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Summary: The poor water solubility of flavonoids has always been a bottleneck restricting industrial production and application. The key problem of water‐solubility of flavonoids was solved by establishing an alkali substrate‐feeding engineering conversion platform using recombinant rhamnosidase. The results showed that the recombinant enzyme had α‐L‐rhamnosidase activity. Using this enzyme, four kinds of flavonoids such as hesperidin (HSD) were successfully hydrolyzed to products such as hesperetin 7‐O‐glucoside (HMG). Four key enzyme reaction conditions such as temperature, pH, feed rate and substrate specificity were investigated, and the optimum process parameters of the conversion platform were obtained. That was, under the conditions of temperature 50 °C, pH 6 and feeding speed 0.5 mL min−1, HSD conversion efficiency can reach 8.65 mg min−1. In addition, the changes in enzyme protein structure during basic feeding were elucidated by circular binary chromatography (CD) and fluorescence spectrum. The platform has the advantages of low cost, simple process, green environmental protection, high conversion rate and product purity. This method laid a solid foundation for the resource utilisation of flavonoid glycosides and industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a powerful technology for molecular characterization of gene functions in plants and has the potential to prevent and control plant diseases. Unfortunately, VIGS in many woody perennials such as citrus are severely hindered because they have a long juvenile period and are recalcitrant to infection compared to herbaceous plants. Here, we report the development of a simple and effective VIGS system based on citrus leaf blotch virus (CLBV), a virus endemic in most citrus-producing countries but showing no symptoms in most citrus varieties. By Agrobacterium-mediated vacuum-infiltration (AVI), pCLBV201-su245 and pCLBV201-pds391 triggered efficient gene silencing (85%) and silencing phenotypes began to appear at 30 days post infiltration/inoculation (dpi), a similar period for achieving that on herbaceous plants. Moreover, the silencing phenotypes could still be observed four years post inoculation. Further, pCLBV201-lob369 was constructed to silence the gene lateral organ boundaries1 (lob1), encoding a key factor for susceptibility to citrus canker that caused by Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri (Xcc). The resistance evaluation results showed that the lesion area, disease index, and bacterial content in the pCLBV201-lob369 treatment group were decreased by 64%, 14%, and 67%, respectively. This work provides a simple and effective VIGS system for citrus which has the potential to be used for diseases control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A solvent method was used to prepare the inclusion compound of neohesperidin (NH) and hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (HP‐β‐CD) to improve the water solubility and thermal stability of NH. The physical and chemical properties and supramolecular structure of the inclusion complex were investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy, FTIR, SEM, TG‐DTG, PXRD, NMR and molecular docking techniques. The results showed that the C‐ring of NH was embedded in the cavity of HP‐β‐CD to form an inclusion complex. The phase has changed significantly, NH is completely dispersed in HP‐β‐CD in an amorphous state, and the two are combined in the form of non‐covalent bonds such as hydrogen bonds or van der Waals forces. Through inclusion of HP‐β‐CD, the solubility of NH in water at 37 °C increased from 161.81 μg ml−1 to 1927.12 μg ml−1, and its stability was also significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays a critical role in regulating innate immunity and metabolism by producing prostaglandins (PGs) and other lipid mediators. However, the implication of adipose COX-2 in obesity remains largely unknown. Using adipocyte-specific COX-2 knockout (KO) mice, we showed that depleting COX-2 in adipocytes promoted white adipose tissue development accompanied with increased size and number of adipocytes and predisposed diet-induced adiposity, obesity, and insulin resistance. The increased size and number of adipocytes by COX-2 KO were reversed by the treatment of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) but not PGI2 and PGD2 during adipocyte differentiation. PGE2 suppresses PPARγ expression through the PKA pathway at the early phase of adipogenesis, and treatment of PGE2 or PKA activator isoproterenol diminished the increased lipid droplets in size and number in COX-2 KO primary adipocytes. Administration of PGE2 attenuated increased fat mass and fat percentage in COX-2 deficient mice. Taken together, our study demonstrated the suppressing effect of adipocyte COX-2 on adipogenesis and reveals that COX-2 restrains adipose tissue expansion via the PGE2-mediated paracrine mechanism and prevents the development of obesity and related metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A random forest model refined by the beluga whale optimization was established. • A new random forest model was constructed for flood disaster risk assessment. • The new model has good applicability in flood disaster risk assessment. To scientifically characterize regional flood disaster risks, a comprehensive regional flood disaster risk assessment index system was constructed based on the R cluster-factor analysis method. To improve the regional flood disaster risk identification ability, a random forest model refined by the beluga whale optimization (BWO-RF) was proposed. It was applied to the flood disaster risk assessment of the Jiansanjiang Branch of the Beidahuang Agricultural Reclamation Group in Heilongjiang Province, China. The research results show that the constructed BWO-RF model has strong generalization ability and optimization efficiency. The evaluation results have high rationality and stability, which fully demonstrates the applicability of the BWO-RF model in flood disaster risk assessment. On a time scale, the flood risk of the Jiansanjiang Branch shows a clear downward trend. However, due to weak economic development and insufficient water conservancy and flood control planning and construction, the risk of flood disasters fluctuates greatly in the later period, and the prevention and control situation is still not optimistic. On a spatial scale, the risk of flood disasters on farms in the northeast of Jiansanjiang Branch is low, while the risk on farms in the southwest is higher. Future flood control and drainage should focus on this area. The research results provide a technical method system for reference in flood disaster risk assessment and provide valuable information for reducing regional flood disaster risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Somatic mutations in the calreticulin (CALR) gene occur in most myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients who lack Janus kinase 2 or thrombopoietin receptor (MPL) mutations, but the molecular pathogenesis of MPN with mutated CALR is unclear, which limited the further treatment for CALR gene mutant patients. Objectives: Previous studies showed that CALR mutations not only activated serine/threonine protein kinase (AKT) in primary mouse bone marrow cells but also mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in MARIMO cells harboring a heterozygous 61-bp deletion in CALR exon 9, which were responsible for mutant CALR cell survival, respectively. Hence, we aimed to initially explore the mechanism of AKT activation and observe the synergistic inhibitory effect of combining AKT (MK-2206) and MAPK kinase (AZD 6244) inhibitors in MARIMO cells. Methods: We detected the expression of phosphorylated AKT in MARIMO cells treated with inhibitors for 24 or 48 h by western blotting and analyzed cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis by flow cytometry. We further examined the synergistic inhibitory effect of combining MK-2206 and AZD 6244 in MARIMO cells using the median effect principle of Chou and Talalay. Results: We found that the AKT was activated in MARIMO cells, and blocking its activity significantly inhibited MARIMO cell growth with downregulation of cyclin D and E, and accelerated cell apoptosis by decreasing Bcl-2 but increasing Bax and cleaved caspase-3 levels in a dose-dependent manner. Further analysis showed that AKT activation was dependent on mammalian target of rapamycin but not on the JAK signaling pathway in MARIMO cells, displaying that inhibition of JAK activity by ruxolitinib (RUX) did not decrease the AKT phosphorylation. Furthermore, the combination of MK-2206 and AZD 6244 produced a significantly synergistic inhibitory effect on MARIMO cells. Conclusions: AKT activation is a feature of MARIMO cells and co-targeting of AKT and MAPKs signaling pathways synergistically inhibits MARIMO cell growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a single-phase multiferroic oxide, BiFeO3 (BFO) is suitable for applications such as magnetoelectric memories, sensors and actuators. However, BFO suffers from high leakage current density and small magnetization. And the BFO in film form is apt to react with Pt bottom electrode during the thermal treatment. In addition, its required high processing temperatures can not be compatible well with the interconnect technologies for semiconductor. In this review, we summarize both the improvement in leakage characteristics and enhancement of magnetic properties of BFO. The effects of buffer layers on properties and device integration of BFO thin films are also introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast carcinoma (BC) is one of the most common malignant cancers in females, and metastasis remains the leading cause of death in these patients. Chemotaxis plays an important role in cancer cell metastasis and the mechanism of breast cancer chemotaxis has become a central issue in contemporary research. PKCζ, a member of the atypical PKC family, has been reported to be an essential component of the EGF-stimulated chemotactic signaling pathway. However, the molecular mechanism through which PKCζ regulates chemotaxis remains unclear. Here, we used a proteomic approach to identify PKCζ-interacting proteins in breast cancer cells and identified VASP as a potential binding partner. Intriguingly, stimulation with EGF enhanced this interaction and induced the translocalization of PKCζ and VASP to the cell membrane. Further experiments showed that PKCζ catalyzes the phosphorylation of VASP at Ser157, which is critical for the biological function of VASP in regulating chemotaxis and actin polymerization in breast cancer cells. Furthermore, in PKCζ knockdown BC cells, the enrichment of VASP at the leading edge was reduced, and its interaction with profilin1 was attenuated, thereby reducing the chemotaxis and overall motility of breast cancer cells after EGF treatment. In functional assays, PKCζ promoted chemotaxis and motility of BC cells through VASP. Our findings demonstrate that PKCζ, a new kinase of VASP, plays an important role in promoting breast cancer metastasis and provides a theoretical basis for expanding new approaches to tumor biotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been widely recognized that healthcare practices should be based on up‐to‐date high‐quality evidence; however, the implementation of evidence has been a slow process in nursing practice. It is crucial for clinical practitioners to be aware of the barriers to implementing evidence‐based nursing. The aim of this study was to describe participants' experiences and thoughts on barriers to implementing evidence‐based nursing in mainland China. Forty‐five participants came from 45 evidence‐based nursing implementation projects carried out in 16 hospitals in mainland China. Data were collected through observation and semi‐structured interviews, after which qualitative content analysis was undertaken. Then, the five themes and subthemes were extracted from the data. The five themes were evidence‐based, nurse‐related, patient‐related, setting barriers, and lack of support. In this study, a variety of barriers influencing evidence implementation in the Chinese nursing context were identified and further explored from the perspective of clarifying misunderstandings about evidence‐based nursing, the profound influence of Chinese culture on patients' preferences and attitudes, and the lack of professional knowledge of nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious medical problem, leading to lifelong disability and increasing the health burden worldwide. Traditional treatments have limited effects on neuronal function recovery. Previous studies showed that neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) promoted oligodendrocyte survival and improved neuronal functional recovery after SCI. However, the mechanism by which NT-3 promotes oligodendrocyte survival after SCI remains unclear, which limits its application. A total of 75 female Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: the NS group, NT-3 group, and NT-3 + rapamycin group. After successful modeling, the spinal cord specimens were taken at the corresponding time points. Western blot was used to detect autophagy-related proteins and Olig1 protein expression and combined with pathology, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and other methods to detect the proliferation of oligodendrocytes after NT-3 application. NT-3 was found to significantly promote the recovery of motor function by Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan scores analysis in the rat SCI model. Furthermore, intraspinal administration of NT-3 could downregulate the expression of Beclin-1 in oligodendrocytes, indicating that NT-3 could inhibit excessive autophagy of oligodendrocytes after SCI. The effects of NT-3 on oligodendrocyte survival could be blocked by an autophagy activator rapamycin. This study found that NT-3 could promote the recovery of motor function after SCI in rats. The underlying reason may be that NT-3 inhibits the expression of autophagy proteins in oligodendrocytes and promotes oligodendrocyte proliferation. This study provided evidence for the future clinical application of NT-3 in SCI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In HBV-associated HCC, T cells often exhibit a state of functional exhaustion, which prevents the immune response from rejecting the tumor and allows HCC to progress. Moreover, polymerase-specific T cells exhibit more severe T-cell exhaustion compared to core-specific T cells. However, whether HBV DNA polymerase drives HBV-specific CD8+ T cell exhaustion in HBV-related HCC remains unclear. Methods: We constructed a Huh7 cell line stably expressing HA-HBV-DNA-Pol and applied co-culture systems to clarify its effect on immune cell function. We also examined how HBV-DNA-Pol modulated PD-L1 expression in HCC cells. In addition, HBV-DNA-Pol transgenic mice were used to elucidate the underlying mechanism of HBV-DNA-Pol/PD-L1 axis-induced T cell exhaustion. Results: Biochemical analysis showed that Huh7 cells overexpressing HBV-DNA-Pol inhibited the proliferation, activation, and cytokine secretion of Jurkat cells and that this effect was dependent on their direct contact. A similar inhibitory effect was observed in an HCC mouse model. PD-L1 was brought to our attention during screening. Our results showed that the overexpression of HBV-DNA-Pol upregulated PD-L1 mRNA and protein expression. PD-L1 antibody blockade reversed the inhibitory effect of Huh7 cells overexpressing HBV-DNA-Pol on Jurkat cells. Mechanistically, HBV-DNA-Pol interacts with PARP1, thereby inhibiting the nuclear translocation of PARP1 and further upregulating PD-L1 expression. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that HBV-DNA-Pol can act as a regulator of PD-L1 in HCC, thereby directing anti-cancer immune evasion, which further provides a new idea for the clinical treatment of liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoblasts and osteoclasts are responsible for the formation and resorption of bone, respectively. An imbalance between these two processes results in a disease called osteoporosis, in which a decreased level of bone strength increases the risk of a bone fracture. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules of 18–25 nucleotides that have been previously shown to control bone metabolism by regulating osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation. In this study, we detected the expression pattern of 10 miRNAs in serum samples from patients with osteoporosis, and identified the altered expression of 6 miRNAs by comparison with patients without osteoporosis. We selected miR-144-3p for further investigation, and showed that it regulates osteoclastogenesis by targeting RANK, and that it is conserved amongst vertebrates. Disrupted expression of miR-144-3p in CD14+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells changed TRAP activity and the osteoclast-specific genes TRAP, cathepsin K (CTSK), and NFATC. TRAP staining, CCK-8, and flow cytometry analyses revealed that miR-144-3p also affects osteoclast formation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Together, these results indicate that miR-144-3p critically mediates bone homeostasis, and thus, represents a promising novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estrogen can affect the cartilage development of zebrafish; however, the mechanism underlying its effects is not completely understood. Four-day-old zebrafish larvae were treated with 0.8 μM estrogen, the 5 days post fertilization (dpf) zebrafish larvae did not demonstrate obvious abnormalities during development; however, the 6 dpf and 7 dpf larvae exhibited abnormal craniofacial bone development along with craniofacial bone degradation. RNA deep sequencing was performed to elucidate the mechanism involved. Gene Ontology functional and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed that the extracellular matrix (ECM), extracellular region, ECM-interaction receptor, focal adhesion, cell cycle, apoptosis, and bone-related signaling pathways were disrupted. In these signaling pathways, the expressions of key genes, such as collagen encoded ( col19a1a , col7a1 , col7al , col18a1 , and col9a3 ), MAPK signaling pathway ( fgf19, fgf6a ), TGF-beta signaling pathway ( tgfbr1 ), and cell cycle ( cdnk1a ) genes were altered. The qRT-PCR results showed that after treatment with 0.8 μM 17-β estradiol (E2), col19a1a, col7a1, col7al, col18a1, col9a3, fgf6a, cdkn1a were downregulated, and fgf19, tgfr1 were upregulated, which were consistent with deep sequencing analysis. Therefore, the effect of estrogen on cartilage development might occur via multiple mechanisms. The study results demonstrate the mechanism underlying the effect of estrogen on cartilage development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is a serious clinical bone disease that results from the long-term consumption of glucocorticoids or glucocorticoid-like drugs. Although many studies have attempted to determine the mechanisms of GIOP, they are still unclear. In this study, we established a zebrafish model of glucocorticoid-like drug-induced osteoporosis by treating larvae with prednisolone. We then quantified the expression of a selection of extracellular matrix (ECM)-, osteoblast-, and osteoclast-related genes. Our results showed that at 15 days post fertilization, zebrafish larvae treated with 25 μM prednisolone are a suitable model for GIOP, not only owing to the decrease in robust bone mass but also because of significant alterations in gene expression. The quantification of the expression of ECM-, osteoblast-, and osteoclast- related genes revealed that mmp9 and mmp13 were significantly upregulated and entpd5a , acp5a , and sost were significantly downregulated. These genes may be a target for future research into GIOP. Our study thus provides new insights into GIOP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purified macrophage membranes were obtained by ultrasound fragmentation of the probe followed by sucrose gradient centrifugation and finally co-extrusion with Cannabidiol (CBD) to obtain CBD-loaded macrophage-membrane nanovesicles (CMNV) of about 200 nm. After sonication process on the brain, CMNV was injected into the mice via vein injection. Several mechanisms may help to explain that the nanoscale particles CMNV to cross the BBB and reach the mouse brain to play a role. Firstly, the mechanical effect of sonication opens the BBB. Secondly, the inflammatory response in the mouse brain can also drive the nanoparticle drugs to cross the BBB. Thirdly the nanoparticle size of CMNV and the specific macrophage membrane proteins contained on its surface facilitate it crossing BBB. [Display omitted] • To evaluate the brain-targeting feasibility and efficiency of the biomimetic macrophage membrane vesicles. • To elucidate the ultrasound effect to improve the brain-targeting efficiency. • To evaluate the effectiveness of CBD-loaded macrophage-membrane nanovesicles in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Post–traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which normally follows psychological trauma, has been increasingly studied as a brain disease. However, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) prevents conventional drugs for PTSD from entering the brain. Our previous studies proved the effectiveness of cannabidiol (CBD) against PTSD, but low water solubility, low brain targeting efficiency and poor bioavailability restricted its applications. Here, a bionic delivery system, camouflage CBD–loaded macrophage–membrane nanovesicles (CMNVs), was constructed via co–extrusion of CBD with macrophage membranes, which had inflammatory and immune escape properties. In vitro anti–inflammatory, cellular uptake and pharmacokinetic experiments respectively verified the anti–inflammatory, inflammatory targeting and immune escape properties of CMNVs. Brain targeting and excellent anti–PTSD effects of CMNVs had been validated in vivo by imaging and pharmacodynamics studies. In our study, the potential of ultrasound to open BBBs and improve the brain–targeted delivery of CBD was evaluated. In conclusion, this cell membrane bionic delivery system assisted with ultrasound had good therapeutic effect against PTSD mice, which is expected to help convey CBD to inflammatory areas within the brain and alleviate the symptoms of PTSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the synthesis of Bi 0.9 La 0.1 Fe 0.95 Mn 0.05 O 3 (BLFMO) films with enhanced multiferroic properties and without second phase using Ba 0.7 Sr 0.3 Ti 0.95 Co 0.05 O 3 (BSTCO) film as a buffer layer. Sol–gel processes were used to prepare the crystallized BLFMO/BSTCO films, in which magnetic domains were observed and no impurity phase was detected. We found that the buffer layer could effectively enhance the saturation magnetization and retentivity values of the BLFMO films, and especially the magnetic coercive field of these bilayer films was significantly stronger than that of the BLFMO films without buffer layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Phenotypic female disorders of sex development ( DSD) patients with Y chromosome or Y-derived sequence have an increased risk of gonadal germ cell tumours ( GCTs). The objective of the study was to evaluate tumour risk of DSD, summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with GCTs and propose management suggestions. Methods Medical records of 292 patients diagnosed DSD and undergoing bilateral gonadectomy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1996 to March 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Tumour histopathological types, risks and clinical characteristics were evaluated. Results The tumours in DSD included gonadoblastoma, seminoma, dysgerminoma, Sertoli cell tumour, yolk sac tumour and choriocarcinoma. The overall GCTs risk was 15·41% and 46, XY pure gonadal dysgenesis (46, XY PGD) carried the highest risk up to 23·33%, followed by complete androgen insensitivity syndrome ( CAIS). The risk of mixed gonadal dysgenesis ( GD) or 46, XY 17 alpha-hydroxylase/17, 20-lyase deficiency (46, XY 17 OHD) was <10%, and no tumour was found in five testis regression patients. The ages (years) of tumour diagnosed ranged from 11 to 29 [18 (15, 21) years]. The median age of androgen insensitivity syndrome ( AIS) with tumours was comparatively late [19 (18, 24) years], while GCTs occurred during adolescence in 46, XY PGD [17 (15, 20) years] and mixed GD [15 (15, 17) years]. Sex hormone levels were generally unaffected by gonadal GCTs. The positive tumour marker rate before surgery was 58·82% (10/17). Elevated lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH) was observed in six cases with dysgerminoma/seminoma. Remarkably elevated α-fetoprotein ( AFP) or human chorionic gonadotropin ( hCG) was seen in cases with yolk sac tumour or choriocarcinoma, respectively. Mild hyperandrogenism was observed in seven cases with GCTs. Fourteen of 17 pelvic masses found before operation was later proved malignant. Conclusion Disorders of sex development patients with Y chromosome materials have a significantly increased risk of GCTs. Gonadoblastoma and dysgerminoma/seminoma are the most prevalent GCTs and 46, XY PGD carries the highest tumour presence and malignancy risk. AIS could postpone bilateral gonadectomy until or after adolescence, while others with streak gonads should undergo surgery as soon as diagnosis. Specific serum tumour markers could be used in predicting GCTs and monitoring. Optimal care and close follow-up are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND A combination of quantitative marinating and Maillard reaction was investigated by adding d-xylose, l-cysteine and thiamine to the marinated brine of quantitative marinating, which was expected to enhance the volatile flavor of Chinese marinated chicken. Response surface methodology was used to optimize parameters, in which response was sensory evaluation scores of marinated chicken. A Box-Behnken center design was applied to the optimized added contents. The optimized contents were d-xylose (1-5‰), l-cysteine (1-5‰) and thiamine (1-3‰). RESULTS Analysis of variance indicated that a second-order polynomial equation could predict the experimental data well ( R2 = 0.94), and sensory evaluation scores were significantly affected by the added amount of d-xylose, l-cysteine and thiamine. The optimal conditions that maximized the sensory evaluation score of Chinese marinated chicken were found to be 4.96‰ d-xylose, 2.28‰ l-cysteine and 2.66‰ thiamine (w/w). Given these optimal conditions, a number of meat-like flavor compounds such as 2-pentyl-furan, benzothiazole and 4-methyl-5-thiazoleethanol were identified by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis. CONCLUSION Our results suggested that a combination of quantitative marinating and Maillard reaction might be a promising method to enhance the volatile flavor, especially meat-like flavor, of Chinese marinated chicken. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Binding mechanisms of NH to pH-shifted OVA were investigated. • The van der Waals interactions and hydrophobic interactions are involved in binding between OVA and NH. • The binding affected the secondary structures of pH-shifted OVA. • The NH has a high affinity for the reaction with OVA. • Antioxidant activity was improved for complex compared to the pure NH. In this study, ovalbumin (OVA) formed a complex with neohesperidin (NH) via a pH-shifting method. The NH-OVA complex self-assembled into NH-OVA nano-particles, which were then characterized and whose binding mechanism was evaluated by using multi-spectroscopic, thermodynamics, and molecular docking simulation methods. Fluorescence intensity decreased after OVA was complexed with NH. The binding constant of the OVA-NH complex was in the order of 6.32 × 105 M−1 suggesting that the complex is stable. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis showed that α -helix content increased, β-folding, β -turning, and irregular crimp content decreased after OVA and NH binding. Isothermal titration calorimetry results showed that hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds made an important impact in the complex formation. The molecular docking results revealed that Van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds contributed to the free binding energy of the complex. There were multiple possible surface binding sites between OVA with NH. The obtained results provide new insights into the interaction mechanism of OVA and NH, and as a vehicle for NH, the OVA has shown promising applications in functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a green and efficient method of immobilizing α- l -rhamnosidase to synthesize HMGDC was proposed. Based on MIL-101(Cr) precursor, magnetic MOF Fe 3 O 4 /MIL-101(Cr) was successfully synthesized. The immobilized α- l -rhamnosidase reaction platform was established, and the feasibility of the bioenzymatic synthesis of high-value sweetener HMGDC was verified by using HSDDC with better water solubility as substrate. Firstly, the morphology and structure of Fe 3 O 4 / MIL-101(Cr) magnetic materials were characterized. Secondly, the enzymatic properties of free and immobilized enzyme were analyzed. Finally, the product HMGDC was isolated and purified, and verified by TOF-MS. The immobilized enzyme showed excellent activity and thermal stability, which effectively improved the substrate conversion rate, reuse rate and reduced the cost of industrialization. To our knowledge, this is the first time that α- l -rhamnosidase was immobilized by magnetic MOF material to prepare HMGDC. [Display omitted] • Free enzymes were successfully immobilized on Fe 3 O 4 /MIL101(Cr) magnetic nanomaterials. • The activity of immobilized enzyme reached 293.55 U/g, which was higher than that of free enzyme. • After 9 cycles, the activity of the immobilized enzyme about 30%. • The conversion rate of HSDDC into HMGDC reached 93.1% using the immobilized enzyme for the first time. In this study, α- l -rhamnosidase was immobilized on magnetic Fe 3 O 4 /MIL-101 (Cr) nanoparticles using MIL-101(Cr) as precursor by crosslinking method. The crosslinking agent concentration ratio and crosslinking time were EDC/NHS 1:1 and 2 h, respectively. The immobilized materials were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM and VSM. The saturation magnetization of the prepared magnetic nanoparticles was 46.2 emu/g. The optimum pH and temperature of immobilized enzyme were 6 and 60 °C. The application of immobilized enzyme in the preparation of hesperidin dihydrochalcone glucoside (HMGDC) by hydrolysis of hesperidin dihydrochalcone (HSDDC) was studied. The results showed that immobilized enzyme had better temperature resistance, repeatability and stability than free enzyme. The immobilized enzyme activity was 293.55 U/g, and the recovery was 116.03%. After treatment at 60 °C for 4 days, the enzyme activity remained at 24.6%. The conversion rate of HSDDC reached 93.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. In the process of care for disorders of sex development (DSD), clinical decisions should focus on the long-term quality of life (QOL). We sought to investigate the QOL of patients with DSD in China. Design. Case-control study was carried out. Patients. 90 patients of DSD participated in the study. Finally, 87 patients were analyzed including Turner’s syndrome (23), Noonan syndrome (2), androgen insensitivity syndrome (22), testicular regression syndrome (2), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (16), and pure gonadal dysgenesis (22). Measurements. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was chosen for the present investigation. Four domain scores were analyzed independently including physical, psychological, and social relationship and environmental domains. Results. The average age of the DSD group is 22.34 ± 4.97 years, and only 13.79% patients ever had sexual life. The scores of psychological and environmental domains were lower than that of the physical and social relationship domains, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). Compared with the Chinese urban population, the QOL scores of DSD patients in China were not significantly lower. Conclusions. With proper treatment, including the follow-up and psychological support, the QOL of DSD patients cannot be significantly reduced. For DSD patients, more attention should be paid to the potential psychological and sexual problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nt without evident protein coding function. They play important regulatory roles in many biological processes, e.g., gene regulation, chromatin remodeling, and cell fate determination during development. Dysregulation of lncRNAs has been observed in various diseases including cancer. Interacting with proteins is a crucial way for lncRNAs to play their biological roles. Therefore, the characterization of lncRNA binding proteins is important to understand their functions and to delineate the underlying molecular mechanism. Large-scale studies based on mass spectrometry have characterized over a thousand new RNA binding proteins without known RNA-binding domains, thus revealing the complexity and diversity of RNA–protein interactions. In addition, several methods have been developed to identify the binding proteins for particular RNAs of interest. Here we review the progress of the RNA-centric methods for the identification of RNA-protein interactions, focusing on the studies involving lncRNAs, and discuss their strengths and limitations. [Display omitted] • LncRNAs play important regulatory roles in various cellular processes. • Interacting with proteins is a crucial way for lncRNAs to exert their biological functions. • We review the recent development of the study of lncRNA binding proteins, focusing on the RNA-centric methods. • The advantages and limitations of different methods are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood disasters are sudden, frequent, uncertain and highly hazardous natural disasters. The precise identification of the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics, key driving factors and influencing mechanisms of resilience has become a hot spot in disaster risk reduction research. Therefore, the cumulative information contribution rate-Pearson correlation coefficient (CICR- PCC) model is used in this paper to construct a flood disaster resilience index system by quantitative methods, and a support vector regression model refined by the selfish herd optimizer with elite opposition-based learning (EO–SHO–SVR) is built to improve the accuracy of flood disaster resilience evaluation. On this basis, the EO–SHO–SVR model is used to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution of flood disaster resilience in the Jiansanjiang branch of China Beidahuang Agricultural Reclamation Group Co., Ltd. over the past 22 years. In addition, to verify the comprehensive performance of the EO–SHO–SVR model, support vector regression (SVR), imperial competition algorithm-improved support vector regression (ICA-SVR), and unimproved selfish herd optimizer support vector regression (SHO-SVR) models were selected for comparative analysis. The results show that during the study period, the resilience levels reached a plateau of high levels from 1997 to 2018 after experiencing a state of steady low levels followed by increased volatility. Among the investigated factors, land-average flood prevention investment, GDP per capita, agricultural machinery power per unit of arable land, water conservancy project investment as a percentage of GDP, and rainfall are the main driving factors that cause spatiotemporal differences in flood disaster resilience in the study area. Spatially, the resilience levels in the Jiansanjiang branch are ordered as northern farms > southern farms > central farms, and the comprehensive index of resilience shows an increasing trend from west to east. In the model comparison, the EO–SHO–SVR model has outstanding advantages in fitting performance, reliability, rationality and stability, which fully demonstrates that the EO–SHO–SVR model is highly advanced and practical in the measurement of flood disaster resilience. These research results can provide a more accurate evaluation model of regional flood disaster resilience. In addition, they can also provide valuable information for regional flood resilience improvement and flood risk avoidance. [Display omitted] • Based on the CICR-PCC model, select regional flood disaster resilience evaluation indicators. • Use the EO-SHO-SVR evaluation model to analyze the spatiotemporal variation in flood disaster resilience. • Evaluate the performance and applicability of the constructed EO-SHO-SVR model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The multiferroic Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BSTO)–Ni0.8Zn0.2Fe2O4 (NZFO) nanofibers with different molar ratios were prepared by electrospinning method. After annealing at 700°C, the composite nanofibers showed highly crystalline structure with no impurity phase. The fibers before and after heat treatment had high aspect ratios, and the fibrous morphology could be observed obviously. The maximum value of magnetic coercivity was obtained corresponding to the BSTO–NZFO nanofibers with molar ratio of 80/20. The values of coercivity, saturation magnetization and retentivity for the BSTO–NZFO (molar ratio=80/20) nanofibers were 44.873Oe, 2.479emu/g and 0.189emu/g, respectively. Moreover, the magnetodielectric, dielectric and ferroelectric properties were measured at room temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The La and Mn co-doped BiFeO3 nanofibers were synthesized in order to obtain one-dimensional multiferroic materials with better performance. The fibers before and after heat treatment had high aspect ratios, and the fibrous morphology could be observed obviously. With the substitution of Mn ions onto Fe sites, the Bi0.9La0.1Fe0.95Mn0.05O3 nanofibers presented a larger saturation magnetization at room temperature, and the double exchange interactions of Fe3+–O–Fe2+ increased. The values of remanent polarization and coercive field were 0.162μC/cm2 and 5.633kV/cm measured at a voltage of 2000V, respectively. The Fe3+ to Fe2+ ratios of the samples increased from 45.24/54.76 to 54.68/45.32 due to the Mn doping. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Multiferroic materials possess at least two ferroic properties which make them particularly suitable for multifunctional device applications. The purpose of this work was to get one-dimensional multiferroics by doping of Co into ferroelectrics. Multiferroic Ba0.7Sr0.3Ti0.95Co0.05O3 nanofibers were prepared via a sol–gel and electrospinning technique. The nanofibers annealed at 700°C exhibited highly crystalline structure with no detectable impurity phase. The nanofibers before and after heat treatment were both well-distributed, and the fibrous morphology could be observed obviously. After the annealing process, the nanofibers showed a rough surface and relatively tight structure. The magnetic hysteresis loop confirmed the expected ferromagnetic properties with a saturation magnetization of 398.99memu/g, a retentivity of 20.233memu/g, and a coercivity of 112.54Oe measured at room temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Copper wire is attracting more and more attention in wire bonding technology due to its advantages in comparison with gold or aluminum wire. This paper presents an achievement of ultrasonic wedge bonding with 25μm copper wire on Au/Ni plated Cu substrate at ambient temperature. A detailed investigation from the aspects of process optimization, bonding mechanism, interdiffusion, ultrasonic effects on microstructure and microhardness of the bonding materials were performed. The results show that it is possible to produce strong copper wire wedge bonds at room temperature, and the thinning of the Au layer was found directly below the center of the bonding tool with the bonding power increasing. Interdiffusion between copper wire and Au metallization during the wedge bonding at ambient temperature was assumed negligible. The wedge bonding was achieved by wear action induced by ultrasonic vibration. The ultrasonic power did contribute to enhancing deformation of the copper wire due to ultrasonic softening effect which was then followed by the strain hardening of the copper wedge bond, and the dynamic recovery or recrystallization of the copper wire caused by ultrasonic vibration during wedge bonding was also found. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a detailed analysis of sagging phenomenon happened in right-angled solder joints formed by laser reflow soldering. When the solder joints were subjected to 125°C isothermal aging or thermal cycle process, in which the temperature varied from −40 to 125°C, sink steps formed near the interface of solder and pad with 4.0, 3.0 or 0.9μm thickness of Au surface finish, and this phenomenon was called as sagging. The sink steps were larger for pads with thicker Au surface finish, and sagging phenomenon was more serious for Sn–37Pb solder joints than that of Sn–2.0Ag–0.75Cu–3.0Bi and Sn–3.5Ag–0.75Cu solder joints. Moreover, evolution of the sink steps were faster in thermal cycle process than that in aging porcess for Sn–37Pb solder joints. Through SEM and EDX analysis, it was supposed that the emergence of sagging phenomenon was caused by the formation and evolution of AuSn x intermetallic components (IMCs) and/or CuSnAu phases at the interface of solder and pad, and the stress cumulated in the solder joints during thermal cycle process may have great effects on the evolution speed of the IMCs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes features of a three-dimensional finite element model to simulate the temperature field of a large complicated Al alloy structure during electron beam welding (EBW), aiming to control the final distortion of the welded structure. The actual workpiece is about 1m in length, with over 8m aggregate weld length. Because a much finer mesh was required to describe the electron beam heat source, computational work would be substantially increased due to the three-dimensional model. In order to improve calculation speed and quality of simulation, parallel calculation was performed by establishing a computer cluster system composed of four PCs. At the same time, a dynamic three-dimensional keyhole was applied in this model to simulate the heat generation in the cavity. Following the heat source, the keyhole moved along the weld line, allowing a more complex expression to describe the heat source of EBW. Several welding process parameters including input energy and welding speed were studied systematically, as well as the influence of pre-deformation before welding on the ultimate distortion. The results show that the input energy and welding speed have a direct effect on the temperature field, especially on the shape and dimensions of the weld pool, and they seriously influence the final distortion. Pre-deformation also has an effect on distortion, but not apparently as strong as the parameters mentioned above. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study investigates the influence of aging treatment on deformation behavior of 96.5Sn3.5Ag eutectic solder alloys with lower strain rate (<10−3 s−1) during tensile tests under the scanning electron microscope. Results showed that because of the existence of Ag3Sn intermetallic particles and the special microstructure of β-Sn phases in Sn3.5Ag solder, grain boundary sliding was not the dominant mechanism any longer for this Pb-free solder. While the interaction of dislocations with the relatively rigid Ag3Sn particles began to dominate. For the as-cast specimen, accompanied by partial intragranular cracks, intergranular fracture along the grain boundaries in Sn–Ag eutectic structure or the interphase boundaries between Sn-rich dendrites and Sn–Ag eutectic phases occurred primarily in early tensile stage. However, the boundary behavior was limited by the large Ag3Sn particles presented along the Sn-rich dendrites boundaries after aging. Plastic flow was observed in large area, and cracks propagated in a transgranular manner across the Sn-dendrites and Sn–Ag eutectic structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effect of laser surface treatment on the surface energy of copper plate was investigated in terms of the surface microstructure analysis and theoretical computation in this paper. The surfaces of the copper plates were treated by Nd:YAG pulsed laser with different powers. The microstructures of the treated copper plates were analyzed by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the wetting experiment was performed to evaluate the variation of surface energy. The results showed that the surface microstructure and the corresponding surface energy of copper, changed with the variation of the laser power. The experimental results further explained by XRD results and theoretical calculation, demonstrated that the surface energy changed when the crystal structure in the surface layer was re-oriented in a preferred orientation after laser irradiation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Microcrack nucleation and propagation behavior in pure tin solder was investigated by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) through in situ tensile test. Observation results showed that fracture process was completed in this visco-plastic material by connecting discontinuous cracks or voids. Depending on remarkable vacancy diffusion ability, microvoids were nucleated and developed in the dislocation free zone (DFZ) or super thinned area ahead of crack tip under local high stress concentration. The cracks were linked with each other by mutual dislocation emission which expedites the propagation of crack tips effectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nd:YAG laser surface treatment of copper was found to affect the wettability characteristics of SnAg eutectic lead-free solder on copper. The basic process phenomenon was investigated and the microstructure and wetting characteristics of the solder was determined using optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. To analyze mechanism of the microstructure changes in the surface layer after laser treatment, a finite element modeling (FEM) model was proposed, the simulated temperature distribution and temperature gradient distribution in the surface layer were presented. The results showed that laser surface treatment can improve the wetting characteristics of the Sn3.5Ag solder on the copper and the mechanism was discussed in detail. The work has shown clearly that laser irradiation can be used to improve the wettability of Sn3.5Ag solder on copper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The effects of displacement rate on fracture behaviors of 100Sn solder and 63Sn37Pb solder alloys have been investigated by SEMin-situtesting. It was found that for the 100Sn solder, grain boundary sliding was the dominant deformation mechanism at lower tensile rate regime, while a large area of slip lines crossing grains were detected at the surface of specimens at higher tensile rate regime. For the 63Sn37Pb eutectic alloy, however, because of existence of the second phase, fracture behavior depended on the growth and linkage of cavities ahead of crack tip, and the crack paths changed from intergranular to transgranular with the increasing of loading rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Deformation phenomena of both pure tin and 63Sn37Pb eutectic solder under different conditions were traced near the triple point of grain junctions by in situ observation. It was found that grain boundaries showed up at the caring position due to the boundary sliding for the lower tensile rate. Voids and cavities were observed along grain boundaries for pure tin and 63Sn37Pb solder, respectively. After aging, however, boundary behavior was limited to some extent to the increase in grain size, and the deformation mechanism was intragranular-dominated instead. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study investigates the influence of aging treatment on fracture behavior of Sn–Pb eutectic solder alloys at different loading rate regime during tensile tests under the scanning electron microscope. In high homologous temperature, the solder exhibit the creep behavior that could be confirmed through the phenomena of grain boundary sliding (GBS) to both as-cast and aged specimens. Owing to the large grain scale after high temperature storage, boundary behavior was limited to some extent for the difficulty in grain rotation and boundary migration. Instead, drastic intragranular deformation occurred. Also, the phase coarsening weakened the combination between lead-rich phase and tin matrix. Consequently, surface fragmentation was detected for the aged specimens. Furthermore, the fracture mechanism changed from intergranular dominated to transgranular dominated with increasing loading rate to both specimens during early stage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, the temperature distribution in laser reflowed solder balls and warpage of the package upon temperature change were simulated using a finite element method, and effects of different laser heating means on the temperature distribution have been discussed in detail. The results of simulation show that solder balls reflowed by laser heating power would not damage the silicon chip and the package and that with laser, the advantages of a short heating time, a lower temperature in the package and smaller deformation were obtained as compared with a traditional heating method such as the hot air reflow method. Also, experiments on a plastic ball-grid-array (PBGA) solder ball laser reflow were carried out. Results show that the surface of the solder bumps obtained by the laser reflow method with proper parameters is much smoother than that obtained by the hot air reflow method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents intermetallic compound formation at the interface between the Sn–Pb solder and the PBGA metallization (Au/Ni/Cu) substrate during a first laser reflow followed by a second infrared reflow processes. A thin layer of AuSn4 was observed at the interface of solder joints, its morphology was strongly dependent on the laser reflow power and heating time applied. The AuSn4 compound formed at the solder joint in the first laser reflow process also changed after the secondary infrared reflow process. To elucidate intermetallic formation mechanism at the interface, a finite element modeling (FEM) model is proposed, the simulated temperature profiles within the solder ball and at the solder-pad interface during laser heating are presented. In addition, the shear strength of the solder joints was tested, the correlation between the shear strength and their corresponding interfacial microstructure on the solder joints are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the solder bridge mechanism in surface mount technology. Formulation of an energy equation for the forming process of a joint; Simulation and analysis of the formulation of the bridged joints; Application of a reasonable design of the joint structure.

Optical neural networks (ONN) have become the most promising solution to replacing electronic neural networks, which have the advantages of large bandwidth, low energy consumption, strong parallel processing ability, and super high speed. Silicon-based micro-nano integrated photonic platforms have demonstrated good compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processing. Therefore, without completely changing the existing silicon-based fabrication technology, optoelectronic hybrid devices or all-optical devices of better performance can be achieved on such platforms. To meet the requirements of smaller size and higher integration for silicon photonic computing, the topology of a four-channel coarse wavelength division multiplexer (CWDM) and an optical scattering unit (OSU) are inversely designed and optimized by Lumerical software. Due to the random optical power splitting ratio and incoherency, the intensities of different input signals from CWDM can be weighted and summed directly by the subsequent OSU to accomplish arbitrary multiply–accumulate (MAC) operations, therefore supplying the core foundation for scattering ONN architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dysfunction of p53 is a key cause of cancer development, while CCDC106 can reduce p53 stability and is associated with lung cancer. However, the roles of CCDC106 in other cancer types and its upstream regulators have not been investigated. Methods: The phosphorylation status was investigated by in vitro kinase assay and Western blotting using phosphorylation-specific antibodies. Co-immunoprecipitation assay and GST-pulldown were used to detect protein interaction. Cell viability, apoptosis, colony formation, wound-healing and invasion assays were measured for in vitro functional analyses. The in vivo effect of CCDC106 on tumor growth was investigated using a subcutaneous xenograft tumor mouse model. Results: We demonstrated that CCDC106 knockdown enhanced apoptosis by stabilizing p53 and suppressed cell viability, colony formation, migration and invasion in cervical cancer HeLa and breast cancer MCF7 cells with wild-type p53 (wtp53), whereas CCDC106 overexpression exerted the opposite effects in normal breast epithelial HBL100 and cervical cancer SiHa cells with wtp53. However, CCDC106 had no similar effects on p53-mutant cervical and breast cancer cells (C33A and MDA-MB-231). Further study showed that CK2 interacts with CCDC106 through its regulatory β subunit and then phosphorylates CCDC106 at Ser-130 and Ser-147. The phosphorylation of CCDC106 at Ser-130 and Ser-147 is required for its interaction with p53 and nuclear localization, respectively. Inhibiting CCDC106 phosphorylation by substituting both Ser-130 and Ser-147 with alanine or treating cells with the CK2 inhibitor CX-4945 abrogated CCDC106-induced p53 degradation and its oncogenic function in cells with wtp53. Wildtype CCDC106, but not Ser-130/− 147 mutant CCDC106, enhanced tumor growth and p53 degradation in a xenograft mouse model. Moreover, suppression of CCDC106 increased CX-4945 sensitivity of cancer cells with wtp53. Conclusion: This study revealed a CK2/CCDC106/p53 signaling axis in the progression of breast and cervical cancers, which may provide a new therapeutic target for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of fermented Chinese herb residues on the growth performance, nutrient apparent digestibility, serum biochemical indices and microflora of Simmental beef cattle during the fattening period. Twenty-four healthy Simmental beef cattle with an average body weight of 358.54 ± 65.63 kg were randomly divided into four treatment groups, with 6 replicates. The dietary treatments were as follows: I: basal diet; II, III and IV: 10% corn husk in the diet was replaced by Chinese herb residue, enzyme-fermented residue, and enzyme bacteria co-fermented residue, respectively. The experimental period was 49 days. There was no significant difference in the growth performance of beef cattle (p > 0.05). The ether extract (EE) apparent digestibility of groups III and IV was significantly higher than that of group I (p < 0.05); the apparent digestibility values of nitrogen free extract (NFE) and total phosphorus (P) in group IV were significantly lower than those in the other groups (p < 0.05). The maleic dialdehyde (MDA) contents in groups I and II were significantly higher than those in groups III and IV (p < 0.05). The ACE and Chao1 indices of groups I and III were significantly higher than those of groups II and IV (p < 0.05). The Shannon indices of groups I and III were significantly higher than that of group II (p < 0.05). The abundance of Firmicutes in group III was significantly lower than that in group II (p < 0.05). In conclusion, fermented Chinese herb residues could replace 10% corn husk and be used in beef cattle breeding. Dietary replacement of 10% corn husk with Chineseherb residue can improve nutrient digestibility of fattening cattle. Concentrate containing 10% fermented Chinese herb residues as a corn husk replacement can be used for feedlot cattle without adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hollow porous Cu-doped SnO 2 @PANI (PCS) composite was assembled on a flexible non-woven fabric substrate for NH 3 sensor. • The enhanced sensing performances were due to the heterojunction, abundant –OH group and Oxygen vacancy. • The textile presents excellent twistability and tailorability. • The material displays excellent compatibility with clothes for wearable NH 3 sensing. Herein, a twistable and tailorable NH 3 sensor utilizing hollow porous Cu-doped SnO 2 @PANI (PCS) composite was assembled on a flexible non-woven fabric substrate by in-situ polymerization technique and its gas sensing performance was tested at room temperature (∼25 °C). The results indicated that the well-designed PCS sensor to 50 ppm NH 3 exhibited six times higher response (25.4) than the pristine PANI sensor (4.5). The PCS flexible sensor still possessed a response (1.53) for 10 ppb NH 3 , and the detection limit could reach 5.2 ppb for NH 3. Meanwhile, the PCS flexible sensor demonstrated excellent flexibility with response decreases of only 1.97 % after 1000 times bending (120°), and 2.11 % after 100 times folding (150°) and long-term stability through 42 days of monitoring (maintaining 98.4 % response). Furthermore, the PCS sensor displayed insensitivity to relative humidity (20 % − 75 % RH), and the low sensing temperature could reach − 15 °C. The enhanced sensing performance of the PCS sensor was attributed to the synergistic effect of the vital role of abundant oxygen vacancy and − OH groups, as well as the hollow porous interconnected structure and the p-n heterojunction between Cu-doped SnO 2 and PANI. This work provides more opportunities to design smart wearable devices for detecting ppb-level NH 3 at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is one of the most important antioxidant enzymes in the reactive oxygen metabolic pathway of plants. The role of APX under biotic and abiotic stress conditions has been explored, but the response pattern of APX under biotic stresses is relatively less known. In this study, seven CsAPXs gene family members were identified based on the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) genome and subjected to evolutionary and structural analysis using bioinformatics software. The APX genes of lemon (ClAPXs) were cloned and showed a high conservation to CsAPXs by sequences alignment. In citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV)-infected Eureka lemons (C. limon) at 30th day post inoculation, APX activity and accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde were measured to be 3.63, 2.29, and 1.73 times to that of the healthy control. The expression levels of 7 ClAPX genes in different periods of CYVCV-infected Eureka lemon were analyzed. Notably, ClAPX1, ClAPX5, and ClAPX7 showed higher expression levels compared to healthy plants, while ClAPX2, ClAPX3, and ClAPX4 showed lower expression levels. Functional identification of ClAPX1 in Nicotiana benthamiana showed that increasing the expression of ClAPX1 could significantly reduce the accumulation of H2O2, and it was verified that ClAPX1 is located in the plasma membrane of the cell. The present study provided information on the evolution and function of citrus APXs and revealed for the first time their response pattern to CYVCV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of major causes of end-stage liver disease in the coming decades, but it shows few symptoms until it develops into cirrhosis. We aim to develop classification models with machine learning to screen NAFLD patients among general adults. This study included 14,439 adults who took health examination. We developed classification models to classify subjects with or without NAFLD using decision tree, random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and support vector machine (SVM). The classifier with SVM was showed the best performance with the highest accuracy (0.801), positive predictive value (PPV) (0.795), F1 score (0.795), Kappa score (0.508) and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) (0.712), and the second top of area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) (0.850). The second-best classifier was RF model, which was showed the highest AUROC (0.852) and the second top of accuracy (0.789), PPV (0.782), F1 score (0.782), Kappa score (0.478) and AUPRC (0.708). In conclusion, the classifier with SVM is the best one to screen NAFLD in general population based on the results from physical examination and blood testing, followed by the classifier with RF. Those classifiers have a potential to screen NAFLD in general population for physician and primary care doctors, which could benefit to NAFLD patients from early diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) is the causative agent of citrus yellow vein clearing disease, and poses a serious threat to the lemon industry in Asia. The common symptoms of CYVCV-infected lemon plants are leaf crinkling, leaf chlorotic mottling, and yellow vein clearing. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying CYVCV-citrus interaction that responsible for symptom occurrence is still unclarified. In this study, RNA-seq was performed to analyze the gene expression patterns of 'Eureka' lemon (Citrus limon Burm. f.) plants in response to CYVCV infection. Results: There were 3691 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified by comparison between mock and CYVCV-infected lemon plants through RNA-seq. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that these DEGs were components of different pathways involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, brassinosteroid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis and photosynthesis. Among these, the DEGs related to phytohormone metabolism and photosynthesis pathways were further enriched and analyzed. This study showed that different phytohormone-related genes had different responses toward CYVCV infection, however almost all of the photosynthesis-related DEGs were down-regulated in the CYVCV-infected lemon plants. The obtained RNA-seq data were validated by RT-qPCR using 12 randomly chosen genes, and the results of mRNA expression analysis were consistent with those of RNA-seq. Conclusions: The phytohormone biosynthesis, signaling and photosynthesis-related genes of lemon plants were probably involved in systemic infection and symptom occurrence of CYVCV. Notably, CYVCV infection had regulatory effects on the biosynthesis and signaling of phytohormone, which likely improve systemic infection of CYVCV. Additionally, CYVCV infection could cause structural changes in chloroplast and inhibition of photosynthesis pathway, which probably contribute to the appearance of leaf chlorotic mottling and yellow vein clearing in CYVCV-infected lemon plants. This study illustrates the dynamic nature of the citrus-CYVCV interaction at the transcriptome level and provides new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of CYVCV in lemon plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) is the causative agent of citrus yellow vein clearing disease, and poses a serious threat to the lemon industry in Asia. The common symptoms of CYVCV-infected lemon plants are leaf crinkling, leaf chlorotic mottling, and yellow vein clearing. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying CYVCV-citrus interaction that responsible for symptom occurrence is still unclarified. In this study, RNA-seq was performed to analyze the gene expression patterns of 'Eureka' lemon (Citrus limon Burm. f.) plants in response to CYVCV infection. Results: There were 3691 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified by comparison between mock and CYVCV-infected lemon plants through RNA-seq. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that these DEGs were components of different pathways involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, brassinosteroid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis and photosynthesis. Among these, the DEGs related to phytohormone metabolism and photosynthesis pathways were further enriched and analyzed. This study showed that different phytohormone-related genes had different responses toward CYVCV infection, however almost all of the photosynthesis-related DEGs were down-regulated in the CYVCV-infected lemon plants. The obtained RNA-seq data were validated by RT-qPCR using 12 randomly chosen genes, and the results of mRNA expression analysis were consistent with those of RNA-seq. Conclusions: The phytohormone biosynthesis, signaling and photosynthesis-related genes of lemon plants were probably involved in systemic infection and symptom occurrence of CYVCV. Notably, CYVCV infection had regulatory effects on the biosynthesis and signaling of phytohormone, which likely improve systemic infection of CYVCV. Additionally, CYVCV infection could cause structural changes in chloroplast and inhibition of photosynthesis pathway, which probably contribute to the appearance of leaf chlorotic mottling and yellow vein clearing in CYVCV-infected lemon plants. This study illustrates the dynamic nature of the citrus-CYVCV interaction at the transcriptome level and provides new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of CYVCV in lemon plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head-mounted medical devices (HMDs) are disruptive inventions representing laboratories and clinical institutions worldwide are climbing the apexes of brain science. These complex devices are inextricably linked with a wide range knowledge containing the Physics, Imaging, Biomedical engineering, Biology and Pharmacology, particularly could be specifically designed for individuals, and finally exerting integrated bio-effect. The salient characteristics of them are non-invasive intervening in human brain's physiological structures, and alterating the biological process, such as thermal ablating the tumor, opening the BBB to deliver drugs and neuromodulating to enhance cognitive performance or manipulate prosthetic. The increasing demand and universally accepted of them have set off a dramatic upsurge in HMDs' studies, seminal applications of them span from clinical use to psychiatric disorders and neurological modulation. With subsequent pre-clinical studies and human trials emerging, the mechanisms of transcranial stimulation methods of them were widely studied, and could be basically came down to three notable approach: magnetic, electrical and ultrasonic stimulation. This review provides a comprehensive overviews of their stimulating mechanisms, and recent advances in clinic and military. We described the potential impact of HMDs on brain science, and current challenges to extensively adopt them as promising alternative treating tools. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]