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To study the damage ability of tungsten alloy pre-fragments warhead, its forming process is analyzed by static explosion experiment and simulation. The velocity attenuation curve of the spherical pre-fragments is obtained with a ballistic gun firing experiment, where the tungsten alloy pre-fragments penetrate the steel targets at different angles. The results show that in a certain range, the velocity attenuation of tungsten alloy pre-fragments with certain quality is slow, and the influence of air resistance is small. Compared with the theoretical formula, the error rate is also small. At the same time, the penetration angle of tungsten alloy preformed fragments is greater than 30°, which can well complete the penetration of steel targets. The penetration effect is significantly reduced when the angle is less than 30°. The results can provide a theoretical basis for the research of performed fragment warheads.

Objective The aim of this study was to clone the mRNA sequence of the Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase long chain (ACADL) gene of goats and explore the effect of ACADL on the differentiation of subcutaneous fat cells on this basis. Methods We obtained the ACADL gene of goats by cloning and used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect the ACADL expression patterns of different goat tissues and subcutaneous fat cells at different lipid induction stages. In addition, we transfect intramuscular and subcutaneous adipocytes separately by constructing overexpressed ACADL vectors and synthesizing Si-ACADL; finally, we observed the changes in oil red stained cell levels under the microscope, and qPCR detected changes in mRNA levels. Results The results showed goat ACADL gene expressed in sebum fat. During adipocyte differentiation, ACADL gradually increased from 0 to 24 h of culture, and decreased. Overexpression of ACADL promoted differentiation of subcutaneous adipocytes in goat and inhibited their differentiation after interference. Conclusion So, we infer ACADL may have an important role in positive regulating the differentiation process in goat subcutaneous adipocytes. This study will provide basic data for further study of the role of ACADL in goat subcutaneous adipocyte differentiation and lays the foundation for final elucidating of its molecular mechanisms in regulating subcutaneous fat deposition in goats.

With the development of construction industrialization, green and low-carbon construction methods have been strongly supported by domestic and foreign construction industries. As an efficient lateral force resistance system, the assembled steel plate-concrete composite shear wall structure has gradually become a hotspot in civil engineering. Referring to the node connection method of steel structure, this paper uses the concrete composite shear wall filled with steel plate and extended T-shaped gusset plate to realize the connection between the upper and lower walls, so as to form a T-plate connected assembled composite shear wall structure. Through establishing the refined finite element analysis model of cast-in-place and assembled composite shear wall with the same sizes and comparing the results of them, the feasibility and reliability of the connection method are verified. On this basis, according to the comparison between the bearing and continuity performance of the assembled composite shear wall under different parameters such as the T-plate length, T-plate flange width, T-plate number, joint height and joint longitudinal reinforcement ratio in the node connection area, it is found that the T-plate length, T-plate number and joint height have a great effect on the mechanical properties of assembled composite shear wall, and other parameters are not obvious. In this way, a reasonable recommendation is made for the connection parameters of T-node, which lays a theoretical foundation for promoting the theoretical development and engineering application of this new assembled composite shear wall.

3D Tribo-Nanoprinting (3D TNP), which uses a highly controllable tribological contact to deposit tribofilms, has been proposed as a manufacturing method for nanoscale structures. Inspired by this, we show for the first time, as a proof of concept, the ability to electrically functionalise tribofilms for potential use in the manufacture of structures with nanoscale thickness. Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) tribofilms have been generated to include varying concentrations of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) resulting in them becoming electrically conductive when tested using conductive atomic force microscopy. In its highest GNP concentration, approximately 55% of the surface of the tribofilm was able to sustain current up to a threshold of 245 pA. The higher graphene content led to a suppression in film formation and decreased substrate coverage. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a dual-layered tribofilm with a carbon-rich layer above a pure layer of ZDDP tribofilm. Within the carbon-rich layer, the GNPs formed into scrolls which created an internal network through which current could flow, being limited by the insulating pure ZDDP layer at the film-substrate interface, and the presence of surface graphene sheets. A modified lateral force microscopy procedure supported the presence of surface graphene sheets. Despite limited deposition precision in terms of homogeneity and distribution of the tribofilms, this work provides a step towards the use of 3D TNP for the manufacture of electronic structures on the nanoscale by proving that tribofilms can be functionalised by the addition of particle additives.

ABSTRACT To effectively develop and utilize high-quality Tianfu broilers, this study evaluated the morphological and structural characteristics of the immune organs of such broilers with different strains (HS1 and HS2) at different developmental stages and analyzed the distribution of mast cells by toluidine blue staining. Moreover, the localization and expression of immunoglobulin, complement C3, C4 and CD3 in immune organs were also detected. The results showed that although there was no significant difference in the development of immune organs in the HS1 and HS2, the number of lymphatic follicles and capsule thickness in the spleen and bursa of Fabricius in HS1 were greater than those in HS2. Additionally, the number of mast cells in the spleen of HS1 was greater at Day 1 and Day 21 and was significantly higher than that of HS2 (p

ABSTRACT Lipid metabolism dysfunction is closely related to obesity, inflammation, diabetes, lipodystrophy, cardiovascular disease. Along with having a positive effect on energy homeostasis during fasting or prolonged exercise through mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO), more than two dozen enzymes and transport proteins are involved in the activation and transport of fatty acids into the mitochondrial, providing insights into their critical roles in metabolism. CPT1A has been reported to be expressed ubiquitously in the body and associated with dire consequences affecting fat deposition as the key rate-limiting enzyme of FAO. However, there is a dearth of data on the specific role of CPT1A on adipogenic differentiation and adipocyte lipolysis on chicken. This study assessed CPT1A’s function in adipocyte differentiation andadipocyte lipolysis, and the mechanisms were investigated. We found that CPT1A knockdown (KD) promotes the differentiation of chicken preadipocytes into mature adipocytes. CPT1A KD increased PPARγ protein expression level. Expression levels of lipid synthesis-related genes were increased, and lipolysis genes were reduced. Also, CPT1A KD can encourage the formation of lipid droplets. So our results confirmed that knockdown of CPT1A induced the lipid differentiation and inhibited the β-oxidation process to promote the formation of lipid droplets. These findings may deepen our understanding on CPT1A function, especially its regulatory role in adipocyte biology.

Cyclophilin A (CypA), a key member of the immunophilin family, is the most abundantly expressed one among the 16 identified cyclophilins. Besides acting as an intracellular receptor for cyclosporine A, CypA plays a vital role in various pathological responses such as inflammation and microbial infections. In the present study, the full-length cDNA of Fenneropenaeus chinensis CypA (FcCypA) was cloned by RACE technique. The complete sequence of FcCypA cDNA contained a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 33 bp, a 3’ UTR of 341 bp with a polyA tail, and an open reading frame (ORF) of 495 bp encoding a polypeptide of 164 amino acids with the predicted molecular weight of 17.70 kDa. The amino acid sequence of CypA has a typical peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerase family tag sequence (YKGSTFHRVIPNFMCQGG) as those of other species. The mRNA transcripts of FcCypA were constitutively expressed in all the tested tissues, including eyestalk, gill, gonad, heart, hemocytes, hepatopancreas, intestine, muscle, nerve and stomach, with the highest expression level in hepatopancreas. The mRNA expression profiles of FcCypA in hemocytes and hepatopancreas could be significantly induced by the stimulation of Vibrio anguillarum suspension and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) stock, which verifies that CypA has an effect on viral and bacterial infection in shrimps. These results indicate that CypA may be involved in the innate immunity, biological immune response and physiological stress response of Chinese shrimps.

Based on lots of results, the QM protein was proposed to be a tumor suppressor, and facilitate in the innate immune responses, especially the prophenoloxidase (proPO) activation system. In the present study, a cDNA of 761 bp for the QM of Chinese shrimp, Fenneropenaeus chinensis (designated as FcQM) was cloned via rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique. The complete cDNA sequence of FcQM contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 663 bp, 5' untranslated regions (UTR) of 42 bp and 3' UTR of 56 bp, which encoded a polypeptide of 155 amino acid residues. The analysis of the peptide sequence of FcQM revealed that FcQM sequence contained a Ribosomal_L16 domain, an SH3-binding motif, an N-acylation site, two putative antibiotic binding sites, two putative protein kinase C phosphorylation sites and two acylamidation sites, which shared over 80 % similarity with previously identified QM protein genes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results showed that the transcript of FcQM was extensively distributed in all the tested tissues and most highly expressed in hemocytes and hepatopancreas. After challenged with Vibrio anguillarum or white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), the FcQM transcripts were significantly increased (p < 0.05) both in hepatopancreas and hemocytes. Hence, the analysis of sequence and transcription suggested that FcQM might play crucial roles responses to bacterial and viral invasion in innate immunity of arthropods. This study is the first report of the QM protein gene from F. chinensis, which would enrich the understanding of the innate immune defense mechanism in shrimp.

Objective: Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is associated with a higher risk of premature death, but there are factors in certain patients with T1DM that protect them from complications and premature death. These factors had not been identified in no n-Caucasian populations, so we aimed to identify factors that protect against the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in long -standing T1DM in China. Methods: Ninety-five T1DM patients with >30 years’ duration of diabetes were enrolled in this nationwide study. Differences between groups of patients with and without complications were compared, and multivariable regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between candidate protective factors and the development of DN or DR. Results: Thirty of the participants did not have DN and the same amount did not have DR. 6/52 of participants without DN were from a rural area, whereas 11/28 of participants with DN had been born in a rural area (P = 0.005). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was higher in participants with DN (135 ± 26 mmHg vs 121 ± 13 mmHg; P = 0.002). In participants without DR, 27/30 were married or cohabitating, and only 3/30 were single, never married, or widowed, but for those with prolifera tive DR (PDR), 13/26 had been married (P = 0.003). A rural or urban origin and SBP were associated with DN in the multivariable analysis. Conclusion: we have shown that higher socioeconomic status, indicated by birth in an urban area, and being married or cohabitating, are accompanied by better blood pressure control and a lower risk of microvascular complications in Chin ese patients with long-standing T1DM. These findings illustrate the importance of improving care for patients with T1DM in China.

ABSTRACT We assessed the effect of health sand dietary supplementation with methionine (Met) on White King pigeons. Paired pigeons (n = 180) were fed one of five diets; group T1 received no added Met, while T2, T3, T4 and T5 received 30, 60, 90 and 120 g of supplemental DL-Met/kg, respectively. Each treatment was replicated three times with 24 pairs in each replicate. The results showed that supplementary Met had a minor effect on the length of the fourth primary wing feather in 28-day-old squabs (p>0.05), but the length of 14-day-old squabs in T2 was significantly longer (p=0.010). Dietary Met had a minor effect on Wnt-7a and fibroblast growth factor receptors-2 (FGFR-2) mRNA levels in 28-day-old squabs (p>0.05). The IGF-1 concentration in plasma was highest in T4 and lowest in T2 (p=0.012), but there was no difference between T1, T2 and T5 (p>0.05). In the chest muscle, the expression of IGF-1 in T3 and T4 was higher than in T1 (p=0.172 and 0.015, respectively). In the leg muscle, IGF-1 mRNA level was higher in T4 and T3, and lower in T2 (p>0.05). The results indicate that the optimal Met supplement for increasing fourth primary wing feather length was 30 g/kg Met in health sand, and the feathers were the longest in 14-day-old squabs. Adding 90 g/kg Met to health sand can improve the concentration of IGF-1, which is important for growth performance of pigeon squabs.

ABSTRACT To investigate the protective effect of glutamine (Gln) on lymphocyte proliferation and the intestinal mucosal immune response in heat-stressed broilers, 360 21-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were assigned to 4 groups in a completely randomized design, each of which included 6 replicates with 15 birds per replicate for 21 days. The chickens were fed a basal diet under no stress (NS group), a basal diet under heat stress (HT group), or a basal diet under heat stress with the addition of either 0.5 % or 1.0 % Gln. The results showed that the broilers in the HT group exhibited fewer proliferating peripheral lymphocytes, a lower growth performance, phagocytic rate and index of neutrophils, fewer goblet cells in whole intestine and intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) cells in the ileum, a lower sIgA content in the duodenum and the jejunum, a lower immunoglobulin content of serum and intestinal mucosa, than those of the NS group (p

Microalgae such as dinoflagellate and diatom are the major food source of bivalve species, and sufficient food intake contributes to the immunity and the growth of bivalves. In the present study, a monoamine oxidase gene (named as CgMAO), which is the rate-limiting enzyme of norepinephrine (NE) biosynthesis, was cloned from C. gigas. After the oysters were fed with a diet rich in diatom for 21 and 40 d, the NE contents in oyster serum, as well as the mRNA expression of CgMAO in oyster haemocytes, increased significantly compared with control group. Besides, the mRNA expression of cytokines CgTNF-1 and CgIL17-5 in haemocytes and the activities of immune-related enzymes (SOD and LYZ) in oyster serum also increased significantly after diatom feeding. These results collectively suggested that sufficient microalgae intake might significantly enhance the antibacterial capacity in oyster by prompting the biosynthesis of NE and triggering the subsequent antibacterial processes modulated by NE.

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of supplementing tea polyphenols (TP) in diet of laying hens on yolk cholesterol content and production performance. A total of 1800 Lohmann laying hens aged 48 weeks were randomly allocated to 6 groups. Each group consisted of 6 replicates with 50 layers. The feeding experiment was 4 weeks including one-week acclimatization. Layers fed basal diet supplemented with 0, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 350 mg TP/kg diet, respectively. The results showed that average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), average egg weight (AEW), laying rate and the indicators of egg quality were not significantly affected by the diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg TP (p>0.05). However, yolk cholesterol content decreased by increasing TP concentration (p

ObjectiveTo quantify the effect of inhaled 5% carbon-dioxide/95% oxygen on EEG recordings from patients in non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE).MethodsFive children of mixed aetiology in NCSE were given high flow of inhaled carbogen (5% carbon dioxide/95% oxygen) using a face mask for maximum 120s. EEG was recorded concurrently in all patients. The effects of inhaled carbogen on patient EEG recordings were investigated using band-power, functional connectivity and graph theory measures. Carbogen effect was quantified by measuring effect size (Cohen's d) between "before", "during" and "after" carbogen delivery states.ResultsCarbogen's apparent effect on EEG band-power and network metrics across all patients for "before-during" and "before-after" inhalation comparisons was inconsistent across the five patients.ConclusionThe changes in different measures suggest a potentially non-homogeneous effect of carbogen on the patients' EEG. Different aetiology and duration of the inhalation may underlie these non-homogeneous effects. Tuning the carbogen parameters (such as ratio between CO2 and O2, duration of inhalation) on a personalised basis may improve seizure suppression in future.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of glutamine (Gln) on blood biochemistry and activity of serum enzymes in broilers challenged with Salmonella enteritidis. 240 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were distributed into four groups treated in a completely randomized design for 21 days. The groups included a noninfection control (CON); infected with S. enteritidis (SCC); infected +0.5% Gln (Gln 1), and infected +1.0% Gln (Gln 2). The plasma total protein, albumin, and globulin concentration, AST, LDH and CK activity in SCC group were lower than the CON overall except the albumin at 14, 21 d, and CK at 14 d. SCC group had lower RBC at 7 d; lower MCHC at 14 d; higher MCHC, and MCH at 7 d, or 21 d; higher WBC at d 7, 14, and 21; higher γ-GGT activity at d 14, and 21than the CON group. Gln group had higher plasma total protein, albumin, and globulin concentration, AST, LDH and CK activity than those in SCC overall except the albumin at 14, 21 d, and CK at 14 d. Gln group had higher RBC at 7 d; higher MCHC at 14 d; lower MCHC, and MCH at 7 d, or 21 d; lower WBC at d 7, 14, and 21, and lower γ-GGT activity at d 14, and 21 than the SCC group. These results suggest that Gln could effective improve the physiological responses and maintain the normal health status of S. enteritidis infection of broilers.

As pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), C-type lectins (CTLs) have important roles in the recognition and clearance of pathogens by the innate immune system. In the present study, the first Cherax quadricarinatus CTL gene (designated CqCTL) was cloned and characterized. The complete cDNA sequence of CqCTL contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 543 bp, which encoded a protein of 180 amino acids. A carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) containing four conserved cysteines (Cys48, Cys59, Cys76, Cys177) and the EPD (Glu80-Pro81-Asn82) and QPD (Gln146-Pro147-Asn148) motifs were identified in the deduced amino acid sequence of CqCTL. The deduced tertiary structure of CqCTL revealed two α helices，five β sheets and two disulfide bonds. CqCTL exhibited high similarity with previously identified CTLs from other species. The mRNA transcripts of CqCTL were ubiquitously detectable in all the tested tissues, with the highest expression level in hepatopancreas. These results provide useful information on the potential role of CqCTL in the innate immune system of C. quadricarinatus, and lay the foundation for further studies on the CTLs of crustacean.

ABSTRACT We investigated the egg production, changes in luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), gonadal hormones, and their mRNA levels in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of White King pigeons submitted to different photoperiods. The treatments consisted of three photoperiods (8 h light (L):16 h dark (D), 12L:12D, and 16L:8D), with three replicates of twelve pairs of adult pigeons. The birds were exposed the photoperiods for 45 days. Egg production performance was recorded daily. Six pigeon pairs per replicate were selected for plasma collection, and six pigeon pairs per replicate for the resection of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Egg production was significantly improved by long-day lighting (16L:8D), while no differences in egg shape index were detected. Higher average egg weight was obtained in 16L:8D group, whereas broken egg percentage was higher in the 8L:16D group. Female LH level was significantly higher in long-day lighting, and the FSH level significantly lower in short-day lighting. The females in the 16L:8D group had higher estrogen level. The photoperiods had a minor effect on plasma LH and testosterone in males, whereas the FSH level was significantly higher in the 16L:8D group. The level of LH mRNA expression was higher in both females and males of the 16L:8D group. Similar trends in FSH mRNA expression observed in both females and males. The 16L:8D photoperiod not only improved egg production, but also stimulated plasma LH, FSH, gonadal hormones, and promoted LH and FSH mRNA expression in pigeons.

ABSTRACT The aim was to investigate the effect of glutamine (Gln) on broilers challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis. 240 1-day-old birds were divided into four groups in a completely randomized design, each of which included 6 replicates with 10 birds per replicate. Group I served as the unchallenged, untreated control (CON). All birds in groups II (SCC) - IV were challenged with 2.0 × 104 CFU/mL of S. Enteritidis. Birds in group III and IV were treated with 0.5% (Gln 1) and 1.0% (Gln 2), respectively, of Gln. The results indicated that S. Enteritidis infection led to a decrease in the average body weight at d 7, 14, and 21 (p

ABSTRACT The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene plays a key role in controlling the deposition of melanin. In mammals, the MC1Rgene is regarded as a major candidate gene in the control of melanin formation. In domestic animals, the MC1R gene mainly controls the expression of coat, skin, and plumage color in mammals and birds. In order to breed chickens with dark-green shank faster, we screened the molecular markers for shank color in a HS chicken population by exploring the relationship between polymorphism of the MC1R gene and three different shank colors (light green, dark green and yellow). Two primer pairs for code region of the MC1R gene were designed in the basic of chicken genomic sequence. DNA sequencing was performed to detect the polymorphisms and PCR was used to amplify DNA fragment. Sequences analysis indicated that 7 SNPs were predominant the three HS chicken populations with different shank color, including g.18,287,945C>T, g.18,288,088T>C, g.18,288,150G>A, g.18,288,303A>G, g.18,288,512G>A, g.18,288,513T>C, and g.18,288,520A>C. Association analysis revealed that the dark-green shank population showed moderate polymorphism, whereas the light-green shank population showed low polymorphism among overall 7 SNPs and that SNP6 (g.18,288,513T>C) may be significantly associated with three different shank colors in HS chickens. The haplotype CTGGACA had the largest haplotype frequencies, accounting for 56.22%, and the haplotype combination H1H1 is mainly distributed in the dark-green shank population, and may be used as molecular maker for marker-assisted selection of shank color in HS chickens.

The present study describes the molecular characterization and transcriptional features of a tumor suppressor QM protein gene, MmQM, in Meretrix meretrix. The full-length cDNA (819 bp) of MmQM consists of a 657 bp opening reading frame (ORF) encoding a 218 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 25.3 kDa and theoretical isoelectric point of 10.2. A ribosomal protein L10 signature, an SH3-binding motif, an antibiotic binding site, an amidation site and two protein kinase C phosphorylation sites were revealed from the MmQM sequence. Phylogenetic analysis showed that MmQM is clustered with previously identified mollusk QM proteins. MmQM mRNA transcripts were detectable in all of the examined tissues in a constitutive manner, and were significantly different from each other. After bacterial stimulation, the mRNA transcripts of MmQM in the hepatopancreas significantly increased. Hence, we conclude that MmQM could respond to pathogenic infections and it might play an important role in the innate immunity against microorganisms in the clam M. meretrix.

The satellites that have been designed to support the monitoring of fossil fuel CO _2 emissions aim to systematically measure atmospheric CO _2 plumes generated by intense emissions from large cities, power plants and industrial sites. These data can be assimilated into atmospheric transport models in order to estimate the corresponding emissions. However, plumes emitted by cities and powerplants contain not only fossil fuel CO _2 but also significant amounts of CO _2 released by human respiration and by the burning of biofuels. We show that these amounts represent a significant proportion of the fossil fuel CO _2 emissions, up to 40% for instance in cities of Nordic countries, and will thus leave some ambiguity in the retrieval of fossil fuel CO _2 emissions from satellite concentration observations. Auxiliary information such as biofuel use statistics and radiocarbon measurement could help reduce the ambiguity and improve the framework of monitoring fossil fuel CO _2 emissions from space.

Calreticulin (CRT) plays crucial roles in the regulation of Ca2+ homeostasis, immune responses and molecular chaperon. In this study, a new member of the CRT gene (denoted as AjCRT) was cloned and characterized from the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. The full-length of the gene was of 3316 bp, which consisted of 204 bp 5’ untranslated region (UTR), 1870 bp of 3’-UTR and a putative 1242-bp open reading frame encoding a 48-kDa polypeptide (AjCRT) with a theoretical pI of 4.19. AjCRT had 59 % - 65 % sequence identity with CRTs from other species. It contained two CRT domains (residues 94 - 109 and 126 - 134) with a RING finger domain. AjCRT was ubiquitously expressed in all tissues examined, but was highly expressed in the coelomocytes. Temporal transcriptional levels in the coelomocytes revealed significant upregulation of AjCRT after the animal was challenged with Vibrio splendidus, reaching 4.97-fold the level of control at 4 h, but then decreased to 2.56-fold the level of control at 72 h. AjCRT knockdown decreased the expression level of the binding of Ca2+ to protein gene about 50 %. At the same time, intracellular concentration of Ca2+ also increased by 1.86-fold and 1.94-fold compared to that of the control. Taken together, the results suggested that AjCRT may be associated with the immune response against bacterial infection, probably through participating in the regulation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis in sea cucumber.

Yesso scallop is a marine bivalve mollusc of economic importance in the coastline of northern China. The frequently outbreak of various diseases has heavily threatened the sustainable development of the scallop industry. The information about the bacterial communities inside and outside the body of Yesso scallop will provide insights into disease prevention, probiotic application and health aquaculture. In the present study, the diversity of bacterial communities in intestines, rectum and gills of Yesso scallop and its habitat waters were investigated. The bacterial diversity and richness in waters were higher than that in intestines, rectum and gills. The microbiota from intestines, rectum, gills of scallop and waters were clearly separated into four clusters by Non-metric multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis, suggesting a microbiota selection of scallop at organ scale. Venn diagram suggested that the bacterial community in the body of scallop was more specialized than that in waters. High-throughput sequencing revealed that the main bacterial communities in intestine, rectum and gill were Firmicutes, Tenericute and Proteobacteria, Chlamydiae, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, respectively. While the bacterial communities in waters mainly included Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria. Real-time PCR for bacterial load showed that the total bacterial abundance in waters was significantly higher than that inside the scallop body. The abundance of Bacteroides fragilis in rectum was significantly higher than that in intestines and gills. The results about the bacterial community inside and outside the body of Yesso scallop are helpful to better understand the relationship between the symbiotic bacteria of Yesso scallop and their habitat, and also provided critical information to develop strategies of disease prevention and probiotic application in scallop aquaculture.

Drug targets and disease genes may work as driver factors at the transcriptional level, which propagate signals through gene regulatory network and cause the downstream genes’ differential expression. How to analyze transcriptional response data to identify meaningful gene modules shared by both drugs and diseases is still a critical issue for drug‐disease associations and molecular mechanism. In this article, we propose the drug‐gene‐disease coherent subnetwork concept to group the biological function related drugs, diseases, and genes. It was defined as the subnetwork with drug, gene, and disease as nodes and their interactions coherently crossing three data layers as edges. Integrating differential expression profiles of 418 drugs and 84 diseases, we develop a computational framework and identify 13 coherent subnetworks such as inflammatory bowel disease and melanoma relevant subnetwork. The results demonstrate that our coherent subnetwork approach is able to identify novel drug indications and highlight their molecular basis. CPT Pharmacometrics Syst. Pharmacol. (2014) 3, e146; doi:10.1038/psp.2014.44; published online 12 November 2014

Chromatographic separation of the crude extract obtained from the aerial parts of the Mongolian medicinal plant Scorzonera radiata yielded five new dihydrostilbenes [4], two new flavonoids, one new quinic acid derivative, as well as twenty known compounds including eight quinic acid derivatives, four flavonoids, two coumarins, five simple benzoic acids, and one monoterpene glycoside. We present here results on isolation and structural identification some active phenolic compounds from the Scorzonera radiata - eight quinic acid derivatives (quinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoyl-epi-quinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoyl-epi-quinic acid, chlorogenic acid, 5-p-coumaroylquinic acid (trans), 5-p-coumaroylquinic acid (cis)). Quinic acid derivatives exhibited antioxidative activity.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/mjc.v12i0.177 Mongolian Journal of Chemistry Vol.12 2011: 78-84

In the context of skeletal tissue development and repair, endochondral ossification has inspired a new approach to regenerate bone tissue in vivo using a cartilage intermediate as an osteoinductive template. The aim of this study was to investigate the behavior of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in regard to in vitro cartilage formation and in vivo bone regeneration when combined with different three-dimensional (3D) scaffold materials, i.e., hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) composite block, polyurethane (PU) foam, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/poly(ε-caprolactone) electrospun fibers (PLGA/PCL) and collagen I gel. To this end, rat MSCs were seeded on these scaffolds and chondrogenically differentiated in vitro for 4 weeks followed by in vivo subcutaneous implantation for 8 weeks. Nonetheless, the quality and maturity of in vivo ectopic bone formation appeared to be scaffold/material-dependent. Eight weeks of implantation was not sufficient to ossify the entire PLGA/PCL constructs, albeit a comprehensive remodeling of the cartilage had occurred. For HA/TCP, PU and collagen I scaffolds, more mature bone formation with rich vascularity and marrow stroma development could be observed. These data suggest that chondrogenic priming of MSCs in the presence of different scaffold materials allows the establishment of reliable templates for generating functional endochondral bone tissue in vivo without using osteoinductive growth factors. The morphology and maturity of bone formation.

The species composition and abundance of the planktonic Hyperiidea and their relationship with environmental factors (depth, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and chlorophyll a concentration) were analyzed based on 4 seasonal investigations in the Beibu Gulf between 2006 and 2007. Hyperiids were represented by 82 species, 5 of which had not previously been recorded in the South China Sea. The hyperiid communities were dominated by Lestrigonus bengalensis year-round, Hyperioides sibaginis was dominant in spring, summer and autumn, and Tullbergella cuspidata became dominant in spring. Both species richness and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index increased from north to south, and from nearshore to offshore. Biodiversity was higher in some regions where the water mass was strongly influenced by the open sea or the lower salinity water off the northern sea shelf. Results of partial correlation analysis showed that species richness was positively related to depth at all times, and negatively related to temperature only in summer and winter. TWINSPAN classification indicated that the Hyperiidea community was divided into 2 groups in spring and winter (a widely distributed group and a pelagic warm-water group), and 3 groups in summer and autumn. A clear distinction between euryhaline and pelagic species can be discerned, based on different geographical distributions of water masses.

The impact of municipal sewage discharge on the symbiosis between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and mangrove plants in different sections along 2 constructed mangrove belts was evaluated. Each section was 33 m long and 3 m wide and planted with Kandelia obovata or Aegiceras corniculatum, the 2 most common mangrove plants in South China. A greenhouse experiment comparing the colonization intensity of AMF among different mangrove plant species under wastewater treatment was also conducted. Typical arbuscular mycorrhiza structures were observed in most of the root samples collected from the constructed belts. In both belts, the AMF colonization intensities were significantly lower in the roots of plants close to the inlet than in those further away from the influent, suggesting that the colonization intensity of AMF was inhibited by municipal sewage discharge, and that inhibition was least pronounced in the effluent where the concentration of nutrients was lowest. AMF colonization intensities in the roots of A. corniculatum were significantly higher than those in the roots of K. obovata, which could be attributed to the fact that A. corniculatum provided more oxygen to support the AMF than did K. obovata, indicating the strong effects of the host species on AMF colonization. In both constructed wetland belts and greenhouse experiments, the AMF vesicle and arbuscular structures (the main functional structure of arbuscular mycorrhiza) appeared to be more sensitive to wastewater discharge than the hyphal structure, implying that sewage discharge would reduce the potential beneficial effects of AMF in mangrove ecosystems. This study provides useful information on the responses of AMF to sewage; this knowledge is important for the conservation and restoration of mangrove forests that are located close to human activities.

The repair of critical-sized defects (CSDs) is a significant challenge in bone tissue engineering. Combining the use of progenitor cells with gene therapy represents a promising approach for bone regeneration. MicroRNAs play important roles in most gene regulatory networks, regulate the endogenous expression of multiple growth factors and simultaneously modulate stem cell differentiation. Our previous study showed that knocking down miR-31 promotes the osteogenesis of bone marrow stromal stem cells (BMSCs). To investigate the therapeutic potential of cells engineered to express anti-miR-31 for CSD repair, lentiviral vectors encoding negative control, miR-31 precursor and anti-sense sequences were constructed and transduced into osteo-inductive BMSCs. The expression of osteogenic-specific genes, alkaline phosphatase activity and Alizarin Red S staining were investigated to evaluate the effects of miR-31 on the cell fate of BMSCs over a 3-week period. In addition, miR-31-modified BMSCs seeded on poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) scaffolds were used to repair 8 mm critical-sized calvarial defects in rats. The results showed that miR-31 suppression significantly increased the expression of osteogenic-specific genes in vitro at the mRNA and protein levels, and that robust new bone formation with high local bone mineral density was observed in the anti-miR groups in vivo. Moreover, the PGS scaffolds carrying anti-miR-31-expressing BMSCs exhibited good biocompatibility and a high regeneration rate (~60 %) within in vivo bone defects. Our results suggest that miR-31 gene delivery affects the potential of BMSCs for osteogenic differentiation and bone regeneration and that PGS is a potential substrate for genetically modified, tissue-engineered bone in the repair of large bone defects.

Floquet engineering or coherent time-periodic driving of quantum systems has been successfully used to synthesize Hamiltonians with novel properties. In ultracold atomic systems, this has led to experimental realizations of artificial gauge fields, topological bandstructures, and observation of dynamical localization, to name a few. Here we present a Floquet-based framework to stroboscopically engineer Hamiltonians with spatial features and periodicity below the diffraction limit of light used to create them by time-averaging over various configurations of a 1D optical Kronig–Penney (KP) lattice. The KP potential is a lattice of narrow subwavelength barriers spaced by half the optical wavelength ( λ /2) and arises from the nonlinear optical response of the atomic dark state. Stroboscopic control over the strength and position of this lattice requires time-dependent adiabatic manipulation of the dark-state spin composition. We investigate adiabaticity requirements and shape our time-dependent light fields to respect the requirements. We apply this framework to show that a λ /4-spaced lattice can be synthesized using realistic experimental parameters as an example, discuss mechanisms that limit lifetimes in these lattices, explore candidate systems and their limitations, and treat adiabatic loading into the ground band of these lattices.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs more frequently in men than in women. It is commonly agreed that estrogen plays important roles in suppressing HCC development, however, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Since estrogen is mainly metabolized in liver and its metabolites affect cell proliferation, we sought to investigate if the liver-specific cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) mediated the inhibitory effect of estrogen on HCC. In this study, the expression of estrogen-metabolizing enzyme CYP1A2 was determined in HCC tissues and cell lines. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed in cells with or without CYP1A2 overexpression. The levels of 17β-estradiol (E2) and its metabolite 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) were determined. A xenograft tumor model in mice was established to confirm the findings. It was found that CYP1A2 expression was greatly repressed in HCC. E2 suppressed HCC cell proliferation and xenograft tumor development by inducing apoptosis. The inhibitory effect was significantly enhanced in cells with CYP1A2 overexpression, which effectively conversed E2 to the cytotoxic 2-ME. E2 in combination with sorafenib showed an additive effect on HCC. The anti-HCC effect of E2 was not associated with estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ as well as tumor suppressor P53 but enhanced by the approved anti-HCC drug sorafenib. In addition, HDAC inhibitors greatly induced CYP1A2 promoter activities in cancer cells, especially liver cancer cells, but not in non-tumorigenic cells. Collectively, CYP1A2 metabolizes E2 to generate the potent anti-tumor agent 2-ME in HCC. The reduction of CYP1A2 significantly disrupts this metabolic pathway, contributing the progression and growth of HCC and the gender disparity of this malignancy.

"nBackground: In general, measurements of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation are related to horizontal surfaces. While the hu­mans walking and standing outdoors expose to the natural solar UV radiation, their eyes, cheeks, extremities, trunks, or many other anatomical sites are close to vertical plane and random orient to different directions. In this study, we character­ized the diurnal variations in solar UV on horizontal and vertical plane which may be helpful to obtain more relevant informa­tion on UV exposure of humans."nMethods: The were measured using Solar-UV Sensors in Shenyang (41°51′N, 123°27′E) and Sanya (18°19'N, 109°42'E), PR China."nResults As the well known, the diurnal variations in solar UV on horizontal plane in a sunny day exhibited unimodal distribu­tions, reached a single UV peak exposure at around solar noon. However, the diurnal variations on vertical plane presented bimodal distributions, with two peaks in summer in Shenyang and Sanya, and a unimodal distribution in winter in Shenyang. In spring and autumn in Shenyang, the UV exposure around noon were slightly flat with no significant peaks but relative high. When the Solar Elevation Angle (SEA) is about 40°, the vertical plane may potentially receiving maximal unweighted total solar UV radiation exposures."nConclusion: The results potentially showed that the protection of some vertical and near-vertical anatomical sites of human body from high UV exposure should not only focused on the periods of before and after noon especially in high SEA places.

Anthropogenic heat flux is the heat generated by human activities in the urban canopy layer, which is considered the main contributor to the urban heat island (UHI). The UHI can in turn increase the use and energy consumption of air-conditioning systems. In this study, two effective methods for water-cooling air-conditioning systems in non-domestic areas, including the direct cooling system and central piped cooling towers (CPCTs), are physically based, parameterized, and implemented in a weather research and forecasting model at the city scale of Hong Kong. An extreme high temperature event (June 23–28, 2016) in the urban areas was examined, and we assessed the effects on the surface thermal environment, the interaction of sea–land breeze circulation and urban heat island circulation, boundary layer dynamics, and a possible reduction of energy consumption. The results showed that both water-cooled air-conditioning systems could reduce the 2 m air temperature by around 0.5 °C–0.8 °C during the daytime, and around 1.5 °C around 7:00–8:00 pm when the planetary boundary layer (PBL) height was confined to a few hundred meters. The CPCT contributed around 80%–90% latent heat flux and significantly increased the water vapor mixing ratio in the atmosphere by around 0.29 g kg ^−1 on average. The implementation of the two alternative air-conditioning systems could modify the heat and momentum of turbulence, which inhibited the evolution of the PBL height (a reduction of 100–150 m), reduced the vertical mixing, presented lower horizontal wind speed and buoyant production of turbulent kinetic energy, and reduced the strength of sea breeze and UHI circulation, which in turn affected the removal of air pollutants. Moreover, the two alternative air-conditioning systems could significantly reduce the energy consumption by around 30% during extreme high temperature events. The results of this study suggest potential UHI mitigation strategies and can be extended to other megacities to enable them to be more resilient to UHI effects.

Multiple trauma can induce sepsis and organ failure, even threaten people’s lives. To further study the mechanisms of multiple trauma, we analyzed microarray of GSE5760. GSE5760 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus including a total of 58 peripheral blood transcriptome from patients without (WT, n = 30) and carrying (MUT, n = 28) the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) rs1800629 A variant. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the limma package in R and the Benjamin and Hochberg method in a multi-test package. Then, functional enrichment analysis of DEGs was performed. Also, transcription factors significantly related to DEGs were searched using WebGestalt and interaction network of transcription factors and DEGs were constructed using STRING online software. Furthermore, pathway enrichment analysis for the DEGs in the interaction network was conducted using KO-Based Annotation System (KOBAS). We screened 39 DEGs including 27 upregulated and 12 downregulated genes. The enriched functions were associated with biological process (BP) (such as response to hypoxia, P value = 0.039803), cell components (CC) (such as mitochondrial part, P value = 0.043857), and molecular function (MF) (such as structural constituent of ribosome, P value = 0.008735). Besides, RPS7 and RPL17 were associated with ribosome and participated in ribosome pathway. PPP2R2B was related to mitochondrion. KCNMA1 , ALAS2 and SOCS3 were associated with hypoxia. Moreover, transcription factors of LEF1 , CHX10 , ELK1 , SP1 , and MAZ were significantly related to DEGs. RPS7 , RPL17 , PPP2R2B , KCNMA1 , ALAS2 , and SOCS3 might relate to multiple trauma. And TNF-α mutation could cause sepsis in patients with multiple trauma by changing the expression of these genes.

DENV envelope glycoprotein (E) is responsible for interacting with host cell receptors and is the main target for the development of a dengue vaccine based on an induction of neutralizing antibodies. It is well known that DENV E glycoprotein has two potential N-linked glycosylation sites at Asn67 and Asn153. The N-glycans of E glycoprotein have been shown to influence the proper folding of the protein, its cellular localization, its interactions with receptors and its immunogenicity. However, the precise structures of the N-glycans that are attached to E glycoprotein remain elusive, although the crystal structure of DENV E has been determined. This study characterized the structures of envelope protein N-linked glycans on mature DENV-2 particles derived from insect cells via an integrated method that used both lectin microarray and MALDI-TOF-MS. By combining these methods, a high heterogeneity of DENV N-glycans was found. Five types of N-glycan were identified on DENV-2, including mannose, GalNAc, GlcNAc, fucose and sialic acid; high mannose-type N-linked oligosaccharides and the galactosylation of N-glycans were the major structures that were found. Furthermore, a complex between a glycan on DENV and the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) of DC-SIGN was mimicked with computational docking experiments. For the first time, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the N-linked glycan profile of whole DENV-2 particles derived from insect cells.

Mast cell granule remnants contain heparin proteoglycans and bind low density lipoproteins (LDL). Phagocytosis of such LDL-coated remnants by smooth muscle cells of synthetic phenotype (s-SMC) leads to cellular accumulation of LDL-derived cholesteryl esters (Wang et al. 1995. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 15: 801-810). In the present study, we investigated the pathway by which granule remnants mediate the uptake of LDL by s-SMC and the effect of the remnants on the metabolism of LDL-derived cholesteryl esters in these cells. In vitro, the scavenger receptor ligands polyinosinic acid, acetylated LDL (AcLDL), and oxidized LDL (OxLDL) each inhibited the uptake of granule remnant-bound LDL maximally by 50-60%. When AcLDL and OxLDL were added as a mixture, uptake was totally inhibited. Conversely, the granule remnants inhibited the binding of AcLDL to s-SMC. We also found that granule remnants did not inhibit the lysosomal hydrolysis of LDL-derived cholesteryl esters in s-SMC. When s-SMC were incubated with LDL in the presence of granule remnants, the cellular contents of cholesteryl linoleate and cholesteryl oleate increased. These increases were retarded when an inhibitor of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyl-transferase (ACAT) was present, showing that the cholesteryl ester accumulation in the s-SMC was a cytoplasmic process due to reesterification of LDL-derived cholesterol and fatty acids. In summary, exocytosed mast cell granule remnants carry LDL into s-SMC by scavenger receptor-mediated phagocytosis, and induce formation of typical foam cells, filled with cytoplasmic cholesteryl ester droplets.

Water and energy are coupled in intimate ways (Siddiqi and Anadon 2011 Energy Policy http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2011.04.023 39 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2011.04.023 ), which is amplified by international energy trade. The study shows that the total volume of energy related international embodied water flows averaged 6298 Mm ^3 yr ^−1 from 1992–2010, which represents 10% of the water used for energy production including oil, coal, gas and electricity production. This study calculates embodied water import and export status of 219 countries from 1992 to 2010 and embodied water flow changes of seven regions over time (1992/2000/2010). In addition, the embodied water net export risk-crisis index and net embodied water import benefit index are established. According to the index system, 33 countries export vast amounts of water who have a water shortage, which causes water risk and crisis related to energy trade. While 29 countries abate this risk due to their rich water resource, 45 countries import embodied water linked to energy imports. Based on the different status of countries studied, the countries were classified into six groups with different policy recommendations.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:The SNP R30Q (rs1248696) within the discs large homolog 5 (DLG5) gene has been associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, we examined the genetic association of another DLG5 SNP P1371Q (rs2289310) with IBD and its interaction with R30Q in disease susceptibility. METHODS:A total of 213 IBD patients [106 familial; 59 Crohn’s disease (CD) and 47 ulcerative colitis (UC)] and 107 sporadic [57 CD and 50 UC] were included in this study. Controls included 139 non-diseased family members of IBD patients and 170 unrelated healthy subjects. Genotypes for P1371Q and G1066G polymorphisms were determined by PCR–based RFLP. Epistasis between P1371Q and R30Q in disease susceptibility was analysed using a novel statistical model. RESULTS:P1371Q was associated with IBD (OR = 2.335, 95% CI = 1.097–4.972, p = 0.0246), however, the synonymous variant G1066G (rs1648234) was not. Gender distribution analysis revealed the A allele of P1371Q was significantly associated with IBD in women (OR = 3.765, 95% CI = 1.307–10.85, p = 0.0095). Modeling interaction between P1371Q and R30Q showed a significant increase in disease association (OR = 2.265, 95% CI = 1.405–3.652, p = 0.0007) incidence for sporadic and familial IBD patients. Further epistatic analysis identified an increased significance in the association of gender with IBD (OR = 4.311, 95% CI = 2.101–8.846, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS:DLG5 P1371Q was associated with IBD and this association was female-specific. A significant epistatic interaction between P1371Q and R30Q was observed, suggesting that P1371Q is complementary to R30Q, with R30Q exhibiting a dominant effect in IBD susceptibility.