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The present study aims to investigate whether malnutrition defined by the Global Leadership Initiative in Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria using hand-grip strength (HGS) adequately predict postoperative complications and long-term survival in patients underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer in a similar manner to GLIM-defined malnutrition using skeletal muscle index (SMI).Patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer from August 2014 to June 2019 were included in this study. Clinical data were prospectively collected. Malnutrition was diagnosed based on the two-step approach following the GLIM criteria. Skeletal muscle mass was assessed using SMI based on abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans, or assessed using HGS.A total of 1359 patients were included in this study, in which 36.2% of the patients were at risk of malnutrition (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 scores ≥3). The incidence of malnutrition was 28.2% and 27.5% using SMI and HGS, respectively. There was a high agreement between the two criteria of malnutrition (kappa = 0.863, P 0.001). Both of the two criteria of malnutrition were independently associated with postoperative complications (SMI-GLIM, P = 0.041; HGS-GLIM, P = 0.023), overall survival (P 0.001, both), and disease-free survival (P 0.001, both), with similar odds ratio or hazard ratio after adjusting for the same confounding variables. HGS-GLIM malnutrition (P = 0.046) but not SMI-GLIM malnutrition (P = 0.270) was associated with a higher incidence of severe complications.GLIM criteria using HGS is a useful tool to diagnose malnutrition and has a similar or even better predictive value for postoperative complications and long-term survival after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer compared with GLIM criteria using SMI.

BACKGROUND Sarcopenia and cachexia are two predictors of adverse clinical outcomes, but they are partly overlapping. We aimed to compare the characteristics and prognostic value of cachexia and sarcopenia in patients after gastrectomy. METHODS From 2014 to 2019, a total of 1215 gastric cancer patients were enrolled. Cachexia and sarcopenia were diagnosed according to the most recent consensus definitions. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. Risk factors of survival were evaluated by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS Of all patients, 26.5% were diagnosed with cachexia and 19.8% were diagnosed with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was more prevalent in elderly patients, while cachexia was prone to occur in patients with TMN stage III. Survival curves showed that sarcopenia had adverse effects in patients with TMN stage I and II-III, while cachexia was only associated with poor survival at stages II-III. For the entire cohort, both cachexia and sarcopenia were adverse factors for prognosis. However, for stage I patients, sarcopenia was an independent predictor for overall survival (OS) (HR = 4.939, P < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 4.256, P < 0.001), but not cachexia; for stage II-III patients, cachexia was an independent predictor for OS (HR = 1.538, P < 0.001) and DFS (HR = 1.473, P = 0.001), but not sarcopenia. CONCLUSIONS Sarcopenia and cachexia have different clinical characteristics and prognostic values. For patients with early stage gastric cancer, detection for sarcopenia was more meaningful than cachexia. However, the prognostic significance of cachexia exceeded sarcopenia in advanced cancer.

Aberrant variations in angiogenesis have been observed in tumor tissues with abnormal stiffness of extracellular matrix (ECM). However, it remains largely unclear how ECM stiffness influences tumor angiogenesis. Numerous studies have reported that vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) released from tumor cells plays crucial roles in angiogenesis. Hence, we demonstrated the role of ECM stiffness in VEGF-A release from neuroblastoma (NB) cells and the underlying mechanisms. Based on 17 NB clinical samples, a negative correlation was observed between the length of blood vessels and stiffness of NB tissues. In vitro, an ECM stiffness of 30 kPa repressed the secretion of VEGF165 from NB cells which subsequently inhibited the tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Knocked down VEGF165 in NB cells or blocked VEGF165 with neutralizing antibodies both repressed the tube formation of HUVECs. Specifically, 30 kPa ECM stiffness repressed the expression and nuclear accumulation of Yes-associated protein (YAP) to regulate the expression of Serine/Arginine Splicing Factor 1 (SRSF1) via Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), which may then subsequently induce the expression and secretion of VEGF165 in NB tumor cells. Through implantation of 3D col-Tgels with different stiffness into nude mice, the inhibitory effect of 30 kPa on NB angiogenesis was confirmed in vivo. Furthermore, we found that the inhibitory effect of 30 kPa stiffness on NB angiogenesis was reversed by YAP overexpression, suggesting the important role of YAP in NB angiogenesis regulated by ECM stiffness. Overall, our work not only showed a regulatory effect of ECM stiffness on NB angiogenesis, but also revealed a new signaling axis, YAP-RUNX2-SRSF1, that mediates angiogenesis by regulating the expression and secretion of VEGF165 from NB cells. ECM stiffness and the potential molecules revealed in the present study may be new therapeutic targets for NB angiogenesis.

This paper considers a dual-channel supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and a capital-constrained retailer, where the retailer makes certain sales efforts and the manufacturer may hitch a ride on the retailer’s sales efforts. Deferred payment and bank loan financing models under Retailer- and Manufacturer-Stackelberg settings are established, respectively. The equilibrium price and sales effort strategies of both sides of the supply chain under two power structures and financing modes are obtained by the backward solution method, and then the influence of free-riding behavior and financing interest rate on equilibrium strategies is explored, as well as how the power structure affects the financing decisions of enterprises. The results show that deferred payment is more conducive to retailers’ sales effort and order volume, which is the optimal financing model for the retailers under each power structure. Power structure affects the initial capital threshold of retailers and the manufacturers’ financing decisions. The impact of free-riding behavior and financing rate on equilibrium prices exists and varies, depending on the power structure and financing model. Numerical simulation results show that manufacturers should give priority to publishing price strategies, while retailers should decide whether to give priority to publishing price strategies according to financing mode and cross-price sensitivity. This paper’s findings can provide valuable guidance for decision-making in financing, price, and sales effort for the capital-constrained dual-channel supply chain.

This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of supplementing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in breeder hens diet on development and hepatic lipid metabolism of chick offspring. Hy-Line Brown breeder hens were allocated into two groups, supplemented with 0 (control (CT)) or 0·5 % CLA for 8 weeks. Offspring chicks were grouped according to the mother generation and fed for 7 d. CLA treatment had no significant influence on development, egg quality and fertility of breeder hens but darkened the egg yolks in shade and increased yolk sac mass compared with the CT group. Addition of CLA resulted in increased body mass and liver mass and decreased deposition of subcutaneous adipose tissue in chick offspring. The serum TAG and total cholesterol levels of chick offspring were decreased in CLA group. CLA treatment increased the incorporation of both CLA isomers (c9t11 and t10c12) in the liver of chick offspring, accompanied by the decreased hepatic TAG levels, related to the significant reduction of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) enzyme activities and the increased carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT1) enzyme activity. Meanwhile, CLA treatment reduced the mRNA expression of genes related to fatty acid biosynthesis (FAS, ACC and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c) and induced the expression of genes related to β-oxidative (CPT1, AMP-activated protein kinase and PPARα) in chick offspring liver. In summary, the addition of CLA in breeder hens diet significantly increased the incorporation of CLA in the liver of chick offspring, which further regulate hepatic lipid metabolism.

Traumatic brain edema occurs commonly brain injury, and most manifests as pericontusional edema of brain contusions. On the basis of evidence-based medicine, apart from recommending craniotomy and mannitol, there are few particularly effective measures to prevent and treat traumatic brain edema. It is uncertain whether an early complementary acupuncture treatment would improve long-term outcomes of patients with traumatic brain edema. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and the safety of early complementary acupuncture for patients with traumatic brain edema.This study is an actively accruing, single-center, single-blinded, 2-arm, randomized controlled trial. Patients with traumatic brain injury, a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 6∼12, and brain edema on computed tomography scan will be divided into 2 groups on the basis of stratified block randomization. All patients will receive conventional treatment, and the study group will undergo additional acupuncture therapy (start within 72 hours after the injury) once a day for 28 days. The primary outcome is the dichotomized Glasgow Outcome Score at 6 months and 12 months after injury, and the secondary outcomes are the Glasgow Coma Scale, the volume of traumatic brain edema, the serum levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, and the Modified Barthel Index.This study will provide data regarding the efficacy of early complementary acupuncture for traumatic brain edema. If the study yields positive results, its findings may offer insights into a valuable complementary option of acupuncture for traumatic brain edema that could provide pilot evidence for large, randomized, controlled trials.Trial registration: This trial has been published in the Chinese Clinical Trial Register, http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=141208htm=4 (Identifier: ChiCTR2100053794, registered on December 3, 2021).

This study constructed the recombinant plasmid of a TonB-dependent receptor from V. parahaemolyticus and evaluated the immunogenicity of the recombinant protein in mice. The TonB-dependent receptor gene (GI: 28901321) was obtained by PCR amplification and cloned into plasmid pET-32a (+). The recombinant plasmids were transformed into Escherichia coli BL21, and the protein expression was induced by isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The 6 × His-tagged TonB-dependent receptor inclusion bodies were purified by Ni-NTA Agarose column and renatured by gradient urea dialysis. The soluble and inclusion bodies of the TonB-dependent receptor were emulsified with Freund's adjuvant and subcutaneously injected into BALB/c mice. The serum titers with seven V. parahaemolyticus strains, eight Vibrio species, and nine other bacteria were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting. The results showed that the serum homogenously bound the target protein in the V. parahaemolyticus cell lysates. The titers against the immunized protein were above 89K, while the titer against whole cells of seven V. parahaemolyticus strains ranged from 4.12K to 12.5K. However, the titers were higher for the soluble TonB-dependent receptor. The serums reacted with E. coli strains but did not cross-react with eight Vibrio species and Photobacterium damselae. These results showed that the TonB-dependent receptor proteins in this study were immunogenic, and the serums showed adequate specificity for V. parahaemolyticus. However, the availability of the TonB-dependent receptor on V. parahaemolyticus cells is probably limited.

The large Zijinshan high-sulfidation epithermal Cu-Au deposit, together with the adjacent Luoboling porphyry Cu-Mo deposit, constitutes a major porphyry-epithermal ore district in South China. Current debate centers on whether the Zijinshan and the adjacent Luoboling deposits are cogenetic or represent separate ore-forming events, which is a question of importance for exploration in the district. In this contribution, the magmatichydrothermal history of the relationship between Zijinshan and Luoboling is reconstructed based on new alunite 40Ar/39Ar ages from Zijinshan and zircon U-Pb ages of ore-related intrusions from both deposits. This study has been complemented by S isotope analysis on the dated alunite to assess their origin.Three types of coexisting alunite and sulfide assemblages exist at Zijinshan, namely, (1) alunite-quartz-covellite cemented breccias; (2) alunite-digenite veins and (3) banded alunite-pyrite veins. Their field occurrences and S isotope features suggest a magmatic-hydrothermal origin for alunite-quartz-covellite cemented breccias and alunite-digenite veins, whereas the origin of alunite-pyrite veins is likely to be related to magmatic steam. Given the intimate textural coexistence between sulfides and alunite, four undisturbed 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages obtained from alunite-quartz-covellite cemented breccia and alunite-digenite vein-type alunite define the timing of Zijinshan high-sulfidation mineralization from 102.86 ± 0.61 to 101.19 ± 0.60 Ma. These agree with bracketing zircon U-Pb ages of pre-ore dacite porphyry at 104.8 ± 0.9 Ma and 104.7 ± 0.5 Ma and a zircon U-Pb age of a post-ore granite porphyry dike at 99.5 ± 0.7 Ma. Combined with their field occurrences, the four alunite ages may imply episodic hydrothermal pulses and a possible time span of over 500 k.y. for the overall high-sulfidation mineralization. Two alunite samples from alunite-pyrite veins yield a slightly disturbed 40Ar/39Ar plateau age at 101.67 ± 0.61 Ma and an apparently undisturbed age at 99.91 ± 0.59 Ma, probably reflecting partial or complete thermal resetting related to the coeval granite porphyry dikes. At Luoboling, zircon U-Pb analysis yields an age of 133.6 ± 1.1 Ma for a dark, ore vein-bearing quartz-diorite porphyry sample and confirms the petrographic observation that they are xenoliths of early wall rocks for the porphyry mineralization. A granodiorite porphyry sample with abundant A-veins is interpreted as an intermineral porphyry phase, dated at 106.5 ± 1.4 Ma. This age is interpreted as the upper limit for porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization and agrees well with previously reported molybdenite Re-Os and biotite 40Ar/39Ar ages, which collectively suggest porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization and potassic alteration at Luoboling were formed within the interval between ca. 106 and 104 Ma.Taken together, the age of the Zijinshan high-sulfidation mineralization is substantially younger than the porphyry mineralization at Luoboling, and we conclude that there is no direct genetic link between the two deposits. However, the Zijinshan Cu-Au deposit is temporally associated with the deep porphyritic granodiorite, which gives zircon U-Pb ages from 102.1 ± 0.8 to 101.8 ± 0.5 Ma, overlapping with the alunite 40Ar/39Ar ages for the high-sulfidation mineralization. This finding has important implications for the ongoing exploration for the two mineralization types in the ore district and elsewhere.

An EMU train with detailed cabin structural is established based on the finite element method. The secondary impact between train driver and control desk is fully analysed and two measures are proposed to reduce the driver injury severity, such as the multi-objective optimization of the driver seat position and equipping the train with three-point seat belt. Simulation results indicate that the driver seat position has a significant effect on the driver injury severity during a secondary impact. According to the multi-objective optimization, some Pareto solutions are suggested to design the driver seat position. Besides that, it is also indicated although the chest and leg are well protected when the driver wears a two-point seat belt, it increases the head injure during a secondary impact. On the other hand, the three-point seat belt can supply the train driver with an overall protection against the secondary impact. The injury criteria (HIC, VC, TI) of the driver with the three-point seat belt is significantly lower than those of the driver without seat belt. Moreover, according to the simulation analysis, the limited load of the three-point seat belt is suggested about 1.5 kN.

In this study, Cu/TiB2composite coating was in-situ prepared on 304 steel by laser cladding. This coating applies to hospitals, schools and some public places where cross infections happen more easily because of its good antimicrobial properties and abrasion resistance. Before laser cladding, pre-blend of Cu powder, Ti powder and B powder were undertaken by ball-milling in two different proportions (10% wt (Ti+B) and 20% wt (Ti+B)). And the atomic ratio of Ti and B was 1:2. After a series of experiments, the best parameters were achieved. They were laser power (950W), scanning speed (14mm/s) and spot diameter (3.8mm). Samples after laser cladding were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that TiB2was fabricated in-situ. The dispersion degree of Cu was higher in the coating of 20% wt (Ti+B). The hardness of the 10% wt (Ti+B) coating was HRC57±4. With the increase of percentage of wt (Ti+B), the hardness of 20% wt (Ti+B) coating was HRC74±5. Both of them performed better than pure copper. Relative to pure copper, the abrasion resistance of Cu/TiB2composite coatings was more excellent. The results of antimicrobial experiments showed that, with the increase of percentage of wt (Ti+B), the antimicrobial properties were decreasing. But they still could to be considered favorable.

Aberrant variations in angiogenesis have been observed in tumor tissues with abnormal stiffness of extracellular matrix (ECM). However, it remains largely unclear how ECM stiffness influences tumor angiogenesis. Numerous studies have reported that vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) released from tumor cells plays crucial roles in angiogenesis. Hence, we demonstrated the role of ECM stiffness in VEGF-A release from neuroblastoma (NB) cells and the underlying mechanisms. Based on 17 NB clinical samples, a negative correlation was observed between the length of blood vessels and stiffness of NB tissues. In vitro, an ECM stiffness of 30 kPa repressed the secretion of VEGF

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a vital role in endothelial repair following vascular injury by maintaining the integrity of endothelium. As EPCs home to endothelial injury sites, they may communicate with exposed vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which are subjected to cyclic stretch generated by blood flow. In this study, the synergistic effect of cyclic stretch and communication with neighboring VSMCs on EPC function during vascular repair was investigated. In vivo study revealed that EPCs adhered to the injury site and were contacted to VSMCs in the Sprague–Dawley (SD) rat carotid artery injury model. In vitro, EPCs were cocultured with VSMCs, which were exposed to cyclic stretch at a magnitude of 5% (which mimics physiological stretch) and a constant frequency of 1.25 Hz for 12 h. The results indicated that stretched VSMCs modulated EPC differentiation into mature endothelial cells (ECs) and promoted angiogenesis. Meanwhile, cyclic stretch upregulated the mRNA expression and secretion level of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in VSMCs. Recombinant CTGF (r-CTGF) treatment promoted endothelial differentiation of EPCs and angiogenesis, and increased their protein levels of FZD8 and β-catenin. CTGF knockdown in VSMCs inhibited cyclic stretch-induced EPC differentiation into ECs and attenuated EPC tube formation via modulation of the FZD8/β-catenin signaling pathway. FZD8 knockdown repressed endothelial differentiation of EPCs and their angiogenic activity. Wnt signaling inhibitor decreased the endothelial differentiation and angiogenetic ability of EPCs cocultured with stretched VSMCs. Consistently, an in vivo Matrigel plug assay demonstrated that r-CTGF-treated EPCs exhibited enhanced angiogenesis; similarly, stretched VSMCs also induced cocultured EPC differentiation toward ECs. In a rat vascular injury model, r-CTGF improved EPC reendothelialization capacity. The present results indicate that cyclic stretch induces VSMC-derived CTGF secretion, which, in turn, activates FZD8 and β-catenin to promote both differentiation of cocultured EPCs into the EC lineage and angiogenesis, suggesting that CTGF acts as a key intercellular mediator and a potential therapeutic target for vascular repair.

Summary Background The present study aims to investigate the prognostic value of Global Leadership Initiative in Malnutrition (GLIM)-defined malnutrition in overweight patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer, and to explore whether the addition of muscle quality, strength and gait speed could improve the predictive power for postoperative outcomes. Methods Overweight patients (body mass index (BMI) ≥23 kg/m2) who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer were included in this study. Malnutrition was diagnosed using the two-step approach following the GLIM criteria. Skeletal muscle mass and quality was assessed using computed tomography (CT) determined skeletal muscle index (SMI) and skeletal muscle density (SMD), respectively. Hand-grip strength and 6-m gait speed were measured before surgery. Results A total of 587 overweight patients were included, in which 262 patients were identified as having obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m2). The prevalence of malnutrition was 11.9% and 10.7% for overweight and obese patients, respectively. GLIM-defined malnutrition alone was not predictive for postoperative complications in overweight patients. The addition of low gait speed or muscle quality to GLIM-defined malnutrition led to a significant predictive value for postoperative complications. Low gait speed plus GLIM-defined malnutrition remained significant in the multivariate analysis. GLIM-defined malnutrition was predictive for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Addition of low gait speed to GLIM-defined malnutrition increased the hazard ratio (HR) for the prediction of OS and DFS (univariate analysis: 2.880 vs. 2.238 for OS, 2.410 vs. 1.937 for DFS; multivariate analysis: 2.836 vs. 1.841 for OS, 2.433 vs. 1.634 for DFS). Addition of low hand-grip strength to GLIM-defined malnutrition led to a higher HR for the prediction of OS (2.144 vs. 1.841) in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion Muscle quality, strength and gait speed added prognostic value to GLIM-defined malnutrition for the prediction of postoperative complications and/or survival in overweight patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer, especially gait speed, which could be incorporated into nutritional assessment protocols.

Truncated Painleve expansion method is used to solve the fifth order potential Bogoyavlenskii-Schiff equation. New exact solutions with lower-dimensional arbitrary functions are obtained. By using the symbolic computation software Maple, some typical examples with specific parameters are exhibited, which have various physical features.

Few studies have comprehensively analyzed the correlations among body composition parameters, muscle strength, and physical performance, as well as the influence of these factors on the postoperative complications and survival after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer.A prospective study was conducted including patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer from August 2014 to June 2019. Skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle density (SMD), visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA) was obtained by measurement of preoperative computed tomography (CT) images. Grip strength and 6-m gait speed were measured to assess muscle strength and physical performance before surgery.There was a positive correlation between SMI and SMD, as well as between SFA and VFA. SMD negatively correlated with SFA and VFA. SMI had a positive correlation with VFA, but showed minimal correlation with SFA and visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio (VSR). Grip strength and gait speed were both positively correlated with SMI and SMD, but showed minimal correlation with SFA, VFA and VSR. SMI and grip strength independently predicted postoperative complications, rather than SMD or gait speed. Whereas SMD and gait speed had independent predictive value for overall survival (OS) and/or disease-free survival (DFS), rather than SMI or grip strength. VSR independently predicted postoperative complications, rather than VFA or SFA alone. Low SFA was an independent risk factor for OS and DFS. High VFA was associated with worse survival in overweight patients (body mass index, BMI ≥25), but was associated with better survival in non-overweight patients (BMI25). High SFA did not significantly influence survival in overweight patients, but was associated with better survival in non-overweight patients.There is an extensive and complex correlation among body composition parameters, grip strength, and gait speed in patients with operable gastric cancer. A comprehensive analysis of these parameters has significant predictive value for postoperative complications and survival.

Aim: Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-associated death. This work aimed to explore the expression, function, and mechanism of circ_0000526 on the progression of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: The expressions of circ_0000526, miR-492, and suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2) in breast cancer samples were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The correlation between pathological indexes of patients and the expression of circ_0000526 was also analyzed. Human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 were applied to investigate the associated mechanism. Cell counting kit-8 assays were used to assess the effect of circ_0000526 on proliferation, and together with the wound healing assay, transwell assay was conducted to detect the effects of circ_0000526 on migration and invasion. Furthermore, luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between miR-492 and circ_0000526. In addition, Western blot was performed to detect the regulatory effects of circ_0000526 on SOCS2. Results: Circ_0000526 expression in breast cancer samples was downregulated, which was correlated with unfavorable pathological indexes. It significantly inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells, and facilitated apoptosis. The overexpression of circ_0000526 remarkably inhibited the expression of miR-492 by sponging it, and in turn promoted the expression of SOCS2. Conclusions: Circ_0000526 served as a tumor suppressor, which could function as the sponge of miR-492, an oncogenic microRNA, in breast cancer, and enhance the expression of tumor suppressor SOCS2 indirectly.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are vital to the recovery of endothelial function and maintenance of vascular homeostasis. EPCs mobilize to sites of vessel injury and differentiate into mature endothelial cells (ECs). Locally mobilized EPCs are exposed to cyclic stretch caused by blood flow, which is important for EPC differentiation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of several cellular processes. However, the role of miRNAs in cyclic stretch-induced EPC differentiation remains unclear. Here, we investigate the effects of microRNA-129-1-3p (miR-129-1-3p) and its novel target Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) on EPC differentiation induced by cyclic stretch. Bone marrow-derived EPCs were exposed to cyclic stretch with a magnitude of 5% (which mimics physiological mechanical stress) at a constant frequency of 1.25 Hz for 24 hours. The results from a miRNA array revealed that cyclic stretch significantly decreased miR-129-1-3p expression. Furthermore, we found that downregulation of miR-129-1-3p during cyclic stretch-induced EPC differentiation toward ECs. Meanwhile, expression of Runx2, a putative target gene of miR-129-1-3p, was increased as a result of cyclic stretch. A 3'UTR reporter assay validated Runx2 as a direct target of miR-129-1-3p. Furthermore, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of Runx2 inhibited EPC differentiation into ECs and attenuated EPC tube formation via modulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion from EPCs in vitro. Our findings demonstrated that cyclic stretch suppresses miR-129-1-3p expression, which in turn activates Runx2 and VEGF to promote endothelial differentiation of EPCs and angiogenesis. Therefore, targeting miR-129-1-3p and Runx2 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for treating vessel injury.

The Yueyang epithermal Ag-Au-Cu deposit is located in the Zijinshan ore district in western Fujian Province, South China. Orebodies are predominately hosted by the Jurassic Zijinshan granite batholith and controlled by a group of NW-trending faults. Roughly all minerals were deposited in a single extended period, and three stages can be further defined: (1) the early sphalerite stage; (2) the base metal-silver stage; and (3) the post-mineralization stage. Microthermometric measurements on quartz- and sphalerite-hosted, liquid-rich fluid inclusions indicate that mixing and dilution of the ore forming fluids took place from early to late stages. However, fluid boiling may locally occur and lead to silver participation, as suggested by the presence of fluid inclusion assemblage consisting of coexisting liquid-rich and vapour-rich inclusions, and also indicated by adularia in Ag-bearing veins and the breccia type ore of bonanza grade. Compared with typical low-sulphidation epithermal deposits, the higher Ag/Au ratios and fluid salinities, Fe-poor sphalerite and large proportion of sulphide minerals suggest that the Yueyang deposit is best classified as an intermediate-sulphidation epithermal deposit. Since intermediate-sulphidation epithermal deposits favour a magmatic affinity and usually exhibit spatial and temporal association with high-sulphidation and porphyry deposits, mineral exploration at the adjacent area of the Yueyang deposit is promising.

The Zijinshan high-sulphidation Cu-Au deposit located in the west Fujian Province is the largest active gold mine in China with total production of gold over 300 tonnes to date. The high-sulphidation ore bodies are characterized by the upper supergene Au and lower hypogene Cu zones bounded roughly by the paleowater table near 600 m elevation. Au-bearing goethite and limonite are the main ore minerals in the supergene zone whereas the hypogene Cu mineralization is dominated by covellite and anilite (or digenite) with minor enargite. The expected porphyry mineralization that coupled with Zijinshan is so far not exposed even to a depth of 1500 m from surface. However, the Luoboling Cu-Mo deposit which occurs only 3 km NE to Zijinshan is identified as a typical porphyry deposit. Current debate centered on whether the Zijinshan high-sulphidation epithermal deposit and the adjacent Luoboling porphyry deposit are genetically linked or discrete hydrothermal systems. Recent deep exploration at Zijinshan revealed an extension trend of Cu ore bodies and quartz-alunite alteration zone toward SE below 0 m elevation. This contradicts previous considered NE trend above 0 m elevation. In this study, fluid inclusion mapping based on rigorous strategy and sample selection was carried out on 20 sample suites scattered over the whole high-sulphidation Cu-Au ore bodies from −450 to 800 m elevation. Aqueous fluid inclusions of unambiguous primary origin in syn-ore miarolitic quartz, coarse-grained alunite crystals and quartz overgrowth zones were measured. Microthermometry results show the average T h and salinity of each sample suite ranging from 205 to 304°C and 2.4 to 5.5 wt% NaCl equiv., respectively. Both fluid temperature and salinity exhibit negative correlation with increasing elevation, indicating convective cooling by mixing and circulating of meteoric water has involved. The good consistence of mineralization distribution pattern and fluid evolution trend implies that the southeastward extending ore bodies probably reflect the fluid pathway which is connected to the deeper porphyry mineralization and their magmatic source. Considering the temperature condition (370–400°C) required for brittle-plastic transition which commonly characterizes porphyry deposits, the potential porphyry mineralization coupled to Zijinshan should have occurred at greater depth under higher temperature. Combined with recent exploration progress and the fluid evolution pattern, we therefore proposed that the Luoboling porphyry Cu-Mo deposit and the Zijinshan high-sulphidation Cu-Au deposit are likely discrete hydrothermal systems, and future porphyry deposit exploration at the deep SE segment of Zijinshan is recommended.

In this paper, a resource allocation scheme is proposed for multi-cell OFDMA systems in downlink under the fractional frequency reuse environments. The objective considers balancing between the maximization of the system throughput and the satisfaction of the user’s data rate requirement. Due to the severe co-channel interference for cellular networks with full frequency reuse, a dynamic fractional frequency reuse scheme is adopted in the cellular network which divides all subcarriers in each cell into two groups: a super group and a regular group. The dynamic fractional frequency reuse scheme can guarantee the intra-cell orthogonality and reduce the inter-cell interference. Therefore, the procedure of the proposed resource allocation scheme includes two main parts: frequency partition and subcarrier allocation. First, each subcarrier is assigned to either the super group or the regular group based on designed functions in all cells. Second, we allocate subcarriers to users by utilizing the designed functions. The designed functions are developed based on the proportional fairness scheduling, the logarithm transformation, and the Lagrangian technique. The designed function is coupled with the instantaneous data rate, the average data rate, and the data rate requirement. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme provides a higher system throughput and improves the outage probability compared with existing schemes.

Based on the demonstration projects from the database of CPPPC, using social network analysis and econometric methods, this paper examines the between enterprises in the networks, and analy...

Three new proton conductors with simple structures based on isolated olyoxometalate anions as well as protonated imidazole and benzimidazole, namely, NNU-6-8, have been successfully prepared by hydrothermal reaction. We could control the number of proton sources by selecting different types and changing the charges of POM anions. The single crystal sample of NNU-6 along a-axis shows a highest proton conductivity of 1.91×10-2 S cm-1 , which is two and three orders of magnitude higher than that of 2.42×10-4 and 8.90×10-5 S cm-1 along b- and c-axes, respectively, due to the more unobstructed H-bonding network and stronger π-π stacking between benzimidazole rings as proton-transferring pathway along a-axis than that along b and c axes. It is a straightforward model to understand the metaphysical proton-conducting process, and this is the first time to put forward the idea that π-π stacking could assist proton transfer and be in favor of proton conduction, which has been demonstrated by calculating potential energy surfaces of proton transfer between benzimidazole molecules.

C16H12N4O10Zn, monoclinic, C2/c (no. 15), a = 18.6618(10) Å, b = 13.5466(6) Å, c = 14.7722(8) Å, β = 108.481(2)°, V = 3541.9(3) Å3, Z = 8, R gt(F) = 0.0392, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1061, T = 293(2) K.

Objectives We investigated whether measurement of muscle quantity/quality has additional predictive value for postoperative complications and long-term survival after gastrectomy for gastric cancer in patients with probable sarcopenia, as defined by the new European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 consensus. Methods We conducted a prospective study of patients who underwent a radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer between August 2014 and June 2019. Muscle strength was measured using a handgrip dynamometer. Computed tomography images at the third lumbar vertebra level were used to assess muscle quantity and quality by the measuring cross-sectional muscle area and mean muscle attenuation, respectively. Probable sarcopenia was defined by low muscle strength. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by additional low muscle quantity or quality. Clinical outcomes were obtained by prospective data collection and follow up. Results Probable sarcopenia was identified in 419 patients, including 285 patients with sarcopenia. Patients with sarcopenia had a higher incidence of postoperative complications, higher costs, longer length of postoperative hospital stay, and worse overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) compared with patients with low muscle strength only. The multivariate logistic analysis showed that sarcopenia and hypoproteinemia were independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients with probable sarcopenia. Moreover, multivariate Cox analyses showed that sarcopenia remained an independent risk factor for OS and DFS in patients with probable sarcopenia. Conclusions The measurement of muscle quantity/quality has additional predictive value for postoperative complications, OS, and DFS after gastrectomy for gastric cancer in patients with probable sarcopenia.

To observe the clinical effect of early acupuncture treatment of limb paralysis in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and changes of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) levels, so as to explore its mechanism underlying improvement of TBI.A total of 70 TBI inpatients were equally divided into a medication group and an acupuncture plus medication group according to a random number table. The medication contained intravenous drip of Mannitol Injection (125 mL, once every 8 h ) and Oxiracetam Injection (4 g, once a day). Starting 72 h after TBI, acupuncture therapy was applied to main points as Fenglong (ST40), Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), Baihui (GV20), Shuigou (GV26) and Fengchi (GB20), etc. The treatment was given once a day for total 28 days. Before and after the treatment, plasma IL-6, BDNF and NGF contents were detected using radioimmunoassay, the volume of the injured brain tissue was detected by using CT scan. The neurological deficit severity was evaluated by using Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and the degree of activity of daily living (ADL) ability was assessed by using simplified Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) scale, and modified Barthel index (BI), separately.After the treatment, the GCS score on day 28, FMA and ADL-BI scores on day 28 and 60 were significantly increased in both medication and acupuncture plus medication groups in comparison with their own pre-treatment (Early acupuncture treatment can significantly improve the TBI patient's limb motor function and daily life activities, which may be related with its effects in reducing the inflammation and increasing BDNF and NGF levels.

Physiological cyclic stretch (CS), caused by artery deformation following blood pressure, plays important roles in the homeostasis of endothelial cells (ECs). Here, we detected the effect of physiological CS on endothelial microvesicles (EMVs) and their roles in leukocyte recruitment to ECs, which is a crucial event in EC inflammation. The results showed compared with the static treatment, pretreatment of 5%-CS-derived EMVs with ECs significantly decreased the adherence level of leukocytes. Comparative proteomic analysis revealed 373 proteins differentially expressed between static-derived and 5%-CS-derived EMVs, in which 314 proteins were uniquely identified in static-derived EMVs, 34 proteins uniquely in 5%-CS-derived EMVs, and 25 proteins showed obvious differences. Based on the proteomic data, Ingenuity Pathways Analysis predicted intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1) in EMVs might be the potential molecule involved in EC-leukocyte adhesion. Western blot and flow cytometry analyses confirmed the significant decrease of ICAM1 in 5%-CS-derived EMVs, which subsequently inhibited the phosphorylation of VE-cadherin at Tyr731 in target ECs. Moreover, leukocyte adhesion was obviously decreased after pretreatment with ICAM1 neutralizing antibody. Our present research suggested that physiological stretch changes the components of EMVs, which in turn inhibits leukocyte adhesion. ICAM1 expressed on CS-induced EMVs may play an important role in maintaining EC homeostasis.

Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) play a key role in mediating the host response against pathogen infection and other important biological processes. This is the first report of an IRF family member in blunt snout bream Megalobrama amblycephala. The complete cDNA of M. amblycephala (Ma) IRF1 gene has 1422 nucleotides (nt.), with an open reading frame of 858 nt, encoding a polypeptide of 285 amino acids. The putative MaIRF1 polypeptide shared significant structural homology with known IRF1 homologs: a conserved IRF domain was found at the N-terminal and an IRF association domain 2 at the C-terminal. Phylogenetic analysis showed that MaIRF1 amino acid sequence clustered with other teleost IRF1s, with a grass carp ortholog exhibiting the highest similarity. MaIRF1 mRNA expression patterns were studied using quantitative real-time PCR in healthy fish tissues and after a challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila bacterium. It was constitutively expressed in all examined tissues: the highest in blood, the lowest in muscle. The expression after A. hydrophila challenge was up-regulated in liver, spleen and kidney, but down-regulated in intestine and gills. At the protein level, similar expression patterns were observed in liver and gills. Patterns differed in intestine (up-regulation), spleen (down-regulation) and kidney (expression mostly unchanged). This study indicates that MaIRF1 gene plays an important role in the blunt snout bream immune system, hence providing an important base for further studies.

Takeda-G-protein-receptor-5 (TGR5) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activated by bile acids, and mortalin is a multipotent chaperone of the HSP70 family. In the present study, TGR5 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) specimens, and TGR5 expression in ECC tissues and adjacent tissues was compared. In vitro TGR5 was overexpressed and knocked down in human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) cell line RBE and human extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) cell line QBC-939 to observe its effects on the biological behavior of cholangiocarcinoma (CC) cells, including proliferation, apoptosis and migration. In vivo xenograft model was constructed to explore the role of TGR5 in CC growth. Proteins that interacted with TGR5 were screened using an immunoprecipitation spectrometry approach, and the identified protein was down-regulated to investigate its contribution to CC growth. The present study demonstrated that TGR5 is highly expressed in CC tissues, and strong TGR5 expression may indicate high malignancy in CC. Furthermore, TGR5 promotes CC cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis resistance. TGR5 boosts CC growth in vivo. In addition, TGR5 combines with mortalin and regulates mortalin expression in the CC cell line. Mortalin participates in the TGR5-induced increase in CC cell proliferation. In conclusion, TGR5 is of clinical significance based on its implications for the degree of malignancy in patients with CC. Mortalin may be a downstream component regulated by TGR5, and TGR5 promotes cholangiocarcinoma at least partially by interacting with mortalin and upregulating its expression. Both TGR5 and mortalin are positive regulators, and may serve as potential therapeutic targets for CC.

Cyclic stretch regulates proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during hypertension-induced vascular remodeling, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be studied. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) has been reported associated with several cellular function such as proliferation，migration and adhesion. Herein, the role of CTGF in VSMCs was investigated in response to mechanical cyclic stretch. Here we show that CTGF is up-regulated both in vivo and in vitro during hypertension. Overexpression of CTGF markedly promoted VSMC proliferation, whereas CTGF knockdown attenuated cyclic stretch-induced proliferation. Furthermore, 3'UTR reporter assays revealed that microRNA-19b-3p (miR-19b-3p) directly regulates CTGF expression. Under pathological condition (e.g. 15% cyclic stretch), miR-19b-3p expression was significantly down-regulated; conversely miR-19b-3p overexpression blocked VSMC proliferation. Taken together, these findings indicate that pathological cyclic stretch induces vascular remodeling by promoting VSMC proliferation via miR-19b-3p/CTGF pathway, and point to CTGF as a potential therapeutic target for hypertension.

With the common urea split application (CU) as the control, a field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of loss-controlled urea by split application (LCUS) and loss-controlled urea by basal application (LCUB) on ammonia volatilization (NH通过田间试验,以普通尿素分次施用处理(CU)为对照,研究了控失尿素分次施用(LCUS)和一次施用(LCUB)对水稻田土壤氨挥发特征、水稻氮素营养状况、稻谷产量及氮肥利用效率的影响. 结果表明: 普通尿素分次施用、控失尿素分次施用和控失尿素一次施用条件下,生育期氨挥发总量占总施氮量的比例分别为15.8%、13.4%和19.7%. 与普通尿素分次施用处理相比,控失尿素分次施用处理可降低土壤氨挥发损失量4.4 kg N·hm