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Herein, four kinds of initial Goss textures with different deviation angles (0°, 5°, 10°, and 15°) are obtained by controlling the included angles between the longitudinal directions of rectangular cutting specimens and the initial rolling direction of the raw material. Then, 0.05 mm thick grain‐oriented silicon steels are fabricated by cold rolling and primary recrystallization annealing. Effects of initial textures on the microstructure and texture evolutions and magnetic properties are investigated in detail. Compared with sharp {111}<112> in the cold rolling sheet with initial exact Goss, the deviated Goss favors the formation of strong {111}<112> + weak {h11}<1/h 1 2> textures. After annealing, sharp {210}<001> + medium {110}<001> textures develop as a result of the small initial deviation, while larger initial deviations contribute to the {310}<001> texture. In addition, the average grain sizes are also related to recrystallization textures. Consequently, the distinct recrystallization microstructures and textures result in the differences of magnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

0.05–0.15 mm-thick ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel sheets were successfully produced by a novel processing route including strip casting, hot rolling, normalizing, two-stage cold rolling with intermediate annealing, primary recrystallization annealing and secondary recrystallization annealing. The evolutions of microstructure, texture and inhibitor along the processing were briefly investigated. The results showed that the initial Goss orientation originated due to the heterogenous nucleation of δ-ferrite grains during solidification. Because of the lack of shear deformation, only a few Goss grains were observed in the hot rolled sheet. After the first cold rolling and intermediate annealing, Goss texture was enhanced and distributed in the whole thickness. A small number of Goss grains having a high fraction of high energy boundaries exhibited in the primary recrystallization annealed sheet. A large number of fine and dispersed MnS and AlN and a few co-precipitates MnS and AlN with the size range of 10–70 nm were also observed. Interestingly, a well-developed secondary recrystallization microstructure characterized by 10–60 mm grains and a sharp Goss texture were finally produced in the 0.05–0.15 mm-thick ultra-thin sheets. A magnetic induction B 8 of 1.72–1.84 T was obtained. Another new finding was that a few {2 3 0}〈0 0 1〉 and {2 1 0}〈1 2 7〉 grains also can grow up abnormally because of the high fraction of high energy boundaries and the size and number advantage, respectively. These non-Goss grains finally deteriorated the magnetic properties of the ultra-thin sheets. In addition, low surface energies of {hk0} planes may also contribute to the abnormal growth of Goss, {2 3 0}〈0 0 1〉 and {2 1 0}〈1 2 7〉 grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium(II)-induced selective B(4)−H activation of an o-carboranylthioamide has been developed. A tetranuclear palladium(II) complex has been obtained in high yield with excellent regioselectivity. DFT calculations have confirmed that the B(4)-borometalate is lower in energy than the corresponding B(3)-borometalate. The product proved to be a good precursor for target mononuclear or trinuclear B(4)−H activated complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a 0.71 wt%Si+0.44 wt%Al as-cast strip was produced by novel twin-roll casting. Some as-cast samples were respectively reheated and hot rolled at different temperatures in order to obtain different microstructure prior to cold rolling and annealing. The effects of the hot rolled microstructure on microstructure, texture evolution and magnetic properties were investigated in detail. A coarse deformed microstructure with λ-fiber texture was formed after hot rolling at 850–1050 °C, finally leading to an inhomogeneous recrystallization microstructure with strong λ-fiber, Goss and extremely weak γ-fiber texture. By contrast, a fine transformed microstructure was formed after hot rolling at 1150–1250 °C, finally leading to a fine and homogeneous recrystallization microstructure with stronger α-fiber, γ-fiber and much weaker λ-fiber texture. It should be noted that both the magnetic induction and core loss non-monotonically decreased or increased according to the hot rolling temperature. The unfavorable α-fiber and γ-fiber textures in the annealed sheets were much weaker than those of the conventional products regardless of the hot rolling temperature, thus contributing to a much higher magnetic induction. However, the average grain size in the annealed sheets was much lower than those of the conventional products regardless of the hot rolling temperature, thus leading to a higher core loss except the case of 1050 °C. Hence, it is underscored that better integrated magnetic properties than those of the conventional products can be obtained by optimizing the hot rolled microstructure to produce final desirable recrystallization microstructure and texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel half-sandwich metal (Ir, Rh) complexes constructed from carboranylthioamide ligands containing an unexpected metal–boron bond were synthesized and characterized. The strong base n-butyllithium is demonstrated to be necessary in the reaction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Low-finishing-temperature hot rolling and batch annealing result in large grains. • Prior large grains lead to desirable recrystallization microstructure and texture. • A potential processing method to improve magnetic properties is proposed. The grain size prior to cold rolling plays an important role in the microstructural, textural evolution and magnetic properties of non-oriented silicon steel sheets. In this work, we proposed a new way to obtain large grain size before cold rolling and applied it to a 1.0 wt% Si-0.2 wt% Al non-oriented silicon steel, i.e., appropriate low-finishing-temperature hot rolling combined with batch annealing. The grain growth process during batch annealing was investigated using a quasi in-situ electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) technique. It was demonstrated that significant grain growth took place through a strain-induced boundary migration mechanism. Then a large number of in-grain shear bands were formed in the cold rolled microstructure and could provide nucleation sites for Goss ({1 1 0} 〈0 0 1〉) and λ-fiber (〈0 0 1〉//ND) recrystallized grains, thus resulting in a coarse-grained and homogeneous recrystallization microstructure with weakened γ-fiber (〈1 1 1〉//ND) texture, strengthened Goss and λ-fiber texture. Consequently, superior magnetic properties (B 50 = 1.763 T, P 1.5/50 = 4.30 W/kg) were obtained. For comparison, the conventional processing route without batch annealing was also investigated. A small-grained and inhomogeneous recrystallization microstructure with pronounced γ-fiber texture was produced in the finally annealed sheet, which could significantly deteriorate both the magnetic induction and iron loss. This work provided a new way to enlarge the grains in hot rolled sheets by low temperature batch annealing instead of the conventional high temperature normalization. Thus a new processing route to fabricate low silicon non-oriented electrical steels with high permeability and low iron loss was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Acupoint application of cold asthma recipe (CAR) was a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) method, widely used as an alternative medicine for clinical prevention of the common winter diseases of asthma and bronchitis. Tetrahydropalmatine (THP) was a main active ingredient of CAR extract. The aim of this study is to compare plasma pharmacokinetics and lung distribution of THP between Feishu (FS) acupoint (BL 13) and Non-Feishu (NFS) acupoint application of CAR extract by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Materials and methods: The extract of CAR was topically administrated in FS and NFS acupoint of rats for plasma pharmacokinetics, and topically administrated in FS and NFS acupoint of mice for lung distribution. The plasma and lung homogenates were pretreated by protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column with a mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water. The detection was accomplished by multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) scanning in the positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) mode. All pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated by non-compartmental analysis. Results: A sensitive, accurate and precise UPLC-MS/MS method was successfully established for determination of THP in 100?L plasma and lung homogenate. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of THP was 0.05ng/mL and 0.072ng/mL, respectively. The pharmacokinetic results manifested that THP was absorbed and eliminated slowly in plasma. Additionally, it was found that there was significantly higher amount of THP absorbed into blood and lung after FS acupoint application compared to NFS acupoint application. Conclusions: Both of the rat plasma pharmacokinetics and mice lung distribution of THP could support that FS acupoint application of CAR extract has greater advantages of absorption into the blood circulation and distribution in target tissue over NFS acupoint application. The results might be helpful in providing a rational explanation for why the TCM chose the acupoint application and elucidating the underlying mechanism of this treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A kind of fibrous clay, palygorskite (PAL), was used as the sole stabilizer in suspension polymerization without the using of any other stabilizer usually used, especially polymeric stabilizers. In order to improve the compatibility with the organic monomer, PAL nano fibers were organically modified with silane coupling agent methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results show that the hydrolyzed MPS was attached onto PAL surface through Si-O-Si bonds formation without morphology change of PAL. At a loading amount of PAL to monomer as low as 0.36 wt%, effective stabilization could be achieved. After suspension polymerization, spherical poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles were obtained. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis on both the outer surface and the inner cracked surface of the spherical PMMA particles indicates that the PAL particles reside on the surface of the PMMA spheres. The densely stacked PAL together with attached silane coupling agent stabilized the droplets throughout the suspension polymerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history in the treatment of Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). A large number of animal experiments focused on the TCM treatment of IgAN are conducted every year. The evidence for these preclinical studies is not clear. This study summarized and evaluated the results of animal experiments on TCM treatment for IgAN. Methods. We systematically searched animal studies from 6 databases from inception to August 30, 2022. We included Chinese studies from the key magazine of China technology. The quality of the included studies was evaluated with the SYRCLE animal experimental bias risk assessment tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Results. Out of 832 records identified in the initial search, 30 studies were selected. The results indicated that, compared with the control group, the TCM treatment group improved 24 h urine protein (24 h-UP) level (standardized mean difference (SMD) 3.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.48 to 2.66, P < 0.001), urine red blood cell (U-RBC) (SMD 13.66, 95% CI 17.99 to 9.32, P < 0.001), serum creatinine (Scr) (mean difference (MD) 10.89, 95% CI 17.00 to 4.77, P < 0.001), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (MD 2.44, 95% CI 3.42 to 1.47, P < 0.001), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (MD 171.28 to 95% CI 323.68 to 18.88, P = 0.03), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β) (SMD 4.02, 95% CI 7.26 to 0.77, P = 0.02), matrix metalloproteinase-9/tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1(MMP-9/TIMP-1) (MD 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.06, P = 0.02), nephrin mRNA (SMD 3.39, 95% CI 2.59 to 4.18, P < 0.001). However, there is no difference in albumin level (MD 1.10, 95% CI 0.06 to 2.26, P = 0.06) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (MD 170.77, 95% CI 365.3 to 23.75, P = 0.09). Conclusions. TCM can improve 24 h-UP, U-RBC, Scr, BUN, MMP-9/TIMP-1, TNF-α, TGF-β, and nephrin mRNA of IgAN animal models. Moreover, there is a need for rigorous reporting of preclinical research methodology, which is essential to support the quality of preclinical research. Registration. This review was registered with a systematic review record CRD42020171404 in the PROSPERO database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary recrystallization is responsible for the sharp Goss texture ({110}<001>) of grain-oriented electrical steels. Many investigations have focused on establishing the relations between the sharpness of final Goss textures and primary recrystallization textures measured by the X-ray diffraction. However, the contributions of micro-texture characteristics to secondary recrystallization have not yet been well understood. Here, we report that the grain colonies composed of grains with similar orientations in the primary recrystallization matrix had a particular role on the development of secondary recrystallization via an original tracking experiment. We observe that the γ-grain (<111>//normal direction, ND) colonies facilitate the retention of primary recrystallization matrix grains (≤25µm) having 20-45° disorientation with {110}<001> and relatively large difference in the associated frequency with precise Goss orientation and that having deviation angle of 15°, promoting the abnormal growth of low-deviation-angle Goss grains especially after the onset of secondary recrystallization and leading to sharp final Goss texture. By contrast, the abnormal growth of high-deviation-angle Goss grains may be also promoted after the initiation of secondary recrystallization in case of randomly-distributed γ-grains in primary recrystallization matrix and thus resulted in deteriorated magnetic properties. In this way, we reveal the role of grain colony on secondary recrystallization and the underlying mechanism for the effect of primary recrystallization textures on the sharpness of final Goss texture. We also observe that the formation of grain colonies is mainly related to the initial solidification microstructure, processing route as well as the deformation and recrystallization features of γ-grains. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultra-thin sheets were produced based on primary recrystallization. • Dependence of texture evolution on initial Goss orientation was clarified. • Different cold rolled and recrystallization textures evolved in Hi-B and CGO. • Mechanism of recrystallization of typical texture was investigated. • Relationships of iron loss upon grain size, texture and thickness were clarified. Based on cold rolling and primary recrystallization method, 0.05–0.15 mm-thick ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel sheets were successfully produced by utilizing the high induction (Hi-B) and common grain-oriented (CGO) silicon steels as raw materials, respectively. Thus, the effects of sharpness of initial Goss texture on the evolutions of microstructure, texture and magnetic property were investigated in detail. For Hi-B steel, 'smooth' microstructures were formed in the cold-rolled sheets, and the textures evolved along the following path: exact {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 → {2 3 0}〈0 0 1〉 → {1 1 1}〈1 1 2〉. By contrast, significant deformation bands or shear bands were observed in the CGO steel, and the textures developed along the following path: deviated {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 → {2 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 → {1 1 1}〈1 1 2〉. After annealing, inhomogeneous microstructures containing some clusters with large grains (∼2–4 mm) and fine equiaxed grains appeared in the Hi-B steel and the associated texture evolution with increasing cold rolling reduction followed the path: {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 → {2 3 0}〈0 0 1〉 → {2 1 0}〈0 0 1〉. Unlike the Hi-B steel, relatively fine and uniform equiaxed recrystallization grains were produced in the final CGO steel, and the texture evolved along the route: {2 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 → {6 1 0}〈0 0 1〉. Consequently, further research focusing on the recrystallization mechanism was studied. The results showed that {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 and {2 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 developed into the predominated components due to oriented growth and oriented nucleation respectively in the 0.05 mm-thick Hi-B sheet, while {1 0 0}〈0 0 1〉 became the main texture with the aid of oriented nucleation advantage in the CGO sheet. In addition, more attention was paid on the magnetic properties of the ultra-thin sheets, and the results showed that heavy cold rolling reduction as well as low annealing temperature contributed to better magnetic induction. Furthermore, the separated iron loss components were obtained to clarify the relationships between the iron loss and grain size, texture and thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effect of two-stage cold rolling route on microstructure and texture was studied. • Low-reduction cold rolling and intermediate annealing resulted in coarse grains. • γ-Fiber was weakened while λ-fiber and Goss texture were enhanced in final sheet. • Increasing grain size prior to cold rolling led to improved magnetic properties. The 0.5 mm-thick Fe-0.9 wt%Si-0.3 wt%Al non-oriented electrical steel sheets were successfully produced with one-stage and two-stage cold rolling methods. The comparative investigations were conducted on the relationships between the processing routes, microstructures, textures and magnetic properties. This study mainly focused on how to increase the grain sizes prior to cold rolling and its influences on subsequent microstructure and texture evolution. The results showed that the fine microstructure prior to final cold rolling led to the pronounced γ-fiber texture, fine recrystallized grains and deteriorated magnetic properties after final annealing. Nevertheless, by introducing a low-reduction cold rolling and intermediate annealing, coarse grains could be generated prior to the final cold rolling. When the cold rolling reduction was 11%, a relatively homogeneous microstructure composed of fully coarse grains was produced. The increased grain sizes promoted the generation of dense shear bands during final cold rolling, which served as the nucleation sites for λ-grains and Goss grains. This resulted in the improved magnetic properties due to the weakened γ-fiber texture, strengthened λ-fiber texture and Goss texture and increased grain sizes in the final annealed sheets. This work provided a new way to improve the magnetic properties of non-oriented electrical steels by controlling the grain sizes prior to final cold rolling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium ‐ induced selective B(4)−H activation is achieved by the reaction of o ‐ carboranylthioamide and [PdCl2(CH3CN)2]. A tetranuclear palladium complex is formed in high yield. Mononuclear and trinuclear palladium complexes are obtained directly from the reaction of tetranuclear palladium complex with small molecules, such as tert ‐ butyl isocyanide and CO. These reactions are featured on the back cover. More information can be found in the Full Paper by G. ‐ X. Lin et al. on page 1814 ff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balitoridae, a family within the Cypriniformes, inhabit torrential mountain streams in Asia. Although they have long fascinated ichthyologists for their numerous adaptations to this tumultuous environment, the evolutionary history of this group remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the evolutionary relationships of the balitorids with particular attention to the phylogenetic placement of two balitorid species, Yaoshania pachychulis and Erromyzon kalotaenia. Both species have extremely limited distributions, they are limited to Mt. Dayaoshan of the Pearl River in China and require dedicated conservation plans. However, little is known about their evolutionary relationships to other balitorids. Here, we examined the evolutionary relationships of Y. pachychulis and E. kalotaenia to each other and other balitorids through sequencing the complete mitochondrial genomes of nine balitorid individuals. For the newly sequenced balitorids, the length of the whole mitogenome, gene arrangement and their base composition are similar to those of other bony fishes. Analyses based on these newly sequenced mitogenomes and an additional 50 previously published mitogenomes show that Y. pachychulis and E. kalotaenia cluster as different clade within the subfamily Gastromyzontinae. The genetic distance between these two species ranges from 0.127 ± 0.003 to 0.132 ± 0.004 which is slightly higher than that between some genera (e.g. the distance between Vanmanenia and Metahomaloptera is 0.127 ± 0.004). Therefore, it is reasonable to assign Y. pachychulis and E. kalotaenia to different genera. Phylogenetic signal assessment suggested that ND1, ND4 and ND5 genes as well as their concatenated subsets perform relatively well in reconstructing the Cobitoidea phylogeny. The divergence time estimation indicated that the balitorids distributed in Mt. Dayaoshan might have originated and evolved following the flattening and uplifting of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau during the late Miocene to late Pliocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure and texture evolution along the processing was investigated with a particular focus on the secondary recrystallization behavior in a 0.23 mm-thick twin-roll cast grain-oriented electrical steel. A striking feature is that Goss orientation originated during twin-roll casting as a result of shear deformation and it was further enhanced during hot rolling and normalizing. After primary recrystallization annealing, a homogeneous microstructure associated with a sharp γ-fiber texture was produced. During secondary recrystallization annealing, the γ-fiber texture was first strengthened and weakened with increasing temperature prior to the onset of secondary recrystallization. Goss grains always exhibited more 20–45° misoriented boundaries than the matrix. The matrix was quite stable during secondary recrystallization with the aid of dense inhibitors. Finally, a complete secondary recrystallization microstructure consisting of large Goss grains was produced. The grain boundary characteristics distribution indicated that the high energy model was responsible for the abnormal growth of Goss grains under the present conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 0.1 mm-thick grain-oriented silicon steel sheet was successfully produced using strip casting and three-stage cold rolling method. The microstructure, texture and inhibitor evolution during the processing was briefly analyzed. It was found that Goss texture was absent in the hot rolled sheet because of the lack of shear deformation. After normalizing, a large number of dispersed MnS precipitates with the size range of 15–90 nm were produced. During first cold rolling, dense shear bands were generated in the deformed ferrite grains, resulting in the intense Goss texture after first intermediate annealing. The microstructure was further refined and homogenized during the subsequent cold rolling and annealing processes. After primary recrystallization annealing, a homogeneous microstructure consisting of fine and equiaxed grains was produced while the associated texture was characterized by a strong γ-fiber texture. Finally, a complete secondary recrystallization microstructure consisting of entirely large Goss grains was produced. The magnetic induction B 8 and iron loss P 10/400 was 1.79 T and 6.9 W/kg, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) is the sole freshwater subspecies of Neophocaenaphocaenoides, and there is a lack of data on its transcriptome. In this study, we applied RNA-seq technology to assemble, de novo, a transcriptome and analyzed differential expressed genes (DEGs). About 6 Gb of clean data was generated for the Yangtze finless porpoise blood (n = 6) through de novo sequencing. In total, 151,211 unigenes were generated and a total of 119,039 of these unigenes (78.72%) were functionally annotated when searched for within the NCBI Nr, SwissProt, GO, COG, and KEGG databases. Diverse and extensive expressed gene catalogs were sampled for the Yangtze finless porpoise. DESeq2 was used to analyze the differential expression genes (DEGs) obtained from the assembled transcriptome. The results indicated that DEGs have close relationships with the Yangtze finless porpoise's development, evolution and adaptation. Further, we found that genes involved in cetacean TAG synthesis might directly explain the molecular basis of cetacean blubber thickening. These transcriptome data will assist in understanding molecular mechanisms of Yangtze finless porpoise adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Gliomas are a group of center nervous system tumors of glial origin. Most are characterized by diffuse infiltrative growth in the surrounding brain. Patients almost always ultimately die from their disease. The drastically increased knowledge about the molecular abnormalities, these are linked with tumor grade and patient prognosis. The aim of this study was to examine the role of KIF2C and AURKB as prognostic factors in gliomas. Materials and methods: A total 40 tumor samples and 6 normal brain tissue samples were collected. Biomarker KIF2C and AURKB were tested by qRT-PCR. Using Western blot validate the results. Results: We found that KIF2C and AURKB genes were higher expression in glioma samples when were compared with normal brain tissues. KIF2C and AURKB expression were associated with histopathological grades. We found that KIF2C as a potential independent prognostic marker for patient with glioma by Cox analysis. Conclusion: The expression level of KIF2C mRNA could be a potential independent marker to evaluate patient prognosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: To evaluate carotid stiffening in participants without conventional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) by using ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV). Methods: The present study enrolled 517 participants without conventional CVRFs (CVRF-Free total population). Subjects in this population were defined as current non-smokers with untreated blood pressure < 140/90 mmHg, fasting blood glucose (FBG) < 7.0 mmol/L, total cholesterol (TC) < 6.2 mmol/L, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol < 4.1 mmol/L, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥ 1.0 mmol/L. Participants in the subgroup with optimal CVRFs (CVRF-Optimal subgroup; n = 188) were defined as having blood pressure < 120/80 mmHg, TC < 5.2 mmol/L, and FBG < 5.6 mmol/L. Clinical interviews, physical examinations, serum draw, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), and ufPWV were evaluated. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals and ordinal logistic regression models were used. Results: Carotid stiffening was present in 46.2–54.5% of CVRF-Free subjects. Age, male sex, and body mass index (BMI) were independently associated with carotid stiffening in both the CVRF-Free total population and CVRF-Optimal subgroup (OR for age = 1.10–1.11, OR for male sex = 2.65–7.19, OR for BMI = 1.34–1.62; p < 0.05). Carotid stiffening was associated with TC only in the CVRF-Free total population (OR for TC = 1.84; p = 0.034). Conclusions: Many CVRF-Free individuals have carotid stiffening. ufPWV for atherosclerotic stiffening aids the assessment of early atherogenesis and may further clarify the true status of healthy adults without CVRFs. Key Points: • CVRF-Optimal individuals have a lower carotid stiffness than CVRF-Free populations. • ufPWV is a quantitative predictor for the early assessment of AS. • Absent major CVRFs cannot be considered low risk for carotid stiffening and atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coilia nasus is influenced by various external pressures during spawning migration and these anadromous transitions can lead to specific gut microbiome characteristics that affecting the host biological process. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the variations of components and functions in the gut prokaryotic microbiome during spawning migration as well as the key factors that triggered the changes. The gut microbiome in C. nasus was mainly consisted of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Deinococcus-Thermus and Fusobacteria via 16S rRNA Gene Amplicon Sequencing. The relative abundance of Acinetobacter and Clostridium increased, while Corynebacterium, Actinomyces, Bacillus, Klebsiella and Ochrobactrum decreased after entering freshwater, indicated the preference of C. nasus gut microbial members transferred from seawater to freshwater. Additionally, the proportion of Firmicutes significantly decreased and then increased, as well as the arise of some soil bacteria in gut, corresponding to the phenomenon that C. nasus are fasting during the upstream process and refeeding after entering the spawning grounds. The function prediction of gut microbiome was also consistent with the above results. The present study generally demonstrated the gut microbiome dynamics and the significant correlation between the gut microbiome and salinity and feeding behavior in the spawning migration of C. nasus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Both CD5 and CD43 are expressed on the surface of B lymphocytes of definite phase and associated with the adverse outcome in diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, the relationship between CD5 and CD43 expression and the prognostic value of CD5/CD43 coexpression in DLBCL are unknown. We herein determined the correlation between CD5 and CD43 expression, as separate factors or in combination, with the clinicopathological features and survival of 200 patients with DLBCL receiving standard chemotherapy with or without rituximab. Among these DLBCL patients, CD5 expression, CD43 expression, and CD5/CD43 coexpression were detected in 18 (9%), 57 (27%), and 10 (5%) patients, respectively, and all were positively correlated with advanced age and nongerminal cell type. CD5‐positive and CD43‐positive DLBCL patients had poorer event‐free survival (EFS, P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS, P < 0.001) than CD5‐negative and CD43‐negative patients, respectively. CD5/CD43 coexpression was correlated with a significantly worse prognosis than CD5 or CD43 expression alone. Univariate analysis showed that CD5 expression, CD43 expression, and CD5/CD43 coexpression were all adverse prognostic factors for DLBCL patient survival, and CD5/CD43 coexpression was associated with a greater relative risk for recurrence and death than either CD5 or CD43 expression alone. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that CD5/CD43 coexpression was an independent prognostic factor for EFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P < 0.001) in DLBCL. In conclusion, our data indicate that DLBCL patients with CD5/CD43 coexpression represent a specific subgroup with a significantly worse prognosis than those expressing either marker alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 0.23 mm thick grain-oriented silicon steel sheet was successfully produced based on strip casting and two-stage cold rolling route. The evolutions of microstructure and texture along the complete processing route were briefly investigated. It was shown that the as-cast strip was composed of coarse ferrite grains and martensite, and the texture was mainly characterized by strong {001} $\langle 0vw\rangle $ texture. Goss texture was absent in the hot-rolled strip, which was distinct from the well accepted results that Goss texture had its origin during hot rolling. After the cycle of the first-stage cold rolling, an intermediate annealing, the second-stage cold rolling, and a primary annealing, the strip exhibited a fully recrystallized microstructure with a weak \alpha $ -fiber texture and a relatively strong \gamma $ -fiber texture. Goss texture was not observed through the thickness of the primary annealed strip. This was significantly different from the previous results that Goss texture was the most populous component in the primary recrystallization texture of two-stage route in conventional process. After secondary recrystalization annealing, the magnetic induction of the sheet was as high as 1.84 T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Castleman's disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder of unknown etiology. The most frequent location of the disease is the mediastinum. Castleman's disease involving the pleura is rare,with only 3 previously reported cases. Here we describe the case of a 20-year-old female with the incidental finding of a pleural mass, discovered during a health checkup. X-rays and a computerized tomography (CT) scan revealed a relatively well circumscribed,4-5 cm ×2-2 cm,flat-round mass arising from the right parietal pleura and compressing the lung. It had the density of soft tissue. The lung did not show significant change. The final diagnosis was reached after surgical resection of the mass. On histopathologic examination this mass showed features of Castleman's disease of the hyaline vascular-type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Galectin-9 (Gal-9) induces adhesion and aggregation of certain cell types and inhibits the metastasis of tumor cells. T-cell immunoglobulin–and mucin domain-3–containing molecule 3 (TIM-3) plays a pivotal role in immune regulation. The aim of this study is to investigate Gal-9 and TIM-3 alterations in gastric cancer and their prognostic values. Methods: Gal-9 and Tim-3 expression was evaluated using a tissue microarray immunohistochemistry method in 305 gastric cancers, of which 84 had paired adjacent normal samples. Cell lines SGC-7901, BGC-823, MGC-803, MKN45 and GES-1 were also stained. Correlations were analyzed between expression levels of Gal-9 and Tim-3 protein and tumor parameters or clinical outcomes. Results: Gal-9 and Tim-3 stained positive on tumor cells in 86.2% (263/305), and 60.0% (183/305) patients with gastric cancer, respectively. Gal-9 expression was significantly higher in cancer than in normal mucosa (P<0.001). Reduced Gal-9 expression was associated with lymph-vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and worse TNM staging (P = 0.034, P = 0.009, P = 0.002 and P = 0.043, respectively). In contrast, Tim-3 expression was significantly lower in cancer than in control mucosa (P<0.001). Patients with lymph-vascular invasion had higher expression levels of Tim-3 (P<0.001). Moreover, multivariate analysis shows that both high Gal-9 expression and low Tim-3 expression were significantly associated with long overall survival (P = 0.002, P = 0.010, respectively); the combination of Gal-9 and Tim-3 expression was an independent prognostic predictor for patients with gastric cancer (RR: 0.43; 95%CI: 0.20–0.93). H.pylori infection status was not associated with Gal-9 and Tim-3 expression (P = 0.102, P = 0.565). Conclusion: The results suggest that expression of Gal-9 and Tim-3 in tumor cells may be a potential, independent prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer. Gal-9 and TIM-3 may play an important part in the gastric carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate discovered on gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)-1 (DOG-1) and protein kinase C-θ (PKC-θ) expression in a series of GISTs and determine the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic value of these two antigens. Methods. Immnunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect CD117, DOG-1, PKC-θ, CD34, Ki-67, α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), S100, and Desmin expression in 147 GISTs and 51 non-GISTs. c-Kit gene (exons 9, 11, 13, and 17) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFRA) gene (exons 12 and 18) mutations were also detected. Results. About 94.5% GISTs were CD117 positive, 96% were DOG-1 positive, and 90.5% were PKC-θ positive. DOG-1 had a specificity of 100%, while CD117 and PKC-θ had a specificity of 90% and 80%, respectively. There was no significant difference between DOG-1 and PKC-θ expressions when compared to CD117 expression. In 30 out of 42 (71.5%) GISTs, a c-Kit gene mutation was found, and in 3 out of 42 cases (7%), PDGFRA was mutated. Wild-type c-Kit/PDGFRA genes accounted for 21.5% (9/42). Most c-Kit gene mutations were found to be located at exon 11, mainly as in-frame deletions. Mutations in exon 9 were all missense mutations. Most PDGFRA gene mutations were found in exon 18, codon 842. c-Kit gene mutations in exons 13 and 17, and the PDGFRA gene mutation in exon 12 were not detected. Conclusions. Compared to CD117, DOG-1 is a biomarker with higher sensitivity and specificity. The combination of CD117 and DOG-1 can be used to improve the diagnosis of GIST. Although PKC-θ has a lower specificity than DOG-1, it can be a useful biomarker, especially in CD117− and/or DOG-1− cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress is accepted as one of the main factors involved in the development and progression of cancer. Superoxide dismutases ( SODs) are important in avoiding oxidative stress by eliminating reactive oxygen species ( ROS). To determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms at G7958A within SOD1 and at T5482C within SOD2 are associated with an increased susceptibility to gastric cancer, we investigated the genotype and allele frequencies of the genes from 294 gastric cancer patients and 300 healthy individuals. A polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism assay was used to identify the SOD1 G7958A and the SOD2 T5482C genotypes. Statistically significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies of SOD2 T5482C were found between the healthy controls and gastric cancer patients (p = 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). When the data were stratified according to gastric cancer histological subtypes, the risk of both diffuse- and intestinal-type gastric cancer was statistically higher for carriers of the C allele compared with carriers of the T allele. However, there were no statistically significant differences in genotype distribution (p = 0.5069) and allele frequencies (p = 0.3714) of SOD1 G7958A between gastric cancer patients and controls. Our findings suggest that polymorphism of the SOD2 T5482C may be closely associated with an increased susceptibility to the development and differentiation of gastric cancer in the Korean population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel antioxidant polysaccharide-peptide complex LB-1b from the fruiting bodies of the edible abalone mushroom (Pleurotus abalonus) was purified and identified. The structural characteristic of LB-1b was identified by FTIR (Fouriertransform IR), 13C NMR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. LB-1b is a polysaccharide-peptide complex that contains glucose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid and galactose in the molar ratio of 22.4:1:1.7:1.6 and the N-terminal sequence of its peptide moiety has also been determined. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of LB-1b, IPKERKEFQQAQHLK, showed some resemblance to antioxidant enzymes. LB-1b exhibited high antioxidant activity in erythrocyte haemolysis in vitro and the anti-proliferative activity towards hepatoma HepG2 cells and breast cancer MCF7 cells with an IC50 of 24 and 14 µM respectively. LB-1b also demonstrated hypoglycaemic activity in drug-induced diabetic mice and anti-HIV-1 RT (reverse transcriptase) with an IC50 value of 12.5 µM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The interaction between Src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase (SHP-2) of gastric epithelial cells and cagA from H. pylori plays a crucial role in developments of gastric atrophy and gastric cancer. This study aimed to investigate the association of haplotype tagging SNPs (htSNPs) in the PTPN11 gene encoding SHP-2 with gastric atrophy and gastric cancer in Chinese population. Methods: The subjects comprised 414 patients with gastric cancer, 109 individuals with gastric atrophy and 923 healthy controls. Blood was collected from October 2008 to October 2010. Five htSNPs rs2301756, rs12423190, rs12229892, rs7958372 and rs4767860 from the PTPN11 gene were selected and genotyped by Taqman assay. Serum Ig G antibodies to H. pylori were detected by ELISA. Gastric atrophy was screened by the levels of serum pepsinogenIandII, and confirmed by endoscopy and histopatholgical examinations. Odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by a multivariate logistic regression. Results: Among H. pylori seropositive subjects, age and gender-adjusted OR of gastric atrophy was 2.47 (95%CI 1.13-4.55, P = 0.02) for CC genotype compared with CT/TT genotypes, suggesting a recessive model of genetic risk for rs12423190. The prevalence of H. pylori seropositivity were significantly higher in groups of gastric cancer and gastric atrophy compared to the control group (70.3% vs. 75.2% vs. 49.7%, P <0.001). However, the distributions of genotypes and haplotypes in patients with gastric cancer were not significantly different from healthy controls. Conclusions: Our study provides the first evidence that rs12423190 polymorphism of the PTPN11 gene is significantly associated with an increased risk of gastric atrophy in H. pylori infected Chinese Han population, suggesting that rs12423190 polymorphism could be used as a useful marker of genetic susceptibility to gastric atrophy among H. pylori infected subjects. The biological roles of this polymorphism require a further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]