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Student employability (SE) is the foremost requirement for current university, especially in the current pandemic situation that business and industry enterprises require more capable employees to survive in a highly uncertain world. There are several characteristics of the teachers such as personalities and ability to use innovative technologies which influences the employability of the students in Chinese universities. Thus, this study investigates the impact of employment education teachers' qualities, such as personalities and the capacity to use new technologies, on SE in Chinese universities, with a particular emphasis on the moderating function of mix‐teaching methods. The research has employed the questionnaires to gather the data from the chosen respondents. The article also applied the smart‐PLS to test the hypotheses of the study. The results revealed that the employment education teachers' characteristics have a positive nexus with SE in Chinese universities. The research clearly shows that the mix‐teaching technique considerably partially mediates the features of employment education teachers and SE in Chinese universities. This research will aid policymakers in implementing guidelines aimed at increasing SE. Practitioner points: Teacher education and professional development programs can play a critical role in enhancing awareness and understanding of neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD.The attitudes of teachers might be influenced by their knowledge levels so there are no substantial differences in attitudes toward ADHD between university students and teachers.Promoting accurate information and evidence‐based practices in the classroom can foster inclusive and supportive learning environments for students with ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Hypodontolaiminae, Dichromadora media sp. nov. and Neochromadora parabilineata sp. nov., were isolated and described from the Yellow Sea, China. Dichromadora media sp. nov. is characterized by four long cephalic setae, the amphidial fovea transverse oval in the male and slit-shaped in the female, the pharynx with a single posterior bulb, spicules curved and distally bifurcated, gubernaculum jointed, four (1+3) precloacal supplements papilliform, and the tail conical elongated with a short spinneret. Neochromadora parabilineata sp. nov. is characterized by the buccal cavity with one large hollow dorsal tooth and two small subventral teeth, the pharynx with an obvious posterior bulb, spicules L-shaped and widened medially, gubernaculum boatshaped, seven cup-shaped and equidistant precloacal supplements, and a long and gradually tapering tail. The phylogenetic analysis of maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference based on rDNA sequences confirmed the taxonomic positions of Neochromadora parabilineata sp. nov. and Dichromadora media sp. nov. within Hypodontolaiminae. Tree topology in Hypodontolaiminae shows the genera Neochromadora, Dichromadora, Ptycholaimellus, and Spilophorella as polyphyletic groups, and the genus Chromadorita as a paraphyletic group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromadorina communis sp. nov. is described from Changdao Island at the confluence of the Yellow and the Bohai seas. The new species is characterized by its medium-sized body; finely striated cuticle with homogeneous punctations; absence of ocelli; buccal cavity with three equal-sized, solid teeth; four cephalic setae; oval amphidial fovea which is positioned between cephalic setae; curved spicules with tapered distal ends; simple, boat-shaped gubernaculums; five or six cup-shaped precloacal supplements; and conical tail with a very short spinneret. A phylogenetic analysis of small subunit rRNA gene sequences using maximum-likelihood and Bayesin inference confirmed the taxonomic position of Chromadorina communis sp. nov. within Chromadorinae. Tree topology in Chromadorida shows six morphological families clustered into a monophyletic clade and verifies the taxonomic position of the family Neotonchidae based on morphological and molecular analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black shank, a devastating disease affecting tobacco production worldwide, is caused by Phytophthora nicotianae. However, few genes related to Phytophthora resistance have been reported in tobacco. Here, we identified NpPP2-B10, a gene strongly induced by P. nicotianae race 0, with a conserved F-box motif and Nictaba (tobacco lectin) domain, in the highly resistant tobacco species Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. NpPP2-B10 is a typical F-box-Nictaba gene. When it was transferred into the black shank-susceptible tobacco cultivar 'Honghua Dajinyuan', it was found to promote resistance to black shank disease. NpPP2-B10 was induced by salicylic acid, and some resistance-related genes (NtPR1, NtPR2, NtCHN50, and NtPAL) and resistance-related enzymes (catalase and peroxidase) were significantly upregulated in the overexpression lines after infection with P. nicotianae. Furthermore, we showed that NpPP2-B10 actively regulated the tobacco seed germination rate, growth rate, and plant height. The erythrocyte coagulation test of purified NpPP2-B10 protein showed that NpPP2-B10 had plant lectin activity, and the lectin content in the overexpression lines was significantly higher than that in the WT, which could lead to accelerated growth and improved resistance of tobacco. SKP1 is an adaptor protein of the E3 ubiquitin ligase SKP1, Cullin, F-box (SCF) complex. We demonstrated that NpPP2-B10 could interact with the NpSKP1-1A gene in vivo and in vitro through yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), indicating that NpPP2-B10 likely participates in the plant immune response by mediating the ubiquitin protease pathway. In conclusion, our study provides some important insights concerning NpPP2-B10-mediated regulation of tobacco growth and resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The aim of the current meta-analysis was to assess the predictive value of blood fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) for acute kidney injury (AKI) in adult patients. Methods. We retrieved relative publications from electronic databases including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, web of science, and Wanfang Data from their inception to Aug 2022. Results. This meta-analysis study included seven prospective cohort trials comprising 1,655 adult patients. The overall pooled area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) from seven studies was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.80 to 0.86). Significant heterogeneity was identified (Q = 9.82, P = .004, I2 = 80). Pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.75 (95% CI: 0.59 to 0.87) and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.65 to 0.87), respectively. Pooled positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 3.3 (95% CI: 1.8 to 6.3), 0.32 (95% CI: 0.16 to 0.63), and 10 (95% CI: 3 to 38); respectively. Moreover, our sensitivity analysis showed that when a trial from Asia was excluded, the predictive value of FGF-23 was declined. Conclusion. Our results of meta-analysis of seven prospective cohort trials suggested that blood FGF-23 is a candidate indicator for the prediction of AKI in adult patients. Results of future large and well-designed clinical trials are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evergreen and deciduous species coexist in tropical dry forests and savannas, but differ in physiological mechanisms and life-history strategies. Hydraulic conductivity and mechanical support are two major functions of the xylems of woody plant species related to plant growth and survival. In this study, we measured sapwood-specific hydraulic conductivity (Ks), leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity (KL), modulus of rupture (MOR) and elasticity (MOE), xylem anatomical traits and fiber contents in the xylems of 20 woody species with contrasting leaf phenology (evergreen vs deciduous) in a Chinese savanna. Our results showed that deciduous species had significantly higher Ks and KL but lower MOR and MOE than evergreen species. Evergreen species experienced more negative seasonal minimum water potential (Pmin) than deciduous species during the dry season. Furthermore, we found trade-offs between xylem hydraulic efficiency and mechanical strength across species and within the evergreen and deciduous groups, and these trade-offs were modulated by structural and chemical traits. Both Ks and KL were significantly related to hydraulic weighted vessel diameter (Dh) across all species and within the deciduous group. Both MOR and MOE were significantly related to wood density, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber across species and within evergreen and deciduous groups. Our findings demonstrated that Chinese evergreen and deciduous savanna species diverged in xylem hydraulic and mechanical functions, reflecting conservative and acquisitive life-history strategies for evergreen and deciduous species, respectively. This study provides new information with which to understand the hydraulic and biomechanical properties and ecological strategies of savanna species in long-term dry-hot environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the sensitivity for electro-chemiluminescent (ECL) detection of chloramphenicol (CAP), a common broad-spectrum antibiotic, boron nitride quantum dots (BNQDs) were prepared with excellent photoelectric property and low toxicity. After its structure and electrochemical property were investigated in detail, it was noted that the ECL signal of Ru(Phen)32+ could be strengthened by the proposed BNQDs, which was further activated by ten’s times in the presence of CAP. Under the optimized conditions, there was an excellent linear relationship between Î"ECL and lg c CAP in a wide linear range from 1.0 × 10âˆ'10 to 1.0 × 10âˆ'6 mol lâˆ'1 CAP. The detection limit was super-low to be 3.3 × 10âˆ'11 mol lâˆ'1 (S/N = 3). When applied for CAP detection in real pharmaceutical and food samples, the recoveries were between 97.8% and 105.7% with R.S.D. less than 3.3%. A possible CAP-activated ECL mechanism of BNQDs-Ru(phen)32+ was also proposed. This work will offer a great potential for efficient monitoring of CAP pollution and clinical diagnosing of CAP-related diseases in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testosterone stimulates iron-dependent erythropoiesis and suppresses hepcidin. To clarify the role of iron in mediating testosterone's effects on erythropoiesis, we induced iron deficiency in mice by feeding low iron diet. Iron-replete and iron-deficient mice were treated weekly with testosterone propionate or vehicle for 3 weeks. Testosterone treatment increased red cell count in iron-replete mice, but, surprisingly, testosterone reduced red cell count in iron-deficient mice. Splenic stress erythropoiesis was stimulated in iron-deficient mice relative to iron-replete mice, and further increased by testosterone treatment, as indicated by the increase in red pulp area, the number of nucleated erythroblasts, and expression levels of TfR1, GATA1, and other erythroid genes. Testosterone treatment of iron-deficient mice increased the ratio of early-to-late erythroblasts in the spleen and bone marrow, and serum LDH level, consistent with ineffective erythropoiesis. In iron-deficient mice, erythropoietin levels were higher but erythropoietin-regulated genes were generally downregulated relative to iron-replete mice, suggesting erythropoietin resistance. Conclusion: Testosterone treatment stimulates splenic stress erythropoiesis in iron-replete as well as iron-deficient mice. However, testosterone worsens anemia in iron-deficient mice because of ineffective erythropoiesis possibly due to erythropoietin resistance associated with iron deficiency. Iron plays an important role in mediating testosterone's effects on erythropoiesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aneuploidy, a condition caused by an imbalance between the relative dosages of chromosomes, generally produces a novel phenotype specific to the molecular karyotype. Few techniques are currently available for detecting the molecular karyotypes of aneuploids in plants. Results: Based on this imbalance in chromosome dosage, a new approach (referred to as 'SSR-qPCR') combining simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) has been developed and utilized to detect some common aneuploids irrespective of heterozygosity. We screened 17 specific SSR markers covering all loquat linkage groups and redesigned 6 pairs of primers for SSR markers that can detect loquat chromosome aneuploidies. The SSR-qPCR detection results obtained for hybrid progeny and open-pollination progeny of triploid loquat showed diagnostic accuracies of 88.9% and 62.5%, respectively, compared with the chromosome preparation results. Conclusion: SSR-qPCR can detect loquat aneuploids and be used to construct the entire molecular karyotypes of aneuploid individuals. Therefore, this method offers a novel alternative for the detection of chromosome aneuploidies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is commonly detected in aquatic environment and can accumulate in maricultural organisms. Modification of the food may change the bio-kinetics of trace metals in organisms. The aim of this study was to understand the effects of food type on the uptake and elimination of Cd in different tissues of oyster Crassostrea gigas. Oyster groups feeding with different food types were exposed to 10 µg/L Cd for 28 days, and then followed by a depuration of 35 days. One group was added natural seawater rich in algae, the other three groups were fed once daily with Dicrateria inornata, Nitzschia closterium f.minutissima and mixed alga (Dicrateria inornata: Nitzschia closterium f.minutissima=1:1), respectively. Oysters were sampled for chemical analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mean concentrations of Cd among different oyster tissue were followed the order as: digestive gland > mantle > adductor muscle. A two-compartment model was used to estimate Cd uptake rates (k1), depuration rates (k2), bioconcentration factor (BCF), and half-lives (t1/2) in the three tissues, showing k1 was considerately higher than k2, therefore, the organism have high ability to accumulate Cd. The k1 in the digestive gland was the highest, followed by mantle and adductor muscle, while the k2 in the mantle was the lowest. In the present study, the group fed with mixed algae showed the fastest depuration rate and the shortest t1/2 in the important edible part of the oysters (digestive gland), which helps to improve food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A general protocol for direct glucuronic linkages formation featuring Au(I)-catalyzed appropriately protected glucuronyl o-alkynylbenzoate-involved glycosylation reaction, as well as a concise approach for easy access of scutellarein prominent for the mild and efficient hydroxyl group installation via borylation-oxidation sequence from flavanone derivative, has been established, based on which a novel route for scutellarin derivatives preparation has been devised. The developed strategies, among which the stepwise deprotection process was also included, guarantee the high whole synthetic efficiency, and definitely will find broad application in diversity-oriented synthesis of bioactive flavonoid glycosides. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A novel route for scutellarin and analogue thereof preparation. • Au(I)-catalyzed glycosylation by use of glucuronyl o-alkynyl benzoate as donors. • A concise approach for easy access of scutellarein prominent for the mild and efficient hydroxyl group installation via borylation-oxidation sequence from flavanone derivative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research shows that the practice of green supply chain management has a significant impact on the profits of supply chain members, but there is a lack of in-depth discussion on the issue of transnational green supply chain management in the case of government subsidies, especially the transmission effect of tariff effects and the countervailing effect between tariff effects and government subsidies. Based on a two-level transnational green supply chain composed of an exporting manufacturer and a retailer in an importing country, a Stackelberg game model is established in this paper. The effects of importing country tariffs, consumers' green preference, and the subsidy intensity of the government in the exporting country on decision-making, optimal profits of the transnational green supply chain and social welfare are discussed in the two cases of no government subsidy and a government subsidy. The results show that an increase in importing country tariffs will lead to an increase in the retail price of green products and a decrease in the greenness and wholesale price, as well as a reduction in social welfare and the profits of supply chain members. The impact of tariffs on the greenness and wholesale price of products is more significant than the impact of tariffs on retail prices. An increase in the green preference of consumers in the importing country can alleviate the adverse effects of tariffs to a certain extent. An increase in the intensity of the government subsidy will lead to an increase in product greenness, the wholesale price, the retail price, the profits of supply chain members and social welfare, and the growth rate of product greenness is much higher than the growth rate of wholesale and retail prices. Government subsidies can effectively reduce the negative impact of tariffs. Finally, numerical examples are used to further verify the research conclusions. The analysis in this paper has a reference value and offers significant guidance for the relevant decision-making of export manufacturers and the government in transnational green supply chain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal soils are recognized as a valuable global resource because of their important roles in maintaining ecosystem services, especially C storage. Exotic species often have negative impacts on biodiversity but less is known about their potential benefits for soil function. We investigated impacts of Spartina alterniflora Loisel. on soil functions (based on basic chemical and physical properties) related to soil depth on a coastline of the East China Sea. Subsequently, we assessed the trend of soil functions by integrating multiple soil functions into a single index. The results showed that significant relationships were observed between the age of S. alterniflora and the factors soil organic C (SOC) storage soil pH in the topsoil (30 cm), and soil salinity within the upper 1 m depth. These results implied that some soil functions were enhanced over time following the introduction of the species (i.e., C sequestration and desalinization). Spartina alterniflora had a positive effect on the basic functionality of soils in areas that do not have native salt marsh species. Over the course of exotic plant introduction, soil pH made the highest contribution at the beginning, whereas salinity gradually became the most important factor controlling the physicochemical functionality of soils. We suggest that it is essential to explicitly test the impacts of species introduction on soil functions to address key issues of the sustainable management of coastal soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreground and background selections are two important aspects that need to be carefully considered by plant breeders during field selection. In this article, we used 7 disease resistance markers, including four late blight and three potato virus disease resistance gene markers, and 12 microsatellite markers to evaluate the disease resistance and genetic diversity of 76 potato cultivars which were collected from 15 provinces of China. The foreground selection results showed that a number of materials, clustered separately, contained more than two late blight resistance markers or combined late blight and virus disease resistance gene markers. Many of them were collected from the southwest of China. Additionally, the genetic backgrounds of all cultivars were relatively narrow and a limited number of cultivars (15.8%) contained both potato late blight and potato virus Y resistance markers. Also, only two accessions (Yunshu 103 and Lishu 7) contained both late blight and potato virus X resistance markers. In conclusion, this comprehensive evaluation of genetic resources will shed the light on potato disease resistance breeding in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone cancer pain is severe pain with complicated pathogenesis and remains challenging to treat. The ability to understand the phenotype of pain is critical for developing an effective care plan. Large-scale electronic health record (EHR) data can be leveraged to identify different patterns or trajectories of pain. According to the Dynamic Symptoms Model (DSM), cancer pain can be influenced by demographic, clinical, and social or environmental factors. Data presenting some of these factors have been collected in EHRs. Therefore, this study aimed to EHR data to identify specific pain trajectories of bone cancer patients and then extract predictors for each pain trajectory. This secondary data research used data from the Veterans Affairs healthcare system. The EHR data were included in-patients with bone cancer diagnosed between 2000 and 2019. Their first two years of pain data were used to identify different pain trajectories using growth mixture modeling (GMM). Guided by the DSM model, we included demographics (e.g., sex, race), clinical parameters (e.g., cancer therapies, the use of pain medication), and social factors (e.g., marital status or religion) to predict individual pain trajectories. A total of 201 bone cancer patient data were included in this study. The majority of patients were male (n = 193) and White (n = 145). The mean age at diagnosis was 62.1 years (SD = 14.9, range =20 - 92). The mean pain score was 3.5 (SD = 2.2, range:0-10). Two distinct pain trajectory patterns were identified: stable/consistent mild pain (60.7%) and decreasing from moderate to mild pain (7.8%), and consistent moderate pain (39.3%). Decision tree, a machine learning technique, indicated that race, marital status, opioid pain medication use, and smoking or drinking status were important to classify bone cancer patients to their pain trajectories with an accuracy of 70.3%. The findings can support personalized pain care by helping patients understand their potential pain trajectories and facilitating patient and clinician communications in discussing pain care plans. Future studies can consider including more comprehensive factors to improve the accuracy of model prediction The innovation of this study is to demonstrate an approach to developing patient-centered pain management by using EHR data and machine learning techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chymosin is widely used in the dairy industry, and much is produced through recombinant DNA in organisms such as bacteria and tobacco. In this study, we used a new transgenic method to express caprine chymosin in corn seeds with lower cost and better storage capability. The recombinant chymosin protein was successfully expressed at an average level of 0.37 mg/g dry weight, which is 0.27% of the total soluble protein in the corn seed. Prochymosin can be activated to produce a chymosin protein with the ability to induce clotting in milk, similar to the commercial protein. The activity of the purified recombinant chymosin was as high as 178.5 U/mg. These results indicate that we have successfully established a technology for generating corn seed-derived caprine chymosin for potential use in the dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the impact of plasmid-borne oqxAB genes on the development of fluoroquinolone resistance, mutations and bacterial fitness in Escherichia coli .Methods: MICs and mutation prevention concentrations were compared among E. coli strain TOP10 and two corresponding transformants harbouring the OqxAB-encoding plasmids. Mutants were selected by serial passages with the 0.5-fold MIC of ciprofloxacin, and were randomly selected to determine mutations. Bacterial fitness was evaluated by competition assays in vitro and in vivo .Results: The oqxAB -carrying plasmids contributed to a 4-8-fold increase in the ciprofloxacin MIC and increased the ciprofloxacin mutation prevention concentration by 8-16-fold. The MIC of ciprofloxacin for the two transformants increased faster than that of E. coli TOP10 by serial passaging. Novel mutations in gyrB (A468P or F458V) were first observed. Mutations in gyrA were distributed at codons 87 and 83 in the two transformants, whereas mutation A119E in gyrA dominated in the TOP10 mutants. Although the two oqxAB -bearing plasmids caused a decrease in fitness in vitro , their fitness increased when combined with more than one chromosomal mutation, and clear biological benefits were observed in vivo . The mutations in gyrB were associated with a fitness cost, which could be compensated for by additional mutations. The novel mutation gyrA ΔS83 significantly reduced biological fitness both in vitro and in vivo , and was thus quickly replaced by more beneficial mutations in the population.Conclusions: The possession of plasmid-borne oqxAB may facilitate the evolution of fluoroquinolone resistance, and the fitness cost of OqxAB-encoding plasmids could be compensated by additional chromosomal mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A super-stable multifunctional terbium(iii)–organic framework, namely {[Tb(TATAB) (H2O)2]·NMP·H2O}n (Tb-MOF, H3TATAB = 4,4′,4′′-s-triazine-1,3,5-triyltri-m-aminobenzoic acid, NMP = N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) was synthesized. Tb-MOF exhibits a 2D sql structure with binuclear [Tb2(COO)4(H2O)4]2+ units as 4-connected nodes, and free water and NMP molecules are inserted between 2D layers through hydrogen-bonding interactions, forming a sandwich-type architecture. Observably, such a framework remains intact in a remarkable variety of environments such as common solvents and aqueous solutions with metal cations and inorganic anions, as well as with a pH ranging from 1 to 13. In particular, Tb-MOF can not only detect small organic molecules, metal cations and inorganic anions with high sensitivity and high selectivity, but also can accurately detect explosive 2-nitrophenol, 3-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol and 2,4,6-trinitrophenol in water. Its luminescence quenching response to Fe3+ and Cr2O72− ions can be explained in terms of the competitive absorption mechanism. In addition, the luminescence intensity of Tb-MOF is strongly correlated with the pH value in a pH range from 1 to 13. Thus, this material can be potentially used as a multi-responsive luminescent sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, sodium caprylate has been investigated to direct the crystal growth of 3D Ag-MOF, [Ag 2 (ddcba)(4,4′-bipy) 2 ] ( 1 ), constructing from 3,5-(di(2′,5′-dicarboxylphenyl)benozoic acid and 4,4′-bipy. The single crystal diffraction analyses shows that complex 1 possess 3D neutral framework with a three-connected ThSi 2 (10 3 -b) topology. Compound 1 exhibits predominant catalytic activity towards the degradation of o- Nitrophenol (ONP), m- Nitrophenol (MNP) and p- Nitrophenol (PNP) in aqueous solution. The kinetics of such catalytic degradation reactions was also studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel ytterbium metal–organic framework based on an unprecedented [Yb 6 (μ 2 -OH) 2 (μ 3 -OH) 6 ] 10 + cluster has been obtained and characterized, which shows a rare (3,12)-connected {3 2 .4} 2 {3 8 .4 22 .5 24 .6 10 .7 2 } topological net and strong near-infrared luminescent emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prohibitin (PHB) is a tumour suppressor gene with several different molecular activities. PHB overexpression leads to G1/S-phase cell cycle arrest, and PHB represses the androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer cells. PHB interacts with and represses members of the E2F family in a manner that may also be AR-linked, therefore making the AR:PHB:E2F interaction axis highly complex. PHB siRNA increased the growth and metastatic potential of LNCaP mouse xenografts in vivo. Conversely, PHB ectopic cDNA overexpression affected several hundred genes in LNCaP cells. Furthermore, gene ontology analysis showed that in addition to cell cycle regulation, several members of the WNT family were significantly downregulated (WNT7B, WNT9A and WNT10B), as well as pathways for cell adhesion. Online GEO data studies showed PHB expression to be decreased in clinical cases of metastatic prostate cancer, and to be correlated with higher WNT expression in metastasis. PHB overexpression reduced prostate cancer cell migration and motility in wound-healing assays, reduced cell invasion through a Matrigel layer and reduced cellular attachment. In LNCaP cells, WNT7B, WNT9A and WNT10B expression were also upregulated by androgen treatment and downregulated by androgen antagonism, indicating a role for AR in the control of these WNT genes. However, these WNTs were strongly cell cycle regulated. E2F1 cDNA ectopic expression and PHB siRNA (both cell cycle promoting effects) increased WNT7B, WNT9A and WNT10B expression, and these genes were also upregulated as cells were released from G1 to S phase synchronisation, indicating further cell cycle regulation. Therefore, the repressive effects of PHB may inhibit AR, E2F and WNT expression and its loss may increase metastatic potential in human prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cholesterol accumulation causes pancreatic beta cell lipotoxicity and dysfunction. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) plays an important role in blood lipid homeostasis. However, its role in tissue lipid metabolism remains unclear. We hypothesized that plasma CETP impact cholesterol homeostasis in the beta cells, thus damaging their functions. Methods: The adipose tissue-specific CETP expression transgenic (aP2-CETPTg) mice, characterized by high CETP levels in the circulation, were used in this study. Pancreatic islet cholesterol and beta cell function were assessed in mice. We further measured mRNA levels of the genes involved in beta cell proliferation and differentiation, inflammation and cholesterol metabolism. TUNEL assay was applied to investigate beta cell apoptosis in islets. Results: The aP2-CETPTg mice exhibited glucose intolerance, lower plasma insulin concentrations but increased insulin sensitivity compared with wild type mice. In addition, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from isolated pancreatic islets significantly decreased, and free cholesterol significantly increased. Moreover, the number and size of islets from aP2-CETPTg mice were significantly decreased. Genes involved in beta cell proliferation, such as Pdx1 and BETA2, were down-regulated; genes involved in inflammation and ER stress, such as IL-1β, CHOP, and Xbp1 were up-regulated, in line with an increase of beta cell apoptosis. Conclusions: Plasma CETP causes free cholesterol accumulation in islets which could contribute to beta cell dysfunction. Thus, CETP inhibition could be a novel protective strategy for dyslipidemia related to diabetes and obese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two empirical studies were conducted to test the facilitating effect of need-supportive parenting (NSP) on Taiwanese adolescents’ individuating autonomy (IA) and relating autonomy (RA) as well as to investigate the mediating effect of IA and RA on the relationship between NSP and adaptation. Study 1 adopted a cross-sectional design and found that (1) NSP was positively related to adolescents’ IA and RA capacity; and (2) the positive effects of NSP on intrapersonal adaptation (i.e., self-esteem and happiness) and interpersonal adaptation (i.e., empathy and reciprocal filial piety) were superiorly mediated by IA and RA, respectively. Study 2 used a longitudinal design and added negative criteria (i.e., anxiety and depression for intrapersonal maladaptation, and hostility and delinquent behavior for interpersonal maladaptation). Hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that (1) NSP not only positively contributed to Taiwanese adolescents’ IA and RA, but also facilitated the change rate of IA and RA; (2) the changes in IA and RA within individuals over time were related to the changes in intrapersonal and interpersonal criteria, respectively; and (3) IA primarily mediated the effects of NSP on both intrapersonal adaptation and maladaptation, while RA mediated the effects of NSP on both interpersonal adaptation and maladaptation. Limitations and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel adaptive neural network (NN)‐based leader‐following consensus approach is proposed for a class of non‐linear second‐order multi‐agent systems. For the existing NN consensus approaches, to obtain the desired approximation accuracy, the NN‐based adaptive consensus algorithms require the number of NN nodes to must be large enough, and thus the online computation burden often are very heavy. However, the proposed adaptive consensus scheme can greatly reduce the online computation burden, because the adaptive adjusting parameters are designed in scalar form, which is the norm of the estimation of the optimal NN weight matrix. According to Lyapunov stability theory, the proposed approach can guarantee the leader‐following consensus behaviour of non‐linear second‐order multi‐agent systems to be obtained. Finally, a numerical simulation and a multi‐manipulator simulation are carried out to further demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed consensus approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise-induced tachycardia-dependent atrioventricular block with a normal electrocardiogram at rest is rare. Herein, we present a case of a 65-year-old woman with exercise-related chest suppression and treadmill exercise test-induced second- and third-degree atrioventricular blocks with narrow QRS wave and normal resting electrocardiogram. High atrioventricular block leads to tissue and organ insufficiency, resulting in exercise intolerance, dyspnea, dizziness, and syncope. Ths diagnosis was exercise-induced high-degree atrioventricular block. For lack of effective medicines, the patient received a permanent dual chamber pacemaker to ensure atrioventricular sequential pacing during exercise. No exercise-related discomfort occurred during follow up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are no approved therapies for muscle wasting in children infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),which portends poor disease outcomes. To determine whether a soluble ActRIIb receptor Fc fusion protein (ActRIIB.Fc), a ligand trap for TGF-β/activin family members including myostatin, can prevent or restore loss of lean body mass and body weight in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected juvenile rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Fourteen pair-housed, juvenile male rhesus macaques were inoculated with SIVmac239 and, 4 wk postinoculation (WPI) treated with intramuscular injections of 10mg⋅kg-1⋅wk-1 ActRIIB.Fcor saline placebo. Body weight, lean body mass, SIV titers, and somatometric measurements were assessed monthly for 16 wk. Age-matched SIV-infected rhesus macaques were injected with saline. Intervention groups did not differ at baseline. Gains in lean mass were significantly greater in the ActRIIB.Fc group than in the placebo group (P < 0.001). Administration of ActRIIB.Fc was associated with greater gains in body weight (P = 0.01) and upper arm circumference than placebo. Serum CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts and SIV copy numbers did not differ between groups. Administration of ActRIIB.Fc was associated with higher muscle expression of myostatin than placebo. ActRIIB.Fc effectively blocked and reversed loss of body weight, lean mass, and fat mass in juvenile SIV-infected rhesus macaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel robust adaptive consensus tracking control approach for a class of nonlinear multi-agent systems with modeling uncertainties and external disturbances. Radial Basis Function Neural Networks (RBFNNs) are used to approximate the unknown nonlinear function of agent׳s dynamic. Compared with existing NN consensus algorithms of nonlinear multi-agent systems, the proposed consensus control method only needs a small number of adjustable parameters, thus the online computation burden is greatly alleviated. In addition, by online updating the estimation of the NN approximation errors, the proposed consensus control approach can enhance the system robustness against modeling uncertainties. It is proven that all the signals of the multi-agent system are uniformly bounded and the consensus tracking errors converge to a small neighborhood of zero. A simulation is carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced nicotinamide dinucleotide (NADH) fluorescence lifetime has been broadly used as a metabolic indicator for stem cell imaging. However, the direct relationship between NADH fluorescence lifetime and metabolic pathway and activity remains to be clarified. In this study, we measured the NADH fluorescence lifetime of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) as well as the metabolic indictors, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level, oxygen consumption, and lactate release, up to 4 weeks under normal osteogenic differentiation and oxidative phosphorylation-attenuated/inhibited differentiation by oligomycin A (OA) treatment. NADH fluorescence lifetime was positively correlated with oxygen consumption and ATP level during energy transformation from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation. Under OA treatment, oxidative phosphorylation was attenuated/inhibited (i.e., oxygen consumption remained the same as controls or lower), cells showed attenuated differentiation under glycolysis, and NADH fluorescence lifetime change was not detected. Increased expression of the overall complex proteins was observed in addition to Complex I. We suggested special caution needs to be exercised while interpreting NADH fluorescence lifetime signal in terms of stem cell differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant microalgal species, quantity of heterotrophic bacteria and Vibrio in the intestines and gills of Litopenaeus vannamei (Pacific white shrimp), positive detection rate of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), and water quality indices were investigated at the final culture stage (88th day in culture season). Correlation of microalgal community, bacteria quantity, and shrimp production were analyzed by statistical analysis methods. Every 10 days, probiotics were used in groups A, B, and C, consisting of Bacillus, photosynthetic bacteria (PSB), and equal parts Bacillus and PSB, respectively. The results showed that production (25597.33 ± 928.46 kg ha) and survival rate (77.06 ± 9.00 %) was the highest in group C, but positive detection rate of WSSV was the lowest. The microalgal community of group C was significantly dominated by Chlorella pyrenoidosa, with an average density and dominance of (289.52 ± 142.10) × 10 cells L and 0.878 ± 0.161, respectively. The correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between Cyanophyta dominance and shrimp production ( P < 0.05), while the relationship between production and Vibrio quantity was not significantly correlated ( P > 0.05). Accordingly, microalgal dominant species should be controlled as a key factor in the shrimp culture season; in particular, the dominance of Cyanophyta should be restricted to a low level. Meanwhile, the combined use of Bacillus and PSB probiotics was considered an effective solution to optimize microalgal communities and controlling the cell density of Cyanophyta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional anticancer treatments have several limitations, but cancer is still one of the deadliest diseases. As a result, new anticancer drugs are required for the treatment of cancer. The use of metal nanoparticles (NPs) as alternative chemotherapeutic drugs is on the rise in cancer research. Metal NPs have the potential for use in a wide range of applications. Natural or surface-induced anticancer effects can be found in metals. The focus of this review is on the therapeutic potential of metal-based NPs. The potential of various types of metal NPs for tumor targeting will be discussed for cancer treatment. The in vivo application of metal NPs for solid tumors will be reviewed. Risk factors involved in the clinical application of metal NPs will also be summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractional photothermolysis (FP) induces discrete columns of photothermal damage in skin dermis, thereby promoting collagen regeneration. This technique has been widely used for treating wrinkles, sun damage, and scar. In this study, we evaluate the potential of multiphoton microscopy as a noninvasive imaging modality for the monitoring of skin rejuvenation following FP treatment. The dorsal skin of a nude mouse underwent FP treatment in order to induce microthermal zones (MTZs). We evaluated the effect of FP on skin remodeling at 7 and 14 days after treatment. Corresponding histology was performed for comparison. After 14 days of FP treatment at 10 mJ, the second harmonic generation signal recovered faster than the skin treated with 30 mJ, indicating a more rapid regeneration of dermal collagen at 10 mJ. Our results indicate that nonlinear optical microscopy is effective in detecting the damaged areas of MTZ and monitoring collagen regeneration following FP treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we discuss the mixed boundary value problem for nonlinear uniformly elliptic complex equation of second order(1)with the boundary conditions(2)in a multiply-connected domain. If the complex equation (0.1) satisfies the conditions similar to Condition C in (1.1), and the boundary condition (0.2) satisfies the conditions similar to (1.5) below, then we can obtain some solvability results for the above boundary value problem (0.1) and (0.2). But, we need to propose a modified well-posedness of the above boundary value problem, and first discuss its solvability, in which the fixed-point theorem for proving its solvability is applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of selective lymphocyte-specific kinase (Lck) inhibitors has attracted much attention for the research of the treatment of T-cell mediated autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In the present work, three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) analyses are performed on a novel series of 4-amino-6-benzimidazole-pyrimidines acting as Lck inhibitors. The established 3D-QSAR models show significant statistical quality and satisfactory predictive ability, with high q2 and R2 values: the comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) model ( q2 = 0.802, R2 = 0.991), and the comparative molecular similarity indexes analysis (CoMSIA) model ( q2 = 0.731, R2 = 0.982). The systemic external validation indicates that both CoMFA and CoMSIA models are quite robust and possess high predictive abilities with [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To investigate the intraocular straylight value after cataract surgery. Methods. In this study, 76 eyes from 62 patients were subdivided into three groups. A hydrophobic acrylic, a hydrophilic acrylic, and a PMMA IOL were respectively, implanted in 24 eyes, 28 eyes, and 24 eyes. Straylight was measured using C-Quant at 1 week and 1 month postoperatively in natural and dilated pupils. Results. The hydrophilic acrylic IOLs showed significantly lower straylight values than those of the hydrophobic acrylic IOLs in dilated pupils at 1 week and 1 month after surgery (P < 0.05). However, the straylight values of the hydrophilic acrylic IOLs were the lowest among the three IOL groups. No significant difference was observed in straylight between 1 week and 1 month postoperatively in each group with natural and dilated pupils (P > 0.05). Moreover, no significant difference was found in straylight between natural and dilated pupils in each group at 1 week and 1 month postoperatively (P > 0.05). Conclusions. Although the hydrophobic acrylic IOL induced more intraocular straylight, straylight differences among the 3 IOLs were minimal. Pupil size showed no effect on intraocular straylight; the intraocular straylight was stable 1 week after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the influence of quality reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in cancer nursing in providing reliable knowledge for evidence-based practice (EBP). It mentions the relatively low adherence to reporting metrics and the improvement in the quality of reporting over time. It also recommends the need to improve methodology reporting and overall reporting for cancer nursing RCTs.

In this article, we first transform the general uniformly elliptic systems of first order equations with certain conditions into the complex equations, and propose the discontinuous Riemann-Hilbert problem and its modified well-posedness for the complex equations. Then we give a priori estimates of solutions of the modified discontinuous Riemann-Hilbert problem for the complex equations and verify its solvability. Finally the solvability results of the original discontinuous Riemann-Hilbert boundary value problem can be derived. The discontinuous boundary value problem possesses many applications in mechanics and physics etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Endostatin (ES) inhibits endothelial cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation. It also shows antiangiogenesis and antitumor activities in several animal models. Endostatin specifically targets tumor vasculature to block tumor growth. Lidamycin (LDM), which consists of an active enediyne chromophore (AE) and a non-covalently bound apoprotein (LDP), is a member of chromoprotein family of antitumor antibiotics with extremely potent cytotoxicity to cancer cells. Therefore, we reasoned that endostatin-lidamycin (ES-LDM) fusion proteins upon energizing with enediyne chromophore may obtain the combined capability targeting tumor vasculature and tumor cell by respective ES and LDM moiety. Methods In this study, we designed and obtained two new endostatin-based fusion proteins, endostatin-LDP (ES-LDP) and LDP-endostatin (LDP-ES). In vitro, the antiangiogenic effect of fusion proteins was determined by the wound healing assay and tube formation assay and the cytotoxicity of their enediyne-energized analogs was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Tissue microarray was used to analyze the binding affinity of LDP, ES or ES-LDP with specimens of human lung tissue and lung tumor. The in vivo efficacy of the fusion proteins was evaluated with human lung carcinoma PG-BE1 xenograft and the experimental metastasis model of 4T1-luc breast cancer. Results ES-LDP and LDP-ES disrupted the formation of endothelial tube structures and inhibited endothelial cell migration. Evidently, ES-LDP accumulated in the tumor and suppressed tumor growth and metastasis. ES-LDP and ES show higher binding capability than LDP to lung carcinoma; in addition, ES-LDP and ES share similar binding capability. Furthermore, the enediyne-energized fusion protein ES-LDP-AE demonstrated significant efficacy against lung carcinoma xenograft in athymic mice. Conclusions The ES-based fusion protein therapy provides some fundamental information for further drug development. Targeting both tumor vasculature and tumor cells by endostatin-based fusion proteins and their enediyne-energized analogs probably provides a promising modality in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most clinical nursing research is limited to funded study periods. However, if clinical research data can be linked 1( to population databases, researchers can study relationships t( between study measures and post-study long-term outcomes. a Objectives: The objective was to describe the feasibility of linking ° research participant data to data from population databases in order to study long-term post-study outcomes. As an exemplar, ^ participants were linked from a completed oncology nursing 0 research trial to outcomes data in two state population t] databases. L Methods: Participant data from a previously completed symp-b torn management study were linked to the Utah Population s Database and the Utah Emergency Department Database. » The final data set contained demographic, cancer diagnosis l' and treatment and baseline data from the oncology study n linked to post-study long-term outcomes from the population u databases. Results: One hundred twenty-nine of 144 (89.6%) study were t( linked to their individual data in the population databases. Of those, 73% were linked to hospitalization records, 60% were [j linked to emergency department visit records, and 28% were o identified as having died. v Discussion: Study participant data were successfully linked a to population databases data to describe post-study emergency department visit and hospitalization numbers and mortality. The results suggest that data linkage success can be improved if researchers include linkage and human subjects protection plans related to linkage in the initial study design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we first give the representation of solutions for the oblique derivative problem of mixed (Lavrentév-Bitsadze) equations in two connected domains, afterwards prove the uniqueness of solutions of the above problem. Moreover, we prove the solvability of oblique derivative problem for quasilinear mixed (Lavrentév-Bitsadze) equations of second order, and obtain a priori estimates of solutions of the above problem. The above problem is an open problem proposed by Rassias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant leaf morphology has a great impact on plant drought resistance, ornamental research and leaf yield. In this study, we identified a new gene in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia, NpFBA1, that causes leaf curl. The results show that the NpFBA1 protein contains only one unique F-box associated (FBA) domain and does not have an F-box conserved domain. Phylogenetic analysis placed this gene and other Nicotiana FBA genes on a separate branch, and the NpFBA1 protein localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm. The expression of NpFBA1 was induced by black shank pathogen (Phytophthora parasitica var. nicotianae) infection and treatment with salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). NpFBA1-overexpressing transgenic lines showed leaf curling and aging during the rosette phase. During the bolting period, the leaves were curly and rounded, and the plants were dwarfed. In addition, NpFBA1-overexpressing lines were more susceptible to disease than wild-type (WT) plants. Further studies revealed that overexpression of NpFBA1 significantly downregulated the expression of auxin response factors such as NtARF3 and the lignin synthesis genes NtPAL, NtC4H, NtCAD2, and NtCCR1 in the leaves. In conclusion, NpFBA1 may play a key role in regulating leaf development and the response to pathogen infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of diblock copolymers (PS-b-PBBHCSs) composed of polystyrene (PS) and poly(2,5-bis{[6-(4-butoxy-4′-oxybiphenyl)hexyl]oxycarbonyl}styrene)(PBBHCS) were successfully synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization,with their chemical structures confirmed by various characterizationtechniques. While PS is a conventional coil polymer, PBBHCS is a novelcombined main-chain/side-chain liquid crystalline polymer (MCSCLCP)which can exhibit hierarchically ordered structures. Small-angle X-rayscattering results show that the diblock copolymers with differentcompositions could present lamellar and rectangular cylinder morphologiesbefore the order–disorder transition. Combining the differentialscanning calorimetry and X-ray scattering results, we find that thePBBHCS block in the confined space of microphase separation is stillable to exhibit its liquid crystalline (LC) structures with the rectangularmain-chain scaffold on the nanometer scale and the side-chain orderingon the subnanometer scale, which is the same as that of the homo-PBBHCS.Therefore, a three-length scale ordered hierarchical structure canbe observed in the system we studied, namely, the microphase separationand the double-length scale LC structure of the MCSCLCP. The LC structureof PBBHCS is more stable in the diblock copolymer than that in thehomopolymer with similar molecular weights. Therefore, not only PS-b-PBBHCS can fabricate more complex hierarchy structurebut also the microphase separation can stabilize the hierarchicalassembly of PBBHCS in the nanodomains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article concerns the inverse problem for linear elliptic systems of first-order equations with Riemann–Hilbert-type map in multiply connected domains. First the formulation and the complex form of the problem for the systems are given, and then the coefficients of the elliptic complex equations for the above problem are constructed by a complex analytic method, where the advantage of the methods in other papers is absorbed, and the used method in this article is more simple and the obtained result is more general. As an application of the above results, we can derive the corresponding results of the inverse problem for second-order elliptic equations from Dirichlet to Neumann map in multiply connected domains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Testosterone supplementation increases muscle mass in older men but has not been shown to consistently improve physical function and activity. It has been hypothesized that physical exercise is required to induce the adaptations necessary for translation of testosterone-induced muscle mass gain into functional improvements. However, the effects of testosterone plus low intensity physical exercise training (T/PT) on functional performance and bioenergetics are unknown. In this pilot study, we tested the hypothesis that combined administration of T/PT would improve functional performance and bioenergetics in male mice late in life more than low-intensity physical training alone. 28-month old male mice were randomized to receive T/PT or vehicle plus physical training (V/PT) for 2 months. Compare to V/PT control, administration of T/PT was associated with improvements in muscle mass, grip strength, spontaneous physical movements, and respiratory activity. These changes were correlated with increased mitochondrial DNA copy number and expression of markers for mitochondrial biogenesis. Mice receiving T/PT also displayed increased expression of key elements for mitochondrial quality control, including markers for mitochondrial fission-and-fusion and mitophagy. Concurrently, mice receiving T/PT also displayed increased expression of markers for reduced tissue oxidative damage and improved muscle quality. Conclusion: Testosterone administered with low-intensity physical training improves grip strength, spontaneous movements, and respiratory activity. These functional improvements were associated with increased muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and improved mitochondrial quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The gene encoding a group 3 late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) protein was cloned from callus of the drought-tolerant grass Pogonatherum paniceum. Three alternatively spliced transcripts of this gene were amplified by RT-PCR. According to the bioinformatics analysis, the gene contained three exons and two introns. The PpLEA3.1 transcript which was the most abundant one in P. paniceum contained all three exons, and the PpLEA3.2 transcript lacked fragments of the first two exons which encoded a 41-amino acid-long region of the PpLEA3 protein. The PpLEA3.3 transcript retained the second intron. The three splicing patterns resulted in changes in the number of repeats of an 11-amino acid motif, hydropathy and the predicted 3-dimensional structure. When expressed in Escherichia coli, the three proteins differentially affected growth responses to salt, cold and heat stress. These results confirmed that the complete motif repeat structures and an appropriate hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance are important for the LEA protein in providing protection against various forms of stresses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, a direct adaptive neural network control algorithm based on the backstepping technique is proposed for a class of uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems in the strict-feedback form. The neural networks are utilized to approximate unknown functions, and a stable adaptive neural network controller is synthesized. The fact that all the signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded is proven and the tracking error can converge to a small neighborhood of zero by choosing the design parameters appropriately. Compared with the previous research for discrete-time systems, the proposed algorithm improves the robustness of the systems. A simulation example is employed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preadipocytes are present in adipose tissues throughout adult life that can proliferate and differentiate into mature adipocytes in response to environmental cues. Abnormal increase in adipocyte number or size leads to fat tissue expansion. However, it is now recognized that adipocyte hypertrophy is a greater risk factor for metabolic syndrome whereas fat tissue that continues to produce newer and smaller fat cells through preadipocyte differentiation is ''metabolically healthy''. Because adipocyte hypertrophy is often associated with increased oxidant stress and low grade inflammation, both are linked to disturbed cellular redox, we tested how preadipocyte differentiation may be regulated by beta-mercaptoethanol (BME), a pharmacological redox regulator and radical scavenger, using murine 3T3-F442A preadipocytes as the cell model. Effects of BME on adipogenesis were measured by microphotography, real-time PCR, and Western analysis. Our data demonstrated that preadipocyte differentiation could be regulated by extracellular BME. At an optimal concentration, BME enhanced expression of adipogenic gene markers and lipid accumulation. This effect was associated with BME-mediated down-regulation of inflammatory cytokine expression during early differentiation. BME also attenuated TNFalpha-induced activation of NFkappaB in differentiating preadipocytes and partially restored TNFalpha-mediated suppression on adipogenesis. Using a non-adipogenic HEK293 cell line transfected with luciferase reporter genes, we demonstrated that BME reduced basal and TNFalpha-induced NFkappaB activity and increased basal and ciglitazone-induced PPARgamma activity; both may contribute to the pro-adipogenic effect of BME in differentiating F442A preadipocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with some boundary value problems for quasilinear mixed (elliptic-hyperbolic) complex equations of first order with degenerate hyperbolic curve in a simply connected domain. First, we give the representation theorem and prove the uniqueness of solutions for the above boundary value problems. Then using the method of successive iteration, the existence of solutions for the above problems is proved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present paper deals with oblique derivative problems for second order nonlinear equations of mixed type with degenerate hyperbolic curve, which include the Tricomi problem as a special case. Firstly the formulation of the problems for the equations is given, next the representation and estimates of solutions for the above problems are obtained, finally the existence of solutions for the problems is proved by the successive iteration of solutions of the equations and the fixed-point principle. In this paper, we use the complex analytic method, namely the new partial derivative notations, elliptic complex functions in the elliptic domain and hyperbolic complex functions in the hyperbolic domain are introduced, such that the second order equations of mixed type with degenerate curve are reduced to the first order mixed complex equations with singular coefficients, and then the advantage of complex analytic method can be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on the backstepping technique, a direct adaptive neural network control algorithm is proposed for a class of uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems in the strict-feedback form. Neural networks are utilized to approximate unknown functions, and a stable adaptive neural backstepping controller is synthesized. It is proven that all the signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB) and the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of zero by choosing the design parameters appropriately. Compared with the existing results for discrete-time systems, the proposed algorithm needs only less parameters to be adjusted online, therefore, it can reduce online computation burden. A simulation example is employed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]