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In this work, we designed ternary ZnSnO3 particle-reinforced Cu matrix composites and evaluated the hot deformation behavior of ZnSnO3/Cu composites. The hot deformation characteristics of typical dynamic recrystallization were probed by the resulting true stress–strain curves of ZnSnO3/Cu composites. The influences of deformation conditions, including temperatures (650–850 °C) and strain rates (0.01–5 s−1), on the flow stress of the designed composites were investigated. This revealed that the peak stress increased with the increasing of strain rate and decreasing of temperature. Additionally, the activation energy was calculated to be 237.05 kJ/mol and followed by yielding a constitutive equation for low-stress ZnSnO3/Cu composites. The processing maps established by dynamic materials model theory indicated that the designed composites possessed excellent hot workability, and then the processing parameters (790–850 °C and 0.01–0.04 s−1) of the ZnSnO3/Cu composites were determined for practical industrial production. Our work discloses the deformation behavior of ZnSnO3/Cu matrix composites and extends the rational process design for ternary ceramic/metal materials with excellent hot workability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) deficiency in primary human glioblastoma (GBM) is associated with increased invasiveness and poor prognosis with unknown mechanisms. Therefore, how loss of PTEN promotes GBM progression remains to be elucidated. Herein, we identified that ADP‐ribosylation factor like‐4C (ARL4C) was highly expressed in PTEN‐deficient human GBM cells and tissues. Mechanistically, loss of PTEN stabilized ARL4C protein due to AKT/mTOR pathway‐mediated inhibition of ARL4C ubiquitination. Functionally, ARL4C enhanced the progression of GBM cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, microarray profiling and GST pull‐down assay identified that ARL4C accelerated tumor progression via RAC1‐mediated filopodium formation. Importantly, targeting PTEN potently inhibited GBM tumor progression in vitro and in vivo, whereas overexpression of ARL4C reversed the tumor progression impaired by PTEN overexpression. Clinically, analyses with patients' specimens validated a negative correlation between PTEN and ARL4C expression. Elevated ARL4C expression but PTEN deficiency in tumor was associated with poorer disease‐free survival and overall survival of GBM patients. Taken together, ARL4C is critical for PTEN‐deficient GBM progression and acts as a novel prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic candidate. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Inactivated mycobacterium phlei (M. phlei) is well known for its immune‐stimulatory functions in humans and livestock, but less information is available about the influence on meat quality of pigs when used as a feed additive. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of inactivated M. phlei on growth performance as well as meat quality of fattening pigs. A total of 240 cross‐bred pigs ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) with initial body weight of 80.14 ± 0.29 kg were randomly allocated to five treatments, each of which consisted of eight replicates with 6six pigs per replicate. The basal diet supplemented with five levels of inactivated M. phlei preparations (0, 3.5 × 109 [0.1% w/w], 7 × 109 [0.2%], 1.4 × 1010 [0.4%] or 2.1 × 1010 [0.6%] colony‐forming units/kg) was respectively fed to the control group and four treatment groups for 30 days. Adding 0.4% of inactivated M. phlei to diet increased the average daily feed intake and average daily gain of pigs. Importantly, intramuscular fat percentage in the Longissimus dorsi (LD) was increased by feeding diet containing 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6% of inactivated M. phlei, despite the pH value, drip loss, cooking loss and filter paper fluid uptake not being influenced. Analysis of the fatty acid components showed that some saturated fatty acids were decreased in LD after feeding inactivated M. phlei, but some monounsaturated fat acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids were increased (PUFAs), which induced the total contents of MUFAs and PUFAs were improved. RT‐PCR assay revealed that feeding inactivated M. phlei up‐regulated genes implicated in fat metabolism in muscle, including ELOVL6, FASN, SCD1 and H‐FABP. This study revealed that feeding inactivated M. phlei not only increased growth performance of fattening pigs, but also improved the meat quality by increasing intramuscular fat content, thus inactivated M. phlei probably has high utilization value in modern pig production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new simple magnetic electrospinning setup was devised to manufacture partially aligned nanofiber in the paper. Compared with the traditional electrospinning setup, a U-shaped permanent magnet was employed and applied with a slide rheostat. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PVA/Fe3O4fibers were prepared by the magnetic electrospinning, respectively. The morphology and alignment of the fibers were characterized by the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results showed that the magnetic field could decrease the diameter of fibers and enhance the crystal conditions of fibers, and the addition of Fe3O4nanoparticles improved the alignment of nanofibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inactivated mycobacterium phlei (M. phlei) is well known for its immune-stimulatory functions in humans and livestock, but less information is available about the influence on meat quality of pigs when used as a feed additive. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of inactivated M. phlei on growth performance as well as meat quality of fattening pigs. A total of 240 cross-bred pigs ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) with initial body weight of 80.14 ± 0.29 kg were randomly allocated to five treatments, each of which consisted of eight replicates with 6six pigs per replicate. The basal diet supplemented with five levels of inactivated M. phlei preparations (0, 3.5 × 10 9 [0.1% w/w], 7 × 10 9 [0.2%], 1.4 × 10 10 [0.4%] or 2.1 × 10 10 [0.6%] colony-forming units/kg) was respectively fed to the control group and four treatment groups for 30 days. Adding 0.4% of inactivated M. phlei to diet increased the average daily feed intake and average daily gain of pigs. Importantly, intramuscular fat percentage in the Longissimus dorsi (LD) was increased by feeding diet containing 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6% of inactivated M. phlei, despite the pH value, drip loss, cooking loss and filter paper fluid uptake not being influenced. Analysis of the fatty acid components showed that some saturated fatty acids were decreased in LD after feeding inactivated M. phlei, but some monounsaturated fat acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids were increased (PUFAs), which induced the total contents of MUFAs and PUFAs were improved. RT-PCR assay revealed that feeding inactivated M. phlei up-regulated genes implicated in fat metabolism in muscle, including ELOVL6, FASN, SCD1 and H-FABP. This study revealed that feeding inactivated M. phlei not only increased growth performance of fattening pigs, but also improved the meat quality by increasing intramuscular fat content, thus inactivated M. phlei probably has high utilization value in modern pig production., (© 2018 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

Objective: To investigate and compare the therapeutic effect of umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation (UCBSCT) or adult fresh plasma in severe viral hepatitis liver failure with/without heart damage, and to study the effect of UCBSCT on liver lesions in rats., Methods: 83 severe hepatitis patients with/without heart damage were included in the study between January 1994 and June 2003. The patients were treated with UCBSCT or given adult plasma transfusions. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by serial determination of liver function and myocardium enzymes in all patients before and after the treatment. The model of experimental hepatic failure was constructed in SD rats by injecting carbon tetrachloride. Then, the rats were given normal saline, neonate cord blood serum or neonate cord blood stem cells respectively. The expression of human AFP and Alb in SD rat livers was detected by immunohistochemistry; and human special DNA was detected by PCR., Results: The UCBSCT group had much better effects in the improvement of liver function than the adult plasma group had, no matter whether the patients had heart damage or not. Moreover, UCBSCT can decrease heart impairment of the patients. The animal experiment demonstrated that AFP and Alb positive cells were present in the neonate cord blood stem cell group after 21 days and 1 month; human special DNA was detected by PCR in these SD rat livers., Conclusion: UCBSCT displayed good therapeutic effects on severe viral hepatitis and improvement of heart injury of the patients. The rat liver immunohistochemistry indicated that neonate cord blood stem cell application can decrease the liver damage and increase hepatocellular regeneration. Human umbilical cord blood stem cells can differentiate into liver cells in acute damaged SD rat livers.

Aim: HBsAg is the most important serological marker for acute or chronic hepatitis B. Nevertheless, there were reports of HBsAg-negative infection caused by hepatitis B virus in recent years. We had a patient with crytogenic cirrhosis who was negative for HBsAg, positive for anti-HBs and HBeAg. This paper was to explore the pathogenic and molecular basis of the unusual serological pattern., Methods: HBV serologic markers were qualitatively and quantitatively determined. HBV DNA in serum was qualitatively tested using routine Polymerase chain reaction(PCR), and the viral level was determined with real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. HBsAg gene was amplified and cloned. Four clones were sequenced. The new genomic sequences were compared with GenBank on the DNA level as well as the protein level., Results: The qualitative results of serological markers were HBsAg(-), anti-HBs(+), HBeAg(+), anti-HBe(-) and anti-HBc(+). The quantitative results of serological marker were HBsAg (S/N): 0.77 (cut off of S/N: >=2.00), HBeAg (S/N): 56.43 (cut off S/N: >=2.10), anti-HBc (S/C(0)): 2.03 (cut off of S/C(0): <=1.00). The viral level was as high as 1.54 x 10(9) copies/ml. Sequencing of the HBsAg gene clones revealed a unique point mutation at nucleotide 336 (C to A), which resulted in a novel stop codon at aa 61. The novel HBsAg gene stop mutation had not been described., Conclusion: The lack of detection of HBsAg in the presence of high viral levels of replication may be caused by the existence of viral genomes harboring point mutations which resulted in stop codon upstream of the "a" determinant in HBsAg gene.