.Results: About 20.0% (2834) of the participants met the criteria of healthy ageing after a median follow-up of 20 years. Each 1-point increase in the protective lifestyle score computed at baseline and second follow-up visits was associated with higher likelihood of healthy ageing by 25% (95% CI: 20%-30%) and 24% (18%-29%), respectively. The population-attributable risk percent of adherence to 4-5 protective lifestyle factors was 34.3% (95% CI: 25.3%-42.3%) at baseline and 31.3% (23.0%-38.7%) at second follow-up visits for healthy ageing. In addition, positive increase in lifestyle scores from baseline to second follow-up visits was also significantly associated with a higher likelihood of healthy ageing with an odds ratio of 1.18 (95% CI: 1.12%-1.24%) for each increment in protective lifestyle score.Conclusions: Our findings confirmed that adopting healthy lifestyle factors, even after midlife, was associated with healthy ageing at old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia borane hydrolysis is a promising strategy for developing sustainable hydrogen energy. However, this reaction is not kinetically feasible at ambient temperature, thus developing a proper catalyst is indispensable. In this work, Porous carbon is facilely prepared from cattail fibers by using K 2 CO 3 , and then used to stabilize Ru nanoparticles. The effects of different synthesis parameters for the biomass-derived carbon supports (e. g. K 2 CO 3 dosage and calcination temperature) and various catalytic reaction conditions (e. g. the amounts of the catalysts, ammonia borane and NaOH, and reaction temperature) on the hydrolysis rate of ammonia borane are investigated. Benefitting from the interconnected hierarchical pores of the optimal porous carbon (p-C), which was prepared with a mass ratio of 6 : 1 for K 2 CO 3 to cattail fibers and calcined at 873 K, and the high dispersion of Ru nanoparticles, the optimal Ru/p-C catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic performance. The corresponding apparent activation energy (28.8 kJ mol−1) and turnover frequency (744.7 min−1 in alkaline solution) are superior to many catalysts previously reported. This work offers a competitive catalyst for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of chemical hydrogen storage materials. [Display omitted] • Cattail fiber-derived hierarchical porous carbon is prepared by using K 2 CO 3. • Ru nanoparticles are evenly encapsulated in the network of the obtained carbon. • The optimal Ru/p-C exhibits superior catalytic performance for AB hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the associations between dietary patterns in midlife and likelihood of future healthy ageing in Chinese older adults. Prospective population-based study. We included 14,159 participants aged 45-74 years who were free from cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes at baseline (1993-1998) from the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Dietary intakes in midlife were assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Diet quality was scored according to the alternate Mediterranean diet (aMED), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, the alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)–2010, overall plant-based diet index (PDI), and healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI). Healthy ageing was assessed at the third follow-up visit (2014-2016), which occurred about 20 years after the baseline visit, and was defined as the absence of 10 chronic diseases, no impairment of cognitive function, no limitations in instrumental activities of daily living, no clinical depression at screening, good overall self-perceived health, good physical functioning, and no function-limiting pain among participants who had survival to at least 65 years of age. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were applied to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between each dietary pattern score and healthy ageing. About 20.0% of participants met the healthy ageing criteria. The OR (95% CI) for healthy ageing comparing the highest with the lowest quartile of diet quality scores was 1.52 (1.31-1.77) for aMED, 1.53 (1.35-1.73) for DASH, 1.39 (1.23-1.57) for AHEI-2010, 1.34 (1.18-1.53) for PDI, and 1.45 (1.27-1.65) for hPDI (all P -trend <.001). Each standard deviation increment in different diet quality scores was associated with 12% to 18% higher likelihood of healthy ageing. In this Chinese population, adherence to various healthy dietary patterns at midlife is associated with higher likelihood of healthy ageing at later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To understand what clinical presenting features of sepsis patients are historically associated with rapid treatment involving antibiotics and fluids, as appropriate. Design: This was a retrospective, observational cohort study using a machine-learning model with an embedded feature selection mechanism (gradient boosting machine). Methods: For adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) who were admitted through Emergency Department (ED) meeting clinical criteria of severe sepsis from 11/2007 to 05/2018 at an urban tertiary academic medical center, we developed gradient boosting models (GBMs) using a total of 760 original and derived variables, including demographic variables, laboratory values, vital signs, infection diagnosis present on admission, and historical comorbidities. We identified the most impactful factors having strong association with rapid treatment, and further applied the Shapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) values to examine the marginal effects for each factor. Results: For the subgroups with or without fluid bolus treatment component, the models achieved high accuracy of area-under-receiver-operating-curve of 0.91 [95% CI, 0.86–0.95] and 0.84 [95% CI, 0.81–0.86], and sensitivity of 0.81[95% CI, 0.72–0.87] and 0.91 [95% CI, 0.81–0.97], respectively. We identified the 20 most impactful factors associated with rapid treatment for each subgroup. In the non-hypotensive subgroup, initial physiological values were the most impactful to the model, while in the fluid bolus subgroup, value minima and maxima tended to be the most impactful. Conclusion: These machine learning methods identified factors associated with rapid treatment of severe sepsis patients from a large volume of high-dimensional clinical data. The results provide insight into differences in the rapid provision of treatment among patients with sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prospective cohort study PROTECT is the largest study in pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) with standardized treatments, providing valuable data for predicting clinical outcomes. PROTECT and previous studies have identified characteristics associated with clinical outcomes. In this study, we aimed to compare predictive modeling between Bayesian analysis including machine learning and frequentist analysis. Methods: The key outcomes for this analysis were week 4, 12 and 52 corticosteroid (CS)-free remission following standardized treatment from diagnosis. We developed predictive modeling with multivariable Bayesian logistic regression (BLR), Bayesian additive regression trees (BART) and frequentist logistic regression (FLR). The effect estimate of each risk factor was estimated and compared between the BLR and FLR models. The predictive performance of the models was assessed including area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Ten-fold cross-validation was performed for internal validation of the models. The estimation contained 95% credible (or confidence) interval (CI). Results: The statistically significant associations between the risk factors and early or late outcomes were consistent between all BLR and FLR models. The model performance was similar while BLR and BART models had narrower credible intervals of AUCs. To predict week 4 CS-free remission, the BLR model had AUC of 0.69 (95% CI 0.67–0.70), the BART model had AUC of 0.70 (0.67–0.72), and the FLR had AUC of 0.70 (0.65–0.76). To predict week 12 CS-free remission, the BLR model had AUC of 0.78 (0.77–0.79), the BART model had AUC of 0.78 (0.77–0.79), and the FLR model had AUC of 0.79 (0.74–0.83). To predict week 52 CS-free remission, the BLR model had AUC of 0.69 (0.68–0.70), the BART model had AUC of 0.69 (0.67–0.70), and the FLR model had AUC of 0.69 (0.64–0.74). The BART model identified nonlinear associations. Conclusions: BLR and BART models had intuitive interpretation on interval estimation, better precision in estimating the AUC and can be alternatives for predicting clinical outcomes in pediatric patients with UC. BART model can estimate nonlinear nonparametric association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PDT is a well-established therapeutic modality for many types of cancer. Photoluminescent cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes are one of the most commonly used classes of organometallic compounds with potential beneficial applications in bioimaging and as promising anticancer agents. In the present study, three new cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes (Ir1 – Ir3) containing guanidinium ligands were found to exert excellent cytotoxic effects on different types of cancer cells upon light irradiation at 425 nm. Notably, Ir1 conferred almost no dark toxicity (IC 50 > 100 μM) to HepG2 cells, but the value decreased by 387-fold to 0.36 μM following 10 min of light irradiation (425 nm). Further mechanistic investigation revealed that complex Ir1 could induce apoptosis via the activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated mitochondrial signaling pathways in the presence or absence of light irradiation. In vivo studies demonstrated that Ir1 significantly inhibited tumor growth in HepG2 xenograft-bearing mice under light irradiation at 425 nm. Taken together, these findings indicate that designing PDT-based Ir(III) complexes may hold a great deal of promise for anticancer drug development. Image 1 • Three Ir(III) complexes containing guanidinium ligands were synthesized. • Ir1 displayed higher phototoxicities to HepG2 cells upon irradiation at 425 nm. • Ir1 mainly located mitochondria in HepG2 cells. • In vivo studies, Ir1 has demonstrated the excellent anticancer efficacy irradiated with a 425 nm laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Role of TSP2 in cell invasion, migration and angiogenesis is studied. • TSP2 is downregulated and the Notch signaling pathway is activated in MB tissues. • TSP2 inhibits cell invasion and migration in MB. • TSP2 restrains angiogenesis by inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway in MB. • TSP2 may be a promising therapeutic target in MB treatment. Medulloblastoma (MB) represents a fatal malignancy often occurring in children. Angiogenesis is a hallmark of the progression of MB. Over the past decade, investigators have attempted to develop more effective and less toxic anti-angiogenic strategies to treat MB. Thrombospondin (TSP) family is observed to be a key regulator of angiogenesis. Thus, the current study aimed to elucidate the function of TSP2 in patients with MB and the underlying mechanism. The expression of TSP2, Notch1 and VEGF in MB and adjacent tissues collected from clinical samples as well as a MB cell line (Daoy) was examined. The results demonstrated that in the MB tissues and Daoy cells, TSP2 was downregulated, while Notch1 and VEGF were upregulated. Then, after the Daoy cells were treated with TSP2 silencing, TSP2 overexpression, or Notch signaling pathway inhibition, a series of in vitro cell experiments were performed to verify the interaction between TSP2 and Notch signaling pathway, and to examine the abilities of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation. Upregulation of TSP2 was observed to lead to the downregulation of the Notch signaling pathway. Moreover, cells overexpressing TSP2 exhibited diminished proliferation, invasion, migration, and tube formation. In addition, a significant attenuation of tumor growth and angiogenesis was identified in vivo in the Daoy cells overexpressing TSP2 inoculated in nude mice. Taken together, the key findings of this study revealed the inhibitory role of TSP2 in the development of MB via blockade of the Notch signaling pathway, highlighting its potential as a treatment target for MB treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) is an effector of Hippo pathway, which plays a significant role in cell proliferation and tumor progression. The relationship between YAP1 and gastrointestinal cancer has been explored in many previous studies. We conducted a meta-analysis to explore the prognostic effect of YAP1 in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. Methods. A systematic search was performed through the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane library databases to collect eligible studies. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the relationship between YAP1 expression and gastrointestinal cancer clinical outcomes. Results. A total of 2941 patients from 18 studies were enrolled. The results showed that elevated YAP1 expression predicted a poor prognosis in gastrointestinal cancer (HR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.29-1.89; P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses indicated significant association between YAP1 overexpression and shorter OS of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (HR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.25-2.73; P = 0.002), gastric cancer (HR = 1.41,95% CI: 1.02-1.95; P = 0.037), and colorectal cancer (pooled HR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.42-2.15; P < 0.001). However, YAP1 expression did not affect DFS of patients with gastrointestinal cancer (pooled HR = 1.33; 95% CI: 0.95-1.88; P = 0.101). Conclusion. Elevated YAP1 expression in patients with gastrointestinal cancer might be related to shorter OS. YAP1 protein could serve as a potential predictor of poor prognosis in gastrointestinal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics can be screened according to their abilities to inhibit pathogen adhesion and inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Eleven Lactobacillus strains isolated from traditional fermented dairy foods in Xinjiang, China, were studied for their potential to inhibit adhesion of Escherichia coli to intestinal epithelial cells and to inhibit E. coli–induced production of interleukin (IL)-8 by intestinal epithelial cells. The results showed that the 11 strains could inhibit adhesion of E. coli to Caco-2 cell monolayers and inhibit the induction of IL-8 production by E. coli in HT-29 cells. The inhibiting activities of the Lactobacillus strains against E. coli adhesion and IL-8 induction were strain-specific and not positively correlated, whereas the excluding activity of the strains against E. coli adhesion and their coaggregation with E. coli were positively correlated. The effector molecules of the strains with probiotic potential should be identified to explain the mechanism behind these observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Several studies have verified the correlation between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and survival of patients with esophagus cancer (EC). However, the prognostic role of TILs is still controversial. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library (last update by August 30, 2017) to identify studies assessing the effect of TILs on survival of patients with EC. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and cancer specific survival (CSS) were estimated using fixed-effects models or random-effects models, which depends on the heterogeneity. Results: Data from 22 observational studies including 2909 patients were summarized. Pooled analysis indicated that generalized TILs were favorable prognostic markers for OS in patients with EC (pooled HR = 0.48; 95% CI = 0.38-0.61; P < 0.001). For TIL subsets, CD8+ TILs were associated with improved OS (pooled HR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.58–0.84; P < 0.001) and DFS (pooled HR = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.85-0.95; P < 0.001); FoxP3+ TILs were associated with patients’ DFS (pooled HR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.81-0.96; P = 0.003). High CD57+ TILs indicated a better OS in patients with EC (pooled HR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.35-0.72; P < 0.001). In addition, the pooled results showed that other TIL subsets including CD3+, CD4+ and CD45RO+ TILs were not associated with patients’ survival (P > 0.05). Conclusions: For patients with EC, some TIL subsets could serve as prognostic biomarkers. The application of TILs in the immunotherapy of EC needs to be verified through a large amount of clinical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guanidinium-functionalized molecules are commonly studied for their use as pharmaceutically active compounds and drugs carriers. Herein, four cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes containing guanidinium ligands have been synthesized and characterized as potential anticancer agents. These complexes exhibit moderate antitumor activity in HeLa, MCF-7, HepG2, CNE-2, and A549 human tumor cells. Interestingly, all complexes showed higher cytotoxicity than cisplatin against a cisplatin-resistant cell line A549R, and less cytotoxicity on the nontumorigenic LO2 cells. Intracellular distribution studies suggest that these complexes are selectively localized in the mitochondria. Mechanism studies indicate that these complexes arrested the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase and can influence mitochondrial integrity, inducing cancer cell death through reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As clinical understanding of pediatric Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS CoV-2 (PASC) develops, and hence the clinical definition evolves, it is desirable to have a method to reliably identify patients who are likely to have post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 (PASC) in health systems data. In this study, we developed and validated a machine learning algorithm to classify which patients have PASC (distinguishing between Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) and non-MIS-C variants) from a cohort of patients with positive SARS- CoV-2 test results in pediatric health systems within the PEDSnet EHR network. Patient features included in the model were selected from conditions, procedures, performance of diagnostic testing, and medications using a tree-based scan statistic approach. We used an XGboost model, with hyperparameters selected through cross-validated grid search, and model performance was assessed using 5-fold cross-validation. Model predictions and feature importance were evaluated using Shapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) values. The model provides a tool for identifying patients with PASC and an approach to characterizing PASC using diagnosis, medication, laboratory, and procedure features in health systems data. Using appropriate threshold settings, the model can be used to identify PASC patients in health systems data at higher precision for inclusion in studies or at higher recall in screening for clinical trials, especially in settings where PASC diagnosis codes are used less frequently or less reliably. Analysis of how specific features contribute to the classification process may assist in gaining a better understanding of features that are associated with PASC diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TMF tests were investigated on specimens manufactured by precision casting with holes. • TMF deformational behaviors of the specimen with holes were studied. • The stress concentration at the hole led to crack nucleation and final failure. • A TMF life prediction method based on stress concentration was proposed. Thermomechanical fatigue behavior of a directional solidified superalloy was investigated. Circular holes were designed on the specimen manufactured by precision cast method. The results indicated that the TMF damage is mainly controlled by fatigue, creep and oxidation damage, and the stress concentration at the holes results in crack nucleation and final failure. A new TMF life prediction method for specimens with stress concentration is proposed. The stress gradient is introduced to consider the effect of stress concentration at hole and notch in this method, which is verified by TMF data of smooth, notched and hole specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two ruthenium(II) complexes containing guanidinium ligands have been synthesized and characterized for the first time. It was found that the two complexes exhibit moderate antitumor activity in Hela, A549, CNE-2, MCF-7, and HepG2 human tumor cells. Flow cytometric analysis showed that both complexes arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis in Hela cells. Mechanism studies indicate that both complexes induced apoptosis through caspase- and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent pathways. Additionally, the two complexes displayed higher phototoxicity to tumor cells and almost no influence on normal liver LO2 cells upon irradiation at 450 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the effects of film thickness of room temperature RF sputtered trilayer CoCrTa/Co3O4/Pt films on the structural and perpendicular magnetic properties of CoCrTa magnetic layer. Nucleation and initial growth of the seed layer; Perpendicular coercivity.

Presents a study that compared magnetic force microscope images of ultrahigh-density bit patterns recorded on high-coercivity longitudinal and perpendicular thin-film media. Details of the experiment; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

Background: Circular RNA (circRNA) and N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) play a critical role in tumour occurrence and development, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, little is known about the interaction between circRNA and m6A in the radiosensitivity of CRC. Here, we investigated the role of a novel m6A‐regulated circRNA in CRC. Methods: Differentially expressed circRNAs from radiosensitive and radioresistant CRC tissues were screened. Modifications of the selected circRNAs were examined by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation assay. Finally, the selected circRNAs were subjected to radiosensitivity assay. Results: We identified that circAFF2 is closely related to both radiosensitivity and m6A in CRC. CircAFF2 was highly expressed in patients with radiosensitive rectal cancer, and patients with high expression of circAFF2 had a better prognosis. In addition, circAFF2 can enhance the radiosensitivity of CRC cells both in vitro and in vivo. The regulation of circAFF2 involves ALKBH5‐mediated demethylation, followed by its recognition and degradation via YTHDF2. Rescue experiments revealed that circAFF2 could reverse the radiosensitivity induced by ALKBH5 or YTHDF2. Mechanistically, circAFF2 binds with CAND1, promotes the binding of CAND1 to Cullin1 and inhibits its neddylation, subsequently impacting the radiosensitivity of CRC. Conclusion: We identified and characterised circAFF2 as a novel m6A‐modified circRNA and validated the ALKBH5/YTHDF2/circAFF2/Cullin‐NEDD8 axis as a potential radiotherapy target for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging demand for the enhancement of biodegradation of persistent organic pollutants from marine oil spills using oil-treating agents to minimize the environmental impacts promotes the development of green dispersants. Shrimp waste is a potential raw material to generate green dispersants. The biodegradability of dispersed oil and dispersants themselves are key factors for the national consideration of the approval, stockpile, and usage of dispersants. However, it is unknown whether shrimp-waste-based dispersant (SWD) has high bioavailability or facilitates the biodegradation of dispersed oil. In this study, we tackled the biodegradation of oil dispersed by a purified SWD. Furthermore, the SWD biodegradability was evaluated by exploring the degradation genes via metagenomic sequencing, analyzing the enzymatic activities for dispersant biodegradation by molecular docking, and discussing the SWD toxicity. We discovered that the SWD facilitated the biodegradation of two crude oils (Alaska North Slope and Marine Fuel-No.6). The metagenomic analysis with molecular docking showed that fresh seawater had feasible enzymes to degrade the SWD to safety components. Additionally, the SWD was low toxic and high bioactive. The findings helped confirm that the purified SWD is an effective and eco-sustainable marine oil spill treating agent and tracked the biodegradation of dispersed oil and the SWD. [Display omitted] • A purified shrimp-waste-based dispersant was generated to treat oil spill. • The new dispersant could enhance the biodegradation of the dispersed oil. • An advanced oil fingerprinting method was used to track oil biodegradation. • Atlantic seawater contains multiple biodegradation genes to degrade the dispersant. • The dispersant has low toxicity, high bioavailability, and high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new Ru(II) complexes containing guanidinium groups have been synthesized, characterized and analyzed according to their interactions with different G-quadruplexes and duplex DNA. A FRET assay and a competitive FRET assay showed that both complexes promote the formation and stabilization of the human telomeric (h-telo) G-quadruplex and exhibit higher selectivity compared to promoters (such as c-myc, c-kit and bcl2) or duplex DNA. After binding to G-quadruplex, the two complexes have shown different DNA affinity and fluorescence enhancement. CD analyses further indicate that the two complexes display the ability to induce and stabilize the formation of antiparallel G-quadruplex structures in K + , Na + or ion-free buffers. The binding stoichiometry with h-telo was of the order of three ruthenium complexes per quadruplex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single crystal ZnS nanowires are fabricated by vapor phase transport method on sapphire substrate in the presence of Au catalyst. The morphology, composition, and crystal structure are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). XRD and HRTEM reveal that the ZnS nanowires have perfect single crystal wurtzite structure. The temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra show that the ZnS nanowires present pure near-bandgap ultraviolet exciton recombination emission at 347 nm. The exciton-related optical properties, including exciton activation energy, temperature-dependent exciton energy and Varshni coefficients describing exciton energy variation, are systematically discussed. In addition, an individual ZnS nanowire-based ultraviolet photodetector is fabricated, which shows good photoresponse ability and fast response rate. The result shows that the ZnS nanowires are particularly suitable for UV photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an analytical model and an effective scheme for the periodic broadcast on the control channel in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). An improved Markov model for analysing the performance of the periodic broadcast in VANETs is established. Compared with the traditional two-dimensional Markov chain models, the improvement of our proposed model is achieved by the considerations of the unsaturated traffic conditions with the deterministic message generation at each node, modelled by a discrete-time D/M/1 queue and the control mechanism of freezing the backoff-time counter. In adapting to the change of the vehicle densities, the authors propose to use the dynamic contention window (DCW), instead of the fixed contention window (CW), for the broadcast in the IEEE 802.11p medium access control in VANETs. For a certain vehicle density, a best CW size is chosen to achieve a more effective broadcast. Simulation results show that the proposed DCW-based broadcast performs better than the traditional fixed-CW-size broadcast in terms of the packet collision probability. The results also validate our proposed Markov model and its performance improvement than the scheme without the consideration of freezing the backoff-time counter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in rats with focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. A total of 96 rat focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion models, established according to a modified version of Longa's method, were randomly divided into four groups: Sham-operated (S), cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (I), cerebral ischemia-reperfusion + basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) post-processing and, finally, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion + bFGF post-processing + PI3K inhibitor LY294002 (LY). Each group consisted of 24 rats and each group was divided into four subgroups according to the indicated reperfusion times of 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. The morphological changes of the cortical tissue and the cellular apoptosis were determined using hematoxylin and eosin staining and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling method, respectively. The expression levels of phosphorylated (p-)Akt, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) mRNA and β-catenin in the cortical tissue were detected at different time-points. The number of apoptotic cells and the expression levels of p-Akt, GSK-3β mRNA and β-catenin in the I and LY groups were significantly higher compared with those in the S group (P<0.05). In the bFGF group, the number of apoptotic cells and the mRNA expression levels of GSK-3β were significantly decreased, whereas the expression levels of p-Akt and β-catenin were significantly increased compared with those in the I and LY groups (P<0.05). In cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway regulated β-catenin, the main member of the Wnt signaling pathway, via GSK-3β, providing information to assist in further investigation of the mechanism of β-catenin in ischemia-reperfusion injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment at various stages following chronic constriction injury (CCI) and to explore the underlying mechanisms of HBO treatment. Methods: Forty adult male Sprague—Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 8 for each group): the sham group, CCI group, HBO1 group, HBO2 group, and HBO3 group. Neuropathic pain was induced by CCI of the sciatic nerve. HBO treatment began on postoperative days 1, 6, and 11 and continued for 5 days. The mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency were tested on preoperative day 3 and postoperative days 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21. The expression of P2X4R was determined by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Cell apoptosis was measured using TUNEL staining. The expression of caspase 3 was measured using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Electron microscopy was used to determine the ultrastructural changes. Results: Early HBO treatment beginning on postoperative day 1 produced a persistent antinociceptive effect and inhibited the CCI-induced increase in the expression of P2X4R without changing CCI-induced apoptosis. In contrast, late HBO treatment beginning on postoperative day 11 produced a persistent antinociceptive effect and inhibited CCI-induced apoptosis and upregulation of caspase-3 without changing the expression of P2X4R. In addition, late HBO treatment reduced CCI-induced ultrastructural damage. However, HBO treatment beginning on postoperative day 6 produced a transient antinociceptive effect without changing the expression of P2X4R or CCI-induced apoptosis. Conclusion: HBO treatment at various stages following CCI can produce antinociceptive effects via different mechanisms. Early HBO treatment is associated with inhibition of P2X4R expression, and late HBO treatment is associated with inhibition of cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of RHA samples obtained at different conditions in muffle furnace and their effects on the mechanical behavior of cement have been studied. The properties were characterized by SEM, XRF, XRD and specific surface area. The effect of using RHA as a partial replacement for cement has been investigated by compressive and flexural strengths test. It is showed that in muffle furnace 600 °C is the appropriate temperature for RHA preparation with large specific surface area due to the existences of nanoscale and amorphous SiO 2 . While, long combustion time could increase pozzolanic activity of RHA. The presence of K could decrease the specific surface area and increase the residual carbon content which content should be control strictly. RHA obtained in proper conditions can be used as cement additive to increase compressive and flexural strengths of cement mortar specimens. It is verified that RHA replacement ratio of 10% (by weight) has the best enhancement effect on cement strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A ground motion prediction equation (GMPE) that can predict the vertical 5%-damped spectral acceleration (SA) in western China was formulated. To this end, a dataset that included the strong motion recordings of this region was constructed. Explanatory variables for the GMPE were identified, and a full set of final model coefficients was obtained using the random-effects method. We compared the results of this study with those of previously published work and the data of the 2019 Changning Ms 6.0 earthquake. The results indicate that the vertical SA depends on not only magnitude and distance but also the type of the faulting and linear site response. The nonlinear site response and depth to the top of rupture (Ztor) have slight effect on the vertical SA. The residual distribution, which exhibited no obvious relationship with the explanatory variables or the agreement between the predicted and observed vertical SA of the 2019 Changning Ms 6.0 earthquake, suggested good ability for vertical SA prediction in western China. Finally, the vertical-to-horizontal (V/H) ratio is affected by the magnitude, distance, and type of faulting, and near-source V/H ratio curves with respect to period at soil sites and rock sites for large earthquakes exhibit single-peak and double-peak characteristics, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of ice storage in a modified atmosphere on levels of glutathione (GSH) and its related enzyme activities, the metmyoglobin to total myoglobin ratio (metMb%), and the K value (a freshness index) of yellowtail fish muscle. GSH in ordinary muscle (fast skeletal muscle) as well as in dark muscle (slow skeletal muscle) stored in air decreased. GSH in those muscles was almost unchanged during storage when packaged with an oxygen absorber or with an oxygen absorber-CO2 generator. Glutathione disulfide in each type of packaging remained at low concentrations during storage. The GSH peroxidase activities of ordinary muscle and of dark muscle after 7 d of storage in air were lower than when packaged with the oxygen absorber or with the oxygen absorber-CO2 generator. The GSH reductase (GR) activities of ordinary muscle at the 4th and 7th day of storage when packaged with the oxygen absorber showed a tendency to be lower than when stored in air. The GR activity of dark muscle in each type of packaging method was unchanged during storage. The packaging method did not influence the K values of either the ordinary muscle or the dark muscle during storage. The metMb% of dark muscle when packaged with the oxygen absorber was lower than in the other types of packaging during storage. Therefore, packaging with the oxygen absorber is an effective method to prevent the loss of GSH in fish meat as well as to reduce the discoloration during storage. Practical Application: This study examined whether modified atmosphere packaging preserves the level of GSH, which is unstable to oxidative stress, in fish muscle. The use of an oxygen absorber for packaging can allow us to take in a sufficient amount of the bioactive compound from fish meat after storage as well as fresh fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The different responses of two populations of Suaeda salsa (Linn.) Pall. (saline seepweed) from an intertidal zone and a saline inland zone to salinity [1 or 500 mM sodium chloride (NaCl)] and nitrogen [N; 0.05, 1, or 10 mM nitrate (NO3 -)-N] were investigated. Greater NO3 --N supply (10 mM) increased shoot dry weight for the two populations of S. salsa, especially for S. salsa from the saline inland zone. Greater NO3 --N supply (10 mM) increased the concentrations of chlorophyll and carotenoid in leaves and the NO3 - and potassium (K+) concentrations in shoots for both populations. Greater NO3 --N supply (10 mM) increased shoot Na+ in S. salsa from the intertidal zone. In conclusion, S. salsa from the saline inland zone is more responsive to NO3 --N supply than the intertidal population. Greater NO3 --N supply can help the species, especially the intertidal population, to grow and to mediate ion homeostasis under high salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The potential use of photosynthetic physiological traits in detached leaves as assistant predictors of cutting quality under stress condition was assessed. In this study, the effects of moderate high and low temperature stress on gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and antioxidative enzyme activity were studied in detached leaves of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. 9021) plants. Detached intermediate leaves were subjected to 15, 25, and 35°C for 5d. Leaves at 15°C exhibited similar photosynthetic characteristics to that at 25°C while leaves at 35°C showed significantly reduced net CO2 assimilation rate. The maximal photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), the quantum yield of the photosystem II (ΦPSII) reaction centers and the efficiency of excitation capture of open PSII center (Fv′/Fm′) were also reduced associated with increased ratio of (quantum efficiency of CO2 fixation) at 35°C. Furthermore, exposure to high temperature caused a significant increase in the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (G-POD) and the content of H2O2 and malonyldialdehyde (MDA), whereas there was no significant increase in the activities of catalase (CAT). Our results suggest that detached leaves of tomato differ in their photosynthetic physiological response to moderate high and low temperature stress, and photosynthetic physiological traits could be used as potential assistant predictors of cutting quality after storage under stress conditions in detached tomato leaves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Synergistic effect for lowering interfacial tension in alkyl benzene sulfonates mixtures-alkane systems was studied by spinning drop tensiometer. The results show that surfactant mixtures of similar structure tend to give the same γmin for the same nmin, while the alkane preference curve of the surfactant mixtures with different structures take on the shape of that of surfactant with higher interfacial activity. In the case of surfactant mixtures with different interfacial activities, the one with lower activity will modify the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of surfactant with higher activity and result in synergism/antagonism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: After peripheral nerve injury, p75NTR was upregulated in Schwann cells of the Wallerian degenerative nerves and in motor neurons but down-regulated in the injured sensory neurons. As p75NTR in neurons mediates signals of both neurotrophins and inhibitory factors, it is regarded as a therapeutic target for the treatment of neurodegeneration. However, its physiological function in the nerve regeneration is not fully understood. In the present study, we aimed to examine the role of p75NTR in the regeneration of peripheral nerves. Main methods: In p75NTR knockout mice (exon III deletion), the sciatic nerves and facial nerves on one side were crushed and regenerating neurons in the facial nuclei and in the dorsal root ganglia were labelled by Fast Blue. The regenerating fibres in the sciatic nerve were also labelled by an anterograde tracer and by immunohistochemistry. Key findings: The results showed that the axonal growth of injured axons in the sciatic nerve of p75NTR mutant mice was significantly retarded. The number of regenerated neurons in the dorsal root ganglia and in the facial nuclei in p75NTR mutant mice was significantly reduced. Immunohistochemical staining of regenerating axons also showed the reduction in nerve regeneration in p75NTR mutant mice. Significance: Our data suggest that p75NTR plays an important role in the regeneration of injured peripheral nerves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

High strength engineered cementitious composites (ECC) that fracture under tensile stress present cracks with the width over 100 μm, which may not be easily repaired by autogenous healing. Herein, this study investigated the healing efficiency of high strength ECC after being immersed in bacteria-free medium which is waste medium during spore cultivation. During incubation of bacteria, concentration of carbonate ions in the medium could rise to 0.30 mol/L approximately. These carbonate ions can be leveraged in calcium carbonate precipitation process for crack healing, which contributed to greater reduction of crack width of ECC specimens in waste medium than that in water. The superior crack closure led to the recovery of water tightness by lowering down the water absorption of cracked specimens and the restoration of tensile properties including both tensile strength and ultimate strain even after final failure of specimens. Therefore, it can be concluded that bacteria-free waste medium is promising to promote healing of concrete cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) isoenzymes, distributing in at least four distinct cell compartments, the chloroplastic stroma (sAPX) and thylakoid membrane (tAPX), microbody (mAPX) and cytosol (cAPX), catalyze the reduction of H2O2 to water by using ascorbic acid (AsA) as specific electron donor. In order to better clarify the response of APX isoenzymes and AsA regeneration enzymes to abiotic stresses, the activities of APX isoenzymes as well as monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDAR), glutathione reductase (GR) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) were investigated in cucumber plants after heat, methyl viologen (MV) and H2O2 treatments. The activities of cAPX, sAPX, mAPX increased after a slight decline throughout the experiment. Consistent closely with sAPX activity, the expression of sAPX followed a similar change pattern, indicating that sAPX was regulated at the transcriptional level. In contrast, constitutive expression was observed in tAPX activity and no significant changes in tAPX activity were found throughout the experiment. The increases in MDAR and GR were accompanied with enhanced level of AsA/DHA, implying that the AsA regeneration system plays an essential role in compensating AsA degradation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is considered to be the major oncogenic protein of EBV-encoded proteins and has always been the core of the oncogenic mechanism of EBV. Advanced studies on nuclear translocation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family have greatly improved our knowledge of the biological function of cell surface receptors. In this study, we used the Tet-on LMP1 HNE2 cell line as a cell model, which is a dual-stable LMP1-integrated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell line and the expression of LMP1 which could be regulated by the Tet system. We found that LMP1 could regulate the nuclear accumulation of EGFR in a dose-dependent manner quantitatively and qualitatively. We also demonstrated that the nuclear localization sequence of EGFR played some roles in the location of the protein within the nucleus under LMP1 regulation and EGFR in the nucleus could bind to the promoters of cyclinD1 and cyclinE, respectively. We further demonstrated that EGFR is involved in the acceleration of the G1/S phase transition by LMP1 through binding to cyclinD1 and cyclinE directly. These findings provided a novel view that the acceleration of LMP1 on the G1/S transition via the nuclear accumulation of EGFR was critical in the process of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Using the picture of the flux tube model, we propose that the Θ5 pentaquark as the first candidate of the three-dimensional non-planar hadron with the extremely stable diamond structure. The up and down quarks lie at the corners of the diamond while the anti-strange quark sits in the center. Various un-excited color flux tubes between the five quarks bind them into a stable and narrow color-singlet. Such a configuration allows the lowest state having the negative parity naturally. The decay of the Θ5 pentaquark into the nucleon and kaon requires the breakup of the non-planar diamond configuration into two conventional planar hadrons, which involves some kind of structural phase transition as in the condensed matter physics. Hence the width of the Θ+ pentaquark should be narrow despite that it lies above the kaon nucleon threshold. We suggest that future lattice QCD calculation adopt non-planar interpolating currents to explore the underlying structure of the Θ5 pentaquark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precursors for neurotrophins are proteolytically cleaved to form biologically active mature molecules which activate their receptors p75NTR and trks. A recent study showed that the precursor for nerve growth factor (NGF) can bind to p75NTR with a high affinity and induces apoptosis of neuronsin vitro. Mutation inVal66Met of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) results in reduction in hippocampal function in learning and in the dysfunction of intracellular BDNF sorting and secretion. To examine the functions of pro-neurotrophinsin vivo, it is essential to know where they are expressed in the nervous system. In the present study, we have raised and characterized rabbit polyclonal antibodies against a peptide coding for the precursor region of the BDNF gene. The antibody specifically recognizes the precursor for BDNF by western blot. With the affinity purified precursor antibody, we have mapped the distribution and localization of the precursor for BDNF. The results showed that, like mature BDNF, pro-BDNF is localized to nerve terminals in the superficial layers of dorsal horn, trigeminal nuclei, nuclei tractus solitarius, amygdaloid complex, hippocampus, hypothalamus and some peripheral tissues. These results suggest that pro-BDNF, like mature BDNF, is anterogradely transported to nerve terminals and may have important functions in synaptic transmission in the spinal cord and brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvement of the treatment for Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) especially the development of in situ controllable drug release is still a major concern. In this study, we developed waterborne biodegradable polyurethane (WBPU) scaffolds incorporated with redox-sensitive and RGD-decorated paclitaxel (PTX) polymer-drug conjugates (PDCs) for targeted GBM therapy in situ. The drug scaffolds could be implanted at residual GBM site post-operation. Dual-targeting PTX-PDCs were obtained through step-by-step conjugation of disulfide linked PTX, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD). The RGD-modified PTX-PDCs were spherical nanoparticles (NPs) that would be released from scaffolds and identified GBM cells actively. Internalized redox-sensitive PTX-PDCs would be decomposed and release PTX inside GBM cells under the circumstances of glutathione (GSH). The release profiles of PTX from the scaffolds with/without GSH were investigated. In vitro cytotoxicity assay revealed that the dual-targeting PTX-PDCs from scaffolds could specifically kill GBM cells and protect normal cells, suggesting that dual-targeting PTX-PDC-loaded scaffolds may have the potential to repair tumor-induced brain injury. In vivo anti-recurrence assay indicated that the PTX-PDC-scaffolds could deliver PTX-PDCs to the GBM cells followed by inhibiting tumor growth and inducing apoptosis. In general, the PTX prodrug-loaded devices exhibited significant anti-GBM effects and normal tissue protection simultaneously, indicating that the WBPU scaffolds incorporated with dual-targeting PTX-PDCs may be a promising strategy for local therapy of GBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis the effect of the symmetry of the substitution pattern and subsequent orientations on the out-of-plane and in-plane distortions of the prophyrin macrocycle. Methodology used in the analysis; Details on the significant nonplanar distortions of the porphyrin macrocycle; Implications of the findings.

Presents a study which investigated the influence of metal size on the macrocyclic conformation of a series of 5,15-disubstituted metalloporphyrins, using X-ray crystallography molecular mechanics and resonance Raman spectrocopy. Examination of the molecular simulations and crystal structures; Materials used to study the synthesis of the 5,15-disubtituted metalloporphyrins; Findings of the study.

Examines the representation of nonplanar structures of nickel substituted porphyrins through displacements along the coordinates of the macrocycle. Influence of substituents with increasing steric demands on the structure; Contributions from structural decompositions of the crystal; Causes of the red shifts in the absorption spectra of nickel.

Metformin, nicotine, caffeine, and methamphetamine are widely used in China. However, the consumption pattern of these substances among the general population during Chinese public holidays may be different. Influent wastewater samples were collected from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Yingkou, China on public holidays (n = 6) and working days (n = 20) to examine the changes in metformin, nicotine, caffeine, and methamphetamine consumption. The consumption of metformin in the city ranged from 1.94 to 14.4 g d−1 1000 people−1, while that of nicotine, caffeine, and methamphetamine ranged from 0.46 to 2.18 g d−1 1000 people−1, 31.8–89.8 g d−1 1000 people−1, and 87.0–657 mg d−1 1000 people−1, respectively. The highest consumption of metformin, caffeine, and methamphetamine was observed during the Spring Festival. The results indicated that the consumption of these substances showed almost the same trend and was higher during the Spring Festival, which may be influenced by personal habits and traditional festival reunions. There is a correlation between the consumption of nicotine and caffeine. Moreover, there are correlations between the consumption of metformin and nicotine, caffeine, as well as methamphetamine. The information based on wastewater epidemiology and consumption behavior, suggests that drug use in the region requires more attention or monitoring during holidays. • Metformin use during holidays was investigated for the first time through wastewater epidemiology. • High metformin, caffeine, and methamphetamine use were observed during the Spring Festival. • A correlation was observed between the use of metformin and caffeine, nicotine, as well as methamphetamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapy is among the routine treatment options for malignant tumors. And it damages DNA and other cellular organelles in target cells by using ionizing radiation produced by various rays, killing the cells. In recent years, multiple studies have demonstrated that exosomes are mechanistically involved in regulating tumor formation, development, invasion and metastasis, and immune evasion. The latest research shows that radiation can affect the abundance and composition of exosomes as well as cell-to-cell communication. In the environment, exosome-carried miRNAs, circRNA, mRNA, and proteins are differentially expressed in cancer cells, while these molecules play a role in numerous biological processes, including the regulation of oncogene expression, mediation of signaling pathways in cancer cells, remodeling of tumor-related fibroblasts, regulation of cell radiosensitivity, and so forth. Therefore, elucidation of the mechanism underlying the role of exosomes in radiotherapy of malignant tumors is crucial for improving the efficacy of radiotherapy. This review will summarize the research advances in radiosensitivity of malignant tumors related to exosomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]