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Simple Summary: Although the prevalence of hybrid sterility in fish is a serious limitation to the quality development of the hybrid fish farming industry, it could be useful for the conservation of the genetic stock of endangered and valuable species. In this study, a total of 1709 DEGs were identified by performing RNA sequencing between hybrid and two pure yellow catfishes. A KEGG pathway analysis indicated that some genes related to reproductive functions were upregulated, including genes involved in the cell cycle and oocyte meiosis, whereas genes related to ECM–receptor interactions were downregulated. In total, 63 DEmiRNAs were obtained between the three species of yellow catfishes. The upregulated DEmiRNAs ipu-miR-194a and ipu-miR-499 were found to target the spermatogenesis-related genes CFAP70 and RSPH6A, respectively. Both acted as negative regulators, and this may underscore the miRNA–mRNA regulatory mechanism of sterility in hybrid yellow catfish (P. fulvidraco ♀ × P. vachelli ♂). The hybrid yellow catfish exhibits advantages over pure yellow catfish in terms of fast growth, fast development, a high feeding rate, and strong immunity; additionally, it is almost sterile, thus ensuring the conservation of the genetic stock of fish populations. To investigate the sterility mechanism in hybrid yellow catfish (P. fulvidraco (♀) × P. vachelli (♂)), the mRNA and miRNA of the gonads of P. fulvidraco, P. vachelli, and a hybrid yellow catfish were analyzed to characterize the differentially expressed genes; this was carried out to help establish gene expression datasets to assist in the further determination of the mechanisms of genetic sterility in hybrid yellow catfish. In total, 1709 DEGs were identified between the hybrid and two pure yellow catfishes. A KEGG pathway analysis indicated that several genes related to reproductive functions were upregulated, including those involved in the cell cycle, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, and oocyte meiosis, and genes associated with ECM–receptor interaction were downregulated. The spermatogenesis-related GO genes CFAP70, RSPH6A, and TSGA10 were identified as being downregulated DEGs in the hybrid yellow catfish. Sixty-three DEmiRNAs were identified between the hybrid and the two pure yellow catfish species. The upregulated DEmiRNAs ipu-miR-194a and ipu-miR-499 were found to target the spermatogenesis-related genes CFAP70 and RSPH6A, respectively, playing a negative regulatory role, which may underscore the miRNA–mRNA regulatory mechanism of sterility in hybrid yellow catfish. The differential expression of ipu-miR-196d, ipu-miR-125b, and ipu-miR-150 and their target genes spidr, cep85, and kcnn4, implicated in reproductive processes, was verified via qRT-PCR, consistent with the transcriptome sequencing expression trends. This study provides deep insights into the mechanism of hybrid sterility in vertebrate groups, thereby contributing to achieving a better understanding and management of fish conservation related to hybrid sterility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Methods Results Conclusions The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of self‐management behaviour and illness perceptions and to examine illness perceptions in relation to self‐management behaviour in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).A cross‐sectional study was conducted, and 152 elderly COPD patients were recruited via the convenience sampling method. The COPD Self‐Management Scale and the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire for COPD patients were used to examine self‐management behaviour and illness perceptions. Pearson correlation analysis, univariate analysis and hierarchical linear regression analysis were used to explore illness perceptions in relation to self‐management behaviour.The mean overall score for self‐management behaviour was 2.90 ± 0.39. Among the subscales of self‐management behaviour, information management had the lowest score of 2.20 ± 0.76. Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, including educational level, smoking status, type of primary caregiver, home oxygen therapy and COPD duration, were found to be significant determinants of self‐management behaviour. After controlling for these variables, several illness perception subscales, including treatment control, personal control, coherence, timeline cyclical and identity, were significantly correlated with self‐management behaviour.This study confirmed that elderly COPD patients' self‐management behaviour was unsatisfactory and that illness perceptions were significant determinants of self‐management behaviour. The findings may contribute to the development of self‐management interventions for elderly COPD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of engineered muscle‐tendon junction (MTJ) with organ‐on‐a‐chip technology provides promising in vitro models for the understanding of cell‐cell interaction at the interface between muscle and tendon tissues. However, developing engineered MTJ tissue with biomimetic anatomical interface structure remains challenging, and the precise co‐culture of engineered interface tissue is further regarded as a remarkable obstacle. Herein, an interwoven waving approach is presented to develop engineered MTJ tissue with a biomimetic “M‐type” interface structure, and further integrated into a precise co‐culture microfluidic device for functional MTJ‐on‐a‐chip fabrication. These multiscale MTJ scaffolds based on electrospun nanofiber yarns enabled 3D cellular alignment and differentiation, and the “M‐type” structure led to cellular organization and interaction at the interface zone. Crucially, a compartmentalized co‐culture system is integrated into an MTJ‐on‐a‐chip device for the precise co‐culture of muscle and tendon zones using their medium at the same time. Such an MTJ‐on‐a‐chip device is further served for drug‐associated MTJ toxic or protective efficacy investigations. These results highlight that these interwoven nanofibrous scaffolds with biomimetic “M‐type” interface are beneficial for engineered MTJ tissue development, and MTJ‐on‐a‐chip with precise co‐culture system indicated their promising potential as in vitro musculoskeletal models for drug development and biological mechanism studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research has shown that lymphocytes and cytokines can mediate bone metabolism. This study explored the clinical association and predictive ability of lymphocytes and cytokines levels for bone metabolism. Methods: A total of 162 patients were enrolled in this study. The levels of N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (P1NP), β-collagen degradation product (β-CTX), total T lymphocytes, immature T lymphocytes, suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocytes, helper/inducer T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IFN-α, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL12p70 were evaluated. The relationship between these lymphocyte subsets and cytokines with bone metabolic status was examined and their predictive ability for bone metabolic status was assessed. Results: The principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis results varied on differences in lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in various bone metabolism states. Differential analysis revealed significant differences in the absolute counts of B lymphocytes (P < 0.05), level of IL-12p70 (P < 0.05), and IL-8 (P < 0.001) at different P1NP levels. Significant differences were observed in the absolute counts of total T lymphocytes (P < 0.05), B lymphocytes (P < 0.05), the level of IL-6 (P < 0.05), the percentage of B lymphocytes (P < 0.01), and NK cells (P < 0.05) at different β-CTX levels. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the absolute count of B lymphocytes and levels of IL-12p70 and IL-8 could be used to evaluate bone formation states, while the absolute counts of T and B lymphocytes, level of IL-6, and percentages of NK cells and B lymphocytes could be used to evaluate bone resorption states. Conclusion: The bone metabolism status changed based on the lymphocyte subsets and cytokine levels. Differentially expressed lymphocytes and cytokines could be used to distinguish bone metabolism status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change has led to more frequent and severe droughts, which can negatively affect instream invertebrate communities, but we lack a perspective on the global patterns and drivers of such drought effects. Here, using meta-analysis, we synthesized 997 paired observations extracted from 94 peer-reviewed publications to assess how drought affects the biomass, density, taxonomic richness, and diversity (Shannon–Wiener, Simpson, and Pielou indices) of instream invertebrates at a global scale. We found that (i) drought significantly decreased instream invertebrate density and taxonomic richness by an average of 4.9 and 5.0%, respectively, had marginal negative effects on Shannon–Wiener index, but did not affect biomass, Simpson index or Pielou index; (ii) the effects of drought on instream invertebrate biomass, density, and diversity were not affected by taxonomic level, indicating the robustness of our results; and (iii) stream water physiochemical characteristics such as water flow velocity, pH, conductivity, discharge, total nitrogen concentration, and chlorophyll-a concentration were important moderator variables of drought effects on instream invertebrate communities. Overall, our results clearly showed the global patterns and driving factors of drought effects on instream invertebrate biomass, density, richness, and diversity, which helps scientists better understand the responses of instream invertebrate communities under ongoing global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of different levels of honeysuckle extract on growth performance, nutrient metabolic rate, slaughter performance, serum biochemical indexes and meat quality of Tong geese. A total of 200 healthy male Tong geese with body weight of (2.04±0.12) kg were randomly divided into four groups with five replicates per group and 10 geese per replicate. The groups were supplemented with 0, 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg honeysuckle extract in the basal diets, respectively. The pre-test lasted for 6 d and the formal test lasted for 35 d. The results showed that the average daily gain of Tong geese in group 3 and group 4 was significantly higher than that in group 1 (P<0.05), and the feed to gain ratio was significantly lower than that in group 1 (P<0.05). The metabolic rates of crude protein, crude fat and crude fiber of Tong geese in groups 3 and 4 were significantly higher than those in group 1 (P<0.05). The content of TP and GLB in serum of Tong geese in group 3 and group 4 were significantly higher than those in group 1 (P<0.05), and the activity of AST and ALT in group 3 and group 4 were significantly lower than those in group 1 (P<0.05). The leg muscle percentage and chest muscle percentage of Tong geese in groups 3 and group 4 were significantly higher than those in group 1 (P<0.05), and the abdominal fat percentage was significantly lower than that in group 1 (P<0.05). The intermuscular fat content of Tong geese in group 3 and group 4 was significantly lower than that in group 1 (P<0.05). The study indicates that the addition of honeysuckle extract can effectively improve the growth performance, nutrient metabolic rate, blood biochemical indexes, slaughter performance and meat quality of Tong geese, and the appropriate dosage is 300 mg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single metal atom isolated in nitrogen‐doped carbon materials (MNC) are effective electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which produces H2O2 or H2O via 2‐electron or 4‐electron process. However, most of MNC catalysts can only present high selectivity for one product, and the selectivity is usually regulated by complicated structure design. Herein, a carbon black‐supported CoNC catalyst (CB@CoNC) is synthesized. Tunable 2‐electron/4‐electron behavior is realized on CB@Co‐N‐C by utilizing its H2O2 yield dependence on electrolyte pH and catalyst loading. In acidic media with low catalyst loading, CB@CoNC presents excellent mass activity and high selectivity for H2O2 production. In flow cell with gas diffusion electrode, a H2O2 production rate of 5.04 mol h−1 g−1 is achieved by CB@CoNC on electrolyte circulation mode, and a long‐term H2O2 production of 200 h is demonstrated on electrolyte non‐circulation mode. Meanwhile, CB@CoNC exhibits a dominant 4‐electron ORR pathway with high activity and durability in pH neutral media with high catalyst loading. The microbial fuel cell using CB@CoNC as the cathode catalyst shows a peak power density close to that of benchmark Pt/C catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The bimetallic Cu 2 SnS 3 (CTS) catalysts were constructed toward highly efficient phenol degradation. • The designed CTS catalysts exhibit superior catalytic activity. • The roles of copper, tin and sulfur species were clearly explored. • The reasonable mechanism of promoted Cu (II)/Cu (I) redox cycling in CTS/H 2 O 2 system was proposed. Despite that the development of Cu 2 SnS 3 (CTS) catalyst has attracted increasing interests, few study has reported to investigate its heterogeneous catalytic degradation of organic pollutants in a Fenton-like process. Furthermore, the influence of Sn components towards Cu (II)/Cu (I) redox cycling in CTS catalytic systems remains a fascinating research. In this work, a series of CTS catalysts with controlled crystalline phases were prepared via a microwave-assisted pathway and applied in the H 2 O 2 activation for phenol degradation. The efficiency of phenol degradation in CTS-1/H 2 O 2 system (CTS-1: the molar ratio of Sn (copper acetate) and Cu (tin dichloride) is determined to be Sn:Cu = 1:1) was systematically investigated by controlling various reaction parameters including H 2 O 2 dosage, initial pH and reaction temperature. We discovered that Cu 2 SnS 3 exhibited superior catalytic activity to the contrast monometallic Cu or Sn sulfides and Cu (I) acted as the dominant active sites. The higher Cu (I) proportions conduce to the higher catalytic activities of CTS catalysts. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) further proved that the activation of H 2 O 2 by CTS catalyst produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequently leads to degradation of the contaminants. A reasonable mechanism of enhanced H 2 O 2 activation in Fenton-like reaction of CTS/H 2 O 2 system was proposed for phenol degradation by investigating the roles of copper, tin and sulfur species. The developed CTS acted as a promising catalyst in Fenton-like oxidation progress for phenol degradation. Importantly, the copper and tin species contribute to a synergetic effect for the promotion of Cu (II)/Cu (I) redox cycle, which thus enhanced the activation of H 2 O 2. Our work may offer new insight on the facilitation of Cu (II)/Cu (I) redox cycle in Cu-based Fenton-like catalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) with high morbidity and mortality all over the world is characterized by decreased kidney function, a condition which can result from numerous risk factors, including diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Despite significant advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of CKD, there are still no treatments that can effectively combat CKD, which underscores the urgent need for further study into the pathological mechanisms underlying this condition. In this regard, animal models of CKD are indispensable. This article reviews a widely used animal model of CKD, which is induced by adenine. While a physiologic dose of adenine is beneficial in terms of biological activity, a high dose of adenine is known to induce renal disease in the organism. Following a brief description of the procedure for disease induction by adenine, major mechanisms of adenine-induced CKD are then reviewed, including inflammation, oxidative stress, programmed cell death, metabolic disorders, and fibrillation. Finally, the application and future perspective of this adenine-induced CKD model as a platform for testing the efficacy of a variety of therapeutic approaches is also discussed. Given the simplicity and reproducibility of this animal model, it remains a valuable tool for studying the pathological mechanisms of CKD and identifying therapeutic targets to fight CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Necroptosis is progressively becoming an important focus of research because of its role in the pathogenesis of cancer and other inflammatory diseases. Our study is designed to anticipate the survival time of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) by constructing a prognostic signature of necroptosis-related genes. Materials. Clinical information and RNA-seq data were acquired from Renal Cell Cancer-European Union (RECA-EU) and The Cancer Genome Atlas- (TCGA-) KIRC, respectively. ConsensusClusterPlus was used to identify molecular subtypes, and the distribution of immune cell infiltration, anticancer drug sensitivity, and somatic gene mutations was studied in these subtypes. Subsequently, LASSO-Cox regression and univariate Cox regression were also carried out to construct a necroptosis-related signature. Cox regression, survival analysis, clinicopathological characteristic correlation analysis, nomogram, cancer stem cell analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were some tools employed to study the prognostic power of the signature. Results. Based on the expression patterns of 66 survival-related necroptosis genes, we classified the KIRC into three subtypes (C1, C2, and C3) that are associated with necroptosis, which had significantly different tumor stem cell components. Among these, C2 patients had a longer survival time and enhanced immune status and were more sensitive to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. Moreover, in order to predict the prognosis of KIRC patients, five genes (BMP8A, TLCD1, CLGN, GDF7, and RARB) were used to develop a necroptosis-related prognostic signature, which had an acceptable predictive potency. The results from Cox regression and stratified survival analysis revealed that the signature was an independent prognostic factor, whereas the nomogram and calibration curve demonstrated satisfactory survival time prediction based on the risk score. Conclusions. Three molecular subtypes and five necroptosis-related genes were discovered in KIRC using data from TCGA-KIRC and RECA-EU. Thus, a new biomarker and a potentially effective therapeutic approach for KIRC patients were provided in the current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature Pyramid (FP) is typically a fundamental component for detecting multi-scale objects. However, as the network deepens, FP faces two problems: (1) Information loss caused by channel reduction. (2) The insufficient effective receptive field due to convolution with the sliding window mode. We found that the above problems can be alleviated by increasing the semantics extraction weights of the off-centered feature map. In this paper, a new feature pyramid architecture named Off-Centered Semantics Refinement Feature Pyramid Network (OSR-FPN) is proposed. Specifically, OSR-FPN contains two components exploiting the Off-Centered Semantics Refinement (OSR) mechanism: Features Supplement Module (FSM) and Receptive Field Enlargement Module (RFEM). FSM and RFEM are respectively designed to complement the lost context at the highest pyramid level and enrich the semantics by expanding the receptive field. In addition, we propose the Sigmoid-interpolation Padding method to enhance our OSR. Experiments on MS COCO dataset and UAVDT object detection benchmarks demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. As a result, OSR-FPN achieves a better accuracy of complex object detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate if baseline [18F]FDG PET/CT can predict the outcome of follicular lymphoma (FL) in patients managed with an initial "watch-and-wait" approach. Methods: Thirty-eight newly diagnosed FL patients who were managed with an initial "watch-and-wait" approach and undergone baseline [18F]FDG PET/CT were retrospectively enrolled. The standard uptake value (SUV), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of FL lesions were measured on PET/CT. Patients were followed up for at least 24 months or until initiation of FL therapy. The endpoint was the time to initiation of lymphoma treatment (TLT). Results: After a median follow-up of 28 months (range 3–94 months), lymphoma treatment was initiated in 21/38 (55.3%) patients (median 15 months, range 3–51 months). Patients with TLT < 24 months showed SUVmax and TLG values significantly higher than those with TLT ≥ 24 months (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated cutoff values of SUVmax > 9.5, MTV > 90.62 ml, and TLG > 144.96 SUVbw*ml were optimal for predicting TLT < 24 months. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed SUVmax > 9.5, MTV > 90.62 ml, and TLG > 144.96 SUVbw*ml had statistically significant correlations with shorter TLT (p < 0.01). Lymph node regions ≥ 3 and lymph nodes > 3 cm had almost significance (p < 0.1). In multivariate analysis, SUVmax > 9.5 (HR 3.2 [95% CI 1.1–9.2], p = 0.033) and TLG > 144.96 SUVbw*ml (HR 9.3 [95% CI 1.8–47.7], p = 0.008) were demonstrated to be independent predictive factors for shorter TLT. Conclusions: Metabolic indices (SUVmax and TLG) of baseline [18F]FDG PET/CT could predict the outcome independently in FL patients under an initial "watch-and-wait" approach. Key Points: • "Watch-and-wait" approach is part of the overall treatment plan in asymptomatic patients with low tumor burden FL. However, the time to initiation of active treatment varies from months to years. • In our retrospective study of 38 patients with FL managed with an initial "watch-and-wait" approach, the SUVmax and TLG were demonstrated to be independent predictive factors for time to initiation of FL treatment. • Baseline [18F]FDG PET/CT may help to better select patients with FL who are most likely to benefit from "watch-and-wait" management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, three activators and two activation methods were employed to activate sesame lignin-based biochar. The biochar samples were comprehensively characterized, their abilities to adsorb benzo[ a ]pyrene (BaP) from sesame oil were assessed, and the mechanism was analyzed. The results showed that the biochar obtained by one-step activation was more effective in removing BaP from sesame oil than the biochar produced by two-step activation. Among them, the biochar generated by one-step activation with ZnCl 2 as the activator had the largest specific surface area (1068.8776 m3/g), and the richest mesoporous structure (0.7891 m3/g); it removed 90.53 % of BaP from sesame oil. BaP was mainly adsorbed by the mesopores of biochar. Mechanistically, pore-filling, π-π conjugations, hydrogen bonding, and n-π interactions were involved. The adsorption was spontaneous and heat-absorbing. In conclusion, the preparation of sesame lignin biochar using one-step activation with ZnCl 2 as the activator was found to be the best for removing BaP from sesame oil. This biochar may be an economical adsorbent for the industrial removal of BaP from sesame oil. [Display omitted] • One-step activated biochar is more effective in removing BaP from sesame oil. • ZnCl 2 -1 had larger specific surface area and richest mesoporous structure. • ZnCl 2 -1 had the highest BaP removal rate. • BaP was mainly adsorbed by the mesopores of the biochar. • BaP adsorption by biochar was mainly chemisorption on the surface multilayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of multiple clinical parameters (age, weight, blood types, and bleeding types) on FVIII pharmacokinetic parameters (PK parameters) in adult patients with severe hemophilia A (SHA), draw up individualized preventive treatment plans, and observe clinical efficacy. Methods: Forty SHA patients treated in our hospital from January 2018 to May 2019 were enrolled, with their age, weight, blood types, bleeding types, and PK parameters measured to analyze the effects of clinical parameters on PK parameters. Individualized preventive treatment was developed, and patients were followed up for 1 year. The annual bleeding rate (ABR), annual joint bleeding rate (AJBR), and annual FVIII dosage were observed and compared before and after treatment. Results: Weight, blood types, and bleeding types could affect the PK parameters of FVIII. A prophylaxis plan was formulated under the guidance of FVIII half-life. After 1 year of follow-up, the mean ABR dropped from 36.54 to 4.06, decreased by 88.9%, the mean AJBR dropped from 28.36 to 2.75, decreased by 90%, and annual FVIII dosage increased by 47%. The dosage of FVIII in 8 patients after was less than that before prophylaxis, and the average half-life time of these 8 patients was 13.32 h. Conclusions: (1) Weight, blood types, and bleeding types of adult SHA patients could affect FVIII half-life. As body mass index increased, FVIII half-life was significantly prolonged. The FVIII half-life of patients with type O blood was significantly shorter than those with other blood types, and the FVIII half-life of knee joint bleeding was conspicuously shorter than those of elbow joint bleeding. (2) Individualized preventive treatment could markedly reduce the number of bleeds. For patients with a long half-life period, the total annual FVIII dosage could be reduced to achieve bleeding prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercially available mushroom polysaccharides have found widespread use as adjuvant tumor treatments. However, the bioactivity of polysaccharides in Lactarius hatsudake Tanaka (L. hatsudake), a mushroom with both edible and medicinal uses, remains relatively unexplored. To address this gap, five L. hatsudake polysaccharides with varying molecular weights were isolated, named LHP-1 (898 kDa), LHP-2 (677 kDa), LHP-3 (385 kDa), LHP-4 (20 kDa), and LHP-5 (4.9 kDa). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and atomic force microscopy, etc. , were employed to determine their structural characteristics. The results confirmed that spherical aggregates with amorphous flexible fiber chains dominated the conformation of the LHP. LHP-1 and LHP-2 were identified as glucans with α-(1,4)-Glcp as the main chain; LHP-3 and LHP-4 were classified as galactans with varying molecular weights but with α-(1,6)-Galp as the main chain; LHP-5 was a glucan with β-(1,3)-Glcp as the main chain and β-(1,6)-Glcp connecting to the side chains. Significant differences were observed in inhibiting tumor cell cytotoxicity and the antioxidant activity of the LHPs, with LHP-5 and LHP-4 identified as the principal bioactive components. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the valuable use of L. hatsudake and emphasize the potential application of LHPs in therapeutic tumor treatments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the structural characterization of water-soluble polysaccharides from Sparassis crispa and their effects on the proliferation and differentiation of mouse osteoblasts. Three fractions (F-1, F-2, and F-3) were obtained from crude polysaccharides by a DEAE-52 cellulose column. The main fraction (F-1) was further purified by polysaccharide gel purification systems to obtain purified water-soluble Sparassis crispa polysaccharide (SCPS). The chemical structure of SCPS was analyzed by gas chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, methylation analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The monosaccharide compositional analysis revealed that SCPS consisted of fucose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, mannose, ribose, galacturonic acid, glucuronic acid, and mannuronic acid in a molar ratio of 17.37:1.94:25.52:30.83:1.14:0.30:4.98:2.87:2.65. Moreover, the backbone of SCPS was composed of →3)-β- d -Glcp-(1→4)-β- d -Glcp-(1→, with side chains attached to the backbone at the O-6 positions through the →3,6)-β- d -Glcp-(1→ linkage. The in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of SCPS on the proliferation and differentiation of mouse osteoblasts. The results showed that SCPS significantly enhanced the proliferation and differentiation of mouse osteoblasts, indicating their potential as a pharmaceutical agent for promoting osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. • SCPS was a newly discovered polysaccharide from Sparassis crispa. • First investigated SCPS structural characterization and their effects • First detailed investigation into the chemical structure of SCPS and their effect on the proliferation of mouse osteoblasts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation on the 80% EtOH extract of the whole plants of Zephyranthes grandiflora afforded three new 4a-epi-plicamine-type alkaloids, zephyranthines A-C (1-3). Structural elucidation of all the compounds were performed by spectral methods such as 1D and 2D (1H-1H COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy, in addition to high resolution mass spectrometry. All the alkaloids were in vitro evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against six glioma cell lines (CHG-5, SH-SY5Y, SHG-44, U251, U343, and GL15). Alkaloids 2 and 3 exhibited significant cytotoxic activities against all tested cell lines with IC50 values of less than 20 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) represents a new direction to identify expression profiles and regulatory mechanisms in various organisms. Here, we report the first dataset of lncRNAs of the golden snub-nosed monkey (GSM), including 12,557 putative lncRNAs identified from seven organs. Compared with mRNA, GSM lncRNA had fewer exons and isoforms, and longer length. LncRNA showed more obvious tissue-specific expression than mRNA. However, for the top ten most abundant genes in each organ, mRNAs expression was more tissue-specific than lncRNAs. By identification of specifically expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in each organ, it indicates that the expression of SEG-lncRNA (specifically expressed lncRNA) and SEG-mRNA (specifically expressed mRNA) had high correlation. In particular, combined our lncRNA and mRNA data, we identified 92 heart SEG-lncRNAs targeted ten mRNA genes in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway and upregulated the expression of these target genes such as ND4, ATP6, and ATP8. These may contribute to GSM adaption to its high-elevation environment. We also identified 171 liver SEG-lncRNAs, which targeted 27 genes associated with the metabolism of xenobiotics and leaded to high expression of these target genes in liver. These lncRNAs may play important roles in GSM adaptation to a folivory diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads rapidly among people and causes a pandemic. It is of great clinical significance to identify COVID-19 patients with high risk of death.Methods: A total of 2169 adult COVID-19 patients were enrolled from Wuhan, China, from February 10th to April 15th, 2020. Difference analyses of medical records were performed between severe and non-severe groups, as well as between survivors and non-survivors. In addition, we developed a decision tree model to predict death outcome in severe patients.Results: Of the 2169 COVID-19 patients, the median age was 61 years and male patients accounted for 48%. A total of 646 patients were diagnosed as severe illness, and 75 patients died. An older median age and a higher proportion of male patients were found in severe group or non-survivors compared to their counterparts. Significant differences in clinical characteristics and laboratory examinations were found between severe and non-severe groups, as well as between survivors and non-survivors. A decision tree, including three biomarkers, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein and lactic dehydrogenase, was developed to predict death outcome in severe patients. This model performed well both in training and test datasets. The accuracy of this model were 0.98 in both datasets.Conclusion: We performed a comprehensive analysis of COVID-19 patients from the outbreak in Wuhan, China, and proposed a simple and clinically operable decision tree to help clinicians rapidly identify COVID-19 patients at high risk of death, to whom priority treatment and intensive care should be given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread around the world. This retrospective study aims to analyze the clinical features of COVID-19 patients with cancer and identify death outcome related risk factors.Methods: From February 10th to April 15th, 2020, 103 COVID-19 patients with cancer were enrolled. Difference analyses were performed between severe and non-severe patients. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed, including 103 COVID-19 patients with cancer and 206 matched non-cancer COVID-19 patients. Next, we identified death related risk factors and developed a nomogram for predicting the probability.Results: In 103 COVID-19 patients with cancer, the main cancer categories were breast cancer, lung cancer and bladder cancer. Compared to non-severe patients, severe patients had a higher median age, and a higher proportion of smokers, diabetes, heart disease and dyspnea. In addition, most of the laboratory results between two groups were significantly different. PSM analysis found that the proportion of dyspnea was much higher in COVID-19 patients with cancer. The severity incidence in two groups were similar, while a much higher mortality was found in COVID-19 patients with cancer compared to that in COVID-19 patients without cancer (11.7% vs. 4.4%, P = 0.028). Furthermore, we found that neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were related to death outcome. And a nomogram based on the factors was developed.Conclusion: In COVID-19 patients with cancer, the clinical features and laboratory results between severe group and non-severe group were significantly different. NLR and CRP were the risk factors that could predict death outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First-principles approaches have recently been developed to replace the phenomenological modeling approaches with adjustable parameters for calculating carrier mobilities in semiconductors. However, in addition to the high computational cost, it is still a challenge to obtain accurate mobility for carriers with a complex band structure, e.g., hole mobility in common semiconductors. Here, we present a computationally efficient approach using isotropic and parabolic bands to approximate the anisotropy valence bands for evaluating group velocities in the first-principles calculations. This treatment greatly reduces the computational cost in two ways: relieves the requirement of an extremely dense k mesh to obtain a smooth change in group velocity, and reduces the 5-dimensional integral to 3-dimensional integral. Taking Si and SiC as two examples, we find that this simplified approach reproduces the full first-principles calculation for mobility. If we use experimental effective masses to evaluate the group velocity, we can obtain hole mobility in excellent agreement with experimental data over a wide temperature range. These findings shed light on how to improve the first-principles calculations towards predictive carrier mobility in high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ghrelin is a peptide hormone with strong anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, Ghrelin was reported to improve endothelial dysfunction caused by excessive fat. However, its role in preserving the integrity of brain microvascular, under conditions of lipid dysregulation and inflammation, is not known. The objective of this study is to characterize the role of Ghrelin in the protection of cerebral microvascular integrity, during atherosclerosis, and uncover its underlying molecular mechanism. Our results demonstrated that an atherosclerotic condition, brought on by a high fat diet (HFD), can produce massive increases in serum inflammatory factors, blood lipids, cerebral microvascular leakage, and activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) (p38 MAPK-JNK) pathway. It also produced significantly damaged pericytes morphology, resulting in pericyte decrease. Ghrelin treatment, on the other hand, protected against cerebral microvascular leakage and pericytes damage. Ghrelin effectively downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and it also suppressed the p38 MAPK-JNK signaling pathway. Additionally, in isolated mouse cerebral microvascular pericytes, ox-LDL lead to increased apoptosis and secretion of inflammatory factors, along with an elevation in phosphorylated p38 MAPK-JNK proteins. Alternately, Ghrelin administration markedly lowered expression of inflammatory factors, suppressed the p38 MAPK-JNK signaling path, and halted cell apoptosis. However, pretreatment of Hesperetin, a p38 MAPK-JNK agonist, abrogated the Ghrelin-mediated suppression of inflammation and apoptosis in pericytes. Taken together, these results suggest that Ghrelin restored cerebral microvascular integrity and reduced vascular leakage in atherosclerosis mice, in part, by its regulation of inflammatory and apoptotic signaling pathways in pericytes. • The high fat and inflammation of atherosclerosis destroys pericytes and causes leakage of cerebral microvascular. • ox-LDL leads to increased inflammation, P38 MAPK-JNK pathway activation and increased apoptosis in pericytes. • Ghrelin improved cerebral microvascular leakage, halted pericyte apoptosis and restored pericyte morphology and number. • The underlying mechanism involved the downregulation of the p38 MAPK-JNK pathway in pericytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is one of the most significant agricultural pests in the world and invaded China in early 2019. We sampled and sequenced RNA-seq data from 15 individuals across different developmental stages. Developmental stages were the larval stage (5th instar larvae and 6th instar larvae), chrysalis stage, and adult stage (female adult and male adult). Individual samples were mainly clustered by developmental stages and we then identified variation between developmental stages of differentially expressed transcripts (DETs). There were 2136 upregulated DETs and 1391 downregulated DETs in the larval stage when comparing larval and chrysalis stages. In the comparison between the chrysalis and adult stages, there were 2033 upregulated DETs and 1391 downregulated DETs in the chrysalis stage. In total, 19,195 abundantly expressed transcripts were obtained and 10% of them were DETs. We then obtained stage-specific DETs to investigate the potential function of the fall armyworm during different developmental stages. We also constructed our annotation background set for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. This indicated that the fall armyworm may undergo active metabolism during its lifespan, even in the chrysalis stage. And it also may experience detoxifying and xenobiotic metabolism throughout its life, especially in the larval stage, which partially explains the difficulty to eradicate using chemical control. Our study is the first insight into the developmental patterns of the fall armyworm and we also provide the fundamental information about enhanced drug resistance at the level of transcriptome. These results are beneficial for a future investigation related to the eradication and/or control stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L-isomer of 4-borono-2-18F-fluoro-phenylalanine (L-[18F]FBPA) was generally applied in clinic for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). With radiotracer validation, D-isomer of [18F]FBPA (D-[18F]FBPA) was found a higher tumor to normal brain tissue ratio (TBR) than its L-isomer on positron emission tomography (PET) in rat brain glioma. The present study was conducted as a first-in-human study to explore the biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of D-[18F]FBPA in healthy human volunteers, compared with L-[18F]FBPA. D-[18F]FBPA or L-[18F]FBPA was injected intravenously. Five whole-body PET scans were performed for each subject in the next 2 h. Organ time-activity curves were drawn by measuring SUV mean in volumes of interest. Absorbed dose coefficient of target organs and effective dose (ED) were estimated on OLINDA/EXM. Two healthy volunteers (both males) and three healthy volunteers (2 males, 1 female) were intravenously injected with D-[18F]FBPA (5.5–7.2 MBq/kg) and L-[18F]FBPA (3.9–6.8 MBq/kg) respectively. Only limited accumulation of D-[18F]FBPA was observed in healthy human brain, pancreas, liver, spleen and skeleton. The ED was calculated to be 0.026 mSv/MBq. Urinary bladder wall received the highest dose of 0.28 mGy/MBq, followed by kidneys (0.06 mGy/MBq), and all the other organs received less than 0.03 mGy/MBq. For L-[18F]FBPA, higher uptake in brain, pancreas, liver, spleen and skeleton could be visualized, compared with D-[18F]FBPA. The ED of L-[18F]FBPA was 0.020 ± 0.001 mSv/MBq. Urinary bladder wall and kidneys still received the highest dose among organs but with lower values than those of D-[18F]FBPA. D-[18F]FBPA had lower activity in normal brain, liver, spleen, pancreas and skeleton, compared with its L-isomer. D-[18F]FBPA is safe from a radiological standpoint. D-[18F]FBPA was safe from a radiological standpoint, and had lower activity in normal brain, liver, spleen, pancreas and skeleton than its L-isomer. This study ensures the safety and validity of D-[18F]FBPA for further clinical trials in patients with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to compare clinical features and overall survival (OS) between patients with primary peritoneal serous carcinoma (PPSC) and those with advanced serous ovarian carcinoma (ASOC) and to identify prognostic factors. Methods: Patients diagnosed with PPSC and ASOC from 2010 to 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were enrolled. Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare clinical features. The primary endpoint was OS. The Kaplan–Meier method and log–rank test were used to perform the survival analysis. Propensity score matching was also conducted. Univariate, multivariate and subgroup analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: A total of 708 PPSC patients and 7610 ASOC patients were enrolled. The clinical features of PPSC patients were noticeably different from those of ASOC patients. The survival analysis showed that PPSC patients had poorer outcomes than ASOC patients. Even after the clinical features were balanced, PPSC patients still had poorer survival. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that older age, higher tumor grade and advanced American Joint Committee on Cancer stage were adverse prognostic factors in both groups, while surgery and chemotherapy were protective factors. A subgroup analysis demonstrated that most factors favored ASOC patients. The total distant metastasis rates of PPSC and ASOC were similar. Liver or lung metastasis was common, but bone and brain metastases were rare. A higher proportion of liver metastasis was observed in the ASOC group. Conclusion: The clinical features and survival outcomes between PPSC patients and ASOC patients are clearly different, and PPSC is more aggressive than ASOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is one of the most common tumors with high malignancy and metastatic rate. DNAJA1 is closely related to tumor progress in several tumors. However, the role and mechanisms of DNAJA1 in the metastasis and proliferation of breast cancer are unknown. Immunohistochemistry and western blot were used to detect the protein expression genes. In vivo and vitro experiments were performed to evaluate the proliferation, invasive and metastatic abilities of breast cancer cells. DNAJA1 was high expressed in 234 cases of breast cancer tissues and associated with metastasis, p53 expression and poor survival for patients. Knock down of DNAJA1 decreased the number of plate clone formation and the OD value of CCK8 assays in breast cancer cells. Depletion of DNAJA1 also in decreased the invasive abilities of breast cancer cells. In vivo, knock down DNAJA1 decreased the growth of subcutaneous tumor and lung metastatic nodes. Mechanically, DNAJA1 could bind with P53-R175H and reduced its degradation. Up regulation of DNAJA1 in mutant P53-R175H breast cancer cell promoted the nuclear translocation of p65, activated NF-κB pathway and enhanced the transcription of its downstream genes such as MMP9, CXCL10 et al. Blockade of NF-κB pathway effectively rescued the effects of DNAJA1 on proliferation and metastasis in breast cancer. Our study reveals that DNAJA1 is up regulated in breast cancer and promotes breast cancer cells proliferation and metastasis via P53-R175H/NF-κB pathway. It might be a potential prognosis marker for the breast cancer patients. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and thus characterization of miRNAs and investigation of the relative abundance and specificity of tissue expression are essential for understanding gene expression in the golden snub-nosed monkey (GSM, Rhinopithecus roxellanae). Here, we report the first dataset of GSM miRNAs where we identified 460 miRNAs in seven tissues, with 246 conserved known mature miRNAs and 214 novel mature miRNAs. We determined miRNA abundance and expression in the seven tissues using a Tissue Specificity Index score and found that most novel GSM miRNAs showed a highly tissue-specific expression pattern. In particular, 67 novel miRNAs and the miR-34 family were expressed in abundance only in the lung. Five known miRNAs were highly abundant in digestive organs such as the pancreas and liver, and four novel miRNAs were highly expressed in the heart and muscle. Annotation of target genes of GSM miRNAs indicated that target genes were enriched in many important pathways, such as the HIF-1 signaling pathway and xenobiotic biodegradation-related pathways. Collectively, these results emphasize that miRNAs play important roles in GSM diet and high-elevation adaptation regulation. In summary, this study provides essential information on GSM miRNAs and will benefit further investigations of the function and mechanism of miRNAs in controlling gene expression in the GSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological production of succinic acid has attracted a great deal of attention due to the depletion of fossil fuels and concerns regarding environmental issues. As a natural producer of succinic acid, Actinobacillus succinogenes is one of the most promising candidates owning to its high production capability, wide carbon utilization spectrum, and robustness to environmental factors. This review details current achievements attempting to improve the efficiency of succinic acid production, not only in terms of raw materials and metabolic engineering strategies but also in terms of process optimization, such as work on neutralizing agents, redox potential, and the supply of CO2. Strategies to reduce the accumulation of byproduct accumulation and to improve succinic acid synthesis are discussed. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let x = (x',x") with x'∈ ℝk and x" ∈ ℝN-k and Ω be a x'-symmetric and bounded domain in ℝN (N ≥ 2). We show that if 0 ≤a ≤ k−2, then there exists a positive constant C > 0 such that for all x'-symmetric function u ∈ C∞0 (Ω) with ∫Ω∇u(x)N−ax'−adx ≤ 1, the following uniform inequality holds where . Furthermore, βa can not be replaced by any greater number. As the application, we obtain some weighted Trudinger–Moser inequalities for x-symmetric function on Grushin space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To translate and assess the reliability and validity of the C‐SVEST scale. Background: Nurses in patient safety incidents, the second victim, may also be traumatized in Western studies, but there is a lack of relevant researches and validated scales in China. Methods: A cross‐sectional study of 1,442 nurses in China was conducted with the C‐SVEST questionnaire. Raw data were randomly divided into two parts for exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, to evaluate the construct validity. Content validity and reliability were tested by content validity index and Cronbach's α coefficients, respectively. Results: Six‐factor structure was emerged, and it explained 68.62% of the total variance. The good fit of the six‐factor model was acceptable, and standardized factor loading ranged from 0.62 to 0.89. Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.866, and each dimension ranged from 0.713 to 0.896. Content validity index at the scale level was 0.99, and content validity index at the item level was 0.89–1. Conclusions: The C‐SVEST scale has excellent psychometric properties, which can be applied to measure second victims experience and support level in patient safety incidents. Implications for nursing management: A reliable and valid instrument is available for leaders to identify the impact of patient safety incidents in nurses, and promote their health through effective interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The highest temperature of 82.972 °C is located at the bottom of cylinder. • The flow velocity increases to 202.41 m/s at the first second and then decreases. • The temperature rises to maximum exponentially at the first 30 s of filling. • The temperature is almost above 85 °C except for the first 10 s when the ambient is 40 °C. Hydrogen has been considered a feasible energy carrier for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), which offers a clean and efficient alternative for transportation. The hydrogen is filled from high-pressure stations into hydrogen storage systems (HSS) in FCVs. During the refueling of high-pressure hydrogen, it can cause a rapid increase in temperature in the HSS due to the thermal characteristics of the system leading to safety problems. For safety reasons, the tank's maximum temperature and fueling pressure are limited to less than 85 oC and 125% of the vessel design pressure, respectively. This paper presents the fast-filling process of hydrogen tanks through experiments and simulations based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Several critical parameters, such as the initial pressure, the initial temperature of hydrogen, and the filling rate that can contribute to the temperature rise, are investigated during the fast-filling process. The temperature within the tank increase with the decrease of initial pressure and the increase of ambient temperature with less filling time. In the case of a linear pressure increase from 2 to 35 MPa within 180 s at the ambient temperature of 20 oC, the maximum temperature reached 82.97 °C. In addition, the average velocity of the inlet gas of the hydrogen cylinder increases to 202.41 m/s rapidly in the first second and then decreases to 14.3 m/s slowly for the remaining filling process. For an ambient temperature of 40 oC, the maximum temperature can reach 101.24 oC during the process except for the first 10 s when the gas temperature within the tank was consistently above 85 oC, causing significant damage to the cylinder. As a result, reasonable and effective fast-filling strategies are designed to ensure safety at high ambient temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetic disorder characterized by congenital malfunction, bone marrow failure and hypersensitivity to DNA damage. FANCD2 protein play the central role in FA pathway. To study the in vivo role of FANCD2, we generated and characterized a new Fancd2 knockout mouse strain with 7bp deletion in Fancd2 gene 5' terminus using Crispr-Cas9 in congenic C57BL/6J background. This Fancd2 −/− mice displayed similar but overall more severe manifestation than the previous ES cell targeted Fancd2 model. These features include increased embryonic and postnatal lethality rate, higher incidence of microphthalmia, and more severe hypogonadism. The anemia we observed in this Fancd2 −/− mice has not been described in other FA models. Further study indicated that the hematopoiesis deficiency was associated with increased apoptotic cell death, G2/M phase arrest and hypersensitivity to MMC and IR damage of Fancd2 −/− bone marrow progenitor cells. Collectively, the resulting Fancd2 −/− mice with higher resemblance of FA patient symptoms, will be useful in understand the parthenogenesis of pancytopenia and bone marrow failure in FA. • Novel Fancd2 knockout mouse strain in C57BL/6J background generated with Crispr-Cas9. • The resulting Fancd2-/- mice showed severe FA phenotypes. • The resulting Fancd2-/- mice exhibited some novel FA features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is poor, particularly for patients with metastatic disease. Numerous efforts have been made to improve the prognosis of these patients; however, only a small number of studies have explored the occurrence rate and prognostic value of different patterns of distant metastasis (DM) in NSCLC systematically. To investigate these, information from patients diagnosed with NSCLC between 2010 and 2014 was collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Survival rate comparisons were performed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank tests. A Cox proportional hazard model was established to determine factors associated with improved overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). The present study revealed that the most common site of single metastasis occurrence was bone, and the least common was the liver for NSCLC. As for multi-site metastases, the most common two-site metastasis involved bone and lung, and the most common three-site metastasis involved bone, liver and lung. As for NSCLC subtypes, large cell carcinoma (LCC) exhibited more specific metastatic features. The most common single metastatic site was the brain for patients with LCC, and the most common two-site metastatic combination was bone and liver. Patients with isolated liver metastasis exhibited the worst OS and CSS among patients with single metastasis. Furthermore, for patients with multi-site metastases, metastases involving the liver were associated with the worst OS and CSS among various combinations. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to investigate the occurrence rate and prognostic value of different metastatic patterns of site-specific DM for NSCLC using a large population-based dataset. The findings of the present study may have vital implications for classifying patients with advanced NSCLC, thus laying a foundation for individualized precise treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mongols established an empire that ruled over two thirds of Eurasia. This was achieved, so they believed, by the will of heaven. Therefore, they had a great interest in reading the sky for guiding their earthly activities. Under the patronage of Mongol rulers, astronomers in both Yuan China and the Ilkhanate of Iran developed an extensive scholarly network and the astral sciences in both khanates witnessed their heyday. This paper reconstructs and compares the dynamic networks of astronomers in Ilkhanid Iran and Yuan China. Based on the astronomers' biographies, it analyzes the wider culture of expertise and social settings that shaped the profession of heavenly observation and predictive analysis. The comparative perspective will highlight the continuities and changes of astronomy in China and Iran under Mongol rule. I will also discuss the achievements and limitations of the cross-cultural reading of heaven in Mongol Eurasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original displacement value of fracture process zone can be obtained by digital image correlation technology. According to the virtual crack model, the formula to obtain the opening displacement is given in the experiment. Basing on the damage Mechanics theory and the actual deformation characteristics of fracture process zone, the traditional opening displacement distribution function of fracture process zone is modified by defining the wave coefficient and the damage factor of the horizontal elastic modulus. The measured opening displacement is compared with the opening displacement of the traditional theoretical function and modified function, and the results show that the opening displacement is non-linear fluctuation characteristic distribution influenced by damage. The revise distribution function not only reflects the overall growth trend of the opening displacement, but also reflects the local fluctuation characteristics. It has an important theoretical significance for understanding the non-linear characteristics of rock fracture process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Japanese grenadier anchovy, Coilia nasus , is a commercially important fish species in China. Three ecotypes (anadromous, landlocked and freshwater-resident populations) are distributed across its range. Due to anthropogenic activities such as overfishing and habitat deterioration, the stock status of this species has sharply declined. Clarifying population genetic structure and genetic relationships among ecotypes is essential for the conservation and stock management of C. nasus. Using 18 microsatellite loci, the distribution of genetic variation among 18 geographic populations (nine anadromous populations, four landlocked populations, and five freshwater-resident populations) was examined. High levels of genetic diversity were observed in all populations. Significant genetic differentiation among populations was detected and four genetic groups were identified, which might arise from current geographic segregation, different life-history strategy, and historical geographical factors. High assignment accuracies (≥85%) accessed for all populations suggested microsatellite loci can be used as an effective tool for discriminating the origin of individuals. Our study provided valuable information for conservation and sustainable management of C. nasus across its entire distribution range, and demonstrated the utility of microsatellite data to inform conservation units in highly exploited species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study was conducted to compare the clinicopathological characteristics, survival outcomes, and metastatic patterns between pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) and other non‐small cell lung cancer (ONSCLC), and to identify the prognostic factors of LCNEC. Methods: Data of patients diagnosed with LCNEC and ONSCLC from 2004 to 2014 were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results dataset. Pearson's chi‐square tests were used to compare differences in clinicopathological characteristics. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for survival analysis. A propensity score was used for matching and a Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate and subgroup analyses. Results: A total of 2368 LCNEC cases and 231 672 ONSCLC cases were identified. LCNEC incidence increased slightly over time. Except for marital status, LCNEC patients had obviously different biological features to ONSCLC patients. Survival analysis showed that LCNEC had poorer outcomes than ONSCLC. Multivariate analysis revealed that female gender, black race, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy were protective factors for LCNEC. Matched subgroup analysis further demonstrated that most subgroup factors favored ONSCLC, especially in early stage. Early‐stage LCNEC patients had a higher risk of lung cancer‐specific death than early‐stage ONSCLC patients. Moreover, metastatic patterns were different between LCNEC and ONSCLC. LCNEC patients with isolated liver metastasis or combined invasion to other organs had poorer survival rates. Conclusions: LCNEC has totally different clinicopathological characteristics and metastatic patterns to ONSCLC. LCNEC also has poorer survival outcomes, primarily because of isolated liver metastasis or combined invasion to other organs. Most subgroup factors are adverse factors for LCNEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compaction pressure and L/S have a significant effect on the properties of PHS compacts. • 30–40% initial porosity and 30–70% degree of pore saturation are favored for strength gain and CO 2 uptake. • K value can be used to predict the compressive strength of the PHS compacts by mass gain. The influence of compaction pressure and liquid to solid ratio (L/S) on properties of phosphorous slag(PHS)-based CO 2 activated binder was investigated in this paper. Higher compaction pressure benefits compressive strength, but reduces CO 2 uptake. L/S is beneficial to the compressive strength and CO 2 uptake of PHS compacts shaped under lower compaction pressures. The influence can be attributed to the differences in initial porosity (IP) and degree of pore saturation (DoPS) of PHS compacts before carbonation. 30–40% IP and 30–70% DoPS are favored for strength gain and CO 2 uptake. K value was proposed to quantify the effects of carbonation and porosity on compressive strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duck plague virus (DPV), also known as anatid herpesvirus, is a double-stranded DNA virus and a member of α herpesvirus. DPV pUL15 is a homolog of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) pUL15, a terminase large subunit, and plays a key role in the cleavage and packaging of the viral concatemeric genome. However, the sequence similarity between DPV pUL15 and its homologs is low, and it is not sure if DPV pUL15 has the potential to cleave the concatemeric genome as same as its homologs. Here, we expressed the C terminal domain of DPV pUL15 to explore the nuclease function of DPV pUL15. The main results showed that (Ⅰ) DPV pUL15 C-terminal domain possesses nonspecific nuclease activity and lacks the DNA binding ability. (Ⅱ) DPV pUL15 nuclease activity needs to coordinate with divalent metal ions and tends to be more active at high temperatures. (Ⅲ) Even though the structure of DPV pUL15 nuclease domain is relatively conserved, the mutations of conserved amino acids on the nuclease domain do not significantly inhibit the nuclease activity. • DPV pUL15 C-terminal domain possesses a nonspecific nuclease activity. • DPV pUL15 nuclease activity needs to coordinate with divalent metal ions, Mn2+ or Mg2+, and tends to be more active at high temperature. • The mutations of conserved amino acids on the nuclease domain do not significantly inhibit the nuclease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Air conditioning is incorporated into vehicle integrated thermal management system. • Consideration of coupling mechanisms between radiators and condenser system. • Implantation of energy and thermal management strategies for fuel cell vehicles. The high-efficiency thermal management is one of the major challenges for fuel cell vehicles due to the diversity and complexity of the components and systems. Thermal management systems and corresponding control strategies can affect the components' performance, durability and reliability, the vehicle's driving performance, fuel economy and occupant thermal comfort. The main objective of this study is to perform multi-case simulation analysis of the fuel cell vehicle thermal management system through modeling to derive the operating mechanism and thermal performance analysis of each subsystem and integrated system. To achieve this purpose, an integrated thermal management system model with different control strategies was proposed based on a fuel cell vehicle prototype, powered by a 65 kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack and a Li-ion battery with a capacity of 15 kWh, which considers the cooling of the driving system, fuel cell stack, battery and cabin. The results showed that the critical temperature of each subsystem could be controlled within a reasonable range even in the battery charging mode, where the fuel cell generated about 136.6 % more thermal power than the discharging mode to charge the battery. Moreover, in the series structure of the radiators and condenser, the average temperatures of the inlet air of the motor and the subsequent fuel cell radiator were respectively 3.9 °C and 7 °C higher than the ambient temperature (35 °C), thus reducing the impact of the radiator fan. The proposed model may provide the contribution in the design of integrated solutions for thermal management systems for fuel cell hybrid vehicles under high temperature scenarios, including control strategies development and system-level coupling analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the effects of salinity on activated sludge biological treatment systems, including the effects on sludge properties such as settling performance and sludge activity, and system treatment effects such as degradation efficiency of organic matter and ammonia nitrogen, and further elaborates the mechanisms. The development direction of this research field is prospected to provide a reference for future efficient and stable operation of activated sludge treatment systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This study is to systematically analyze the effects of hepatosteatosis on the response to antiviral treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and hepatosteatosis. Methods. Systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Elsevier, and the Chinese BioMedical literature databases for relevant studies published until February 2016. Treatment outcomes were compared between patients with CHB plus concomitant hepatosteatosis and those without hepatosteatosis. Results. A total of 8 prospective cohort studies (399 patients with CHB plus hepatosteatosis and 688 patients with only CHB) were included. Biochemical and virological response at both 48 and 96 weeks were significantly lower in patients with CHB plus hepatosteatosis as compared to that in patients with only CHB. Subgroup analysis based on methods used for diagnosis of hepatosteatosis and treatment regimens showed that when hepatosteatosis was diagnosed on Doppler ultrasound and treated with nucleotide analogues, patients with CHB plus hepatosteatosis showed lower biochemical (62.7% versus 75.8%, P=0.002) and virological response (66.2% versus 72.3%, P=0.006) as compared to that in patients with CHB. Conclusion. Hepatosteatosis lowers the efficacy of antiviral treatment in patients with CHB, especially when hepatosteatosis was diagnosed on ultrasound findings and treated with nucleotide analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Basalt textile reinforced concrete (BTRC) with short fibers was used to strengthen the square concrete columns. • The BTRC jackets significantly improved the compressive behavior of concrete columns. • The compound confinement effectiveness contributions from BTRC jacket and stirrups for strengthened RC columns were analyzed. • An analytical model was established to predict the stress-strain relationship of concrete columns confined by both BTRC jacket and stirrups. A total of 20 column specimens were prepared for axial compressive tests to investigate the compressive behavior of the concrete column (including plain concrete column and reinforced concrete column) and were wrapped with basalt textile-reinforced fine concrete (BTRC) jackets. Four parameters including the number of textile layers, stirrup spacing, core concrete strength, and the use of short fibers were considered and evaluated. The results indicate that the bearing capacity and the displacement ductility of the columns were clearly improved with an increase in the number of textile layers. For the BTRC-strengthened columns, as the number of textile layers increased from 0 to 2, 3, and 4, the bearing capacity increased by 33.2%, 39.0%, and 46.9%, respectively. Moreover, the improvement in the bearing capacity and deformation energy was affected by core concrete strength. Columns with lower concrete strength obtained a more effective increment. Additionally, short fibers also played an important role in improving the compressive behavior of the columns. Finally, the available experimental data on BTRC-confined concrete columns was compiled, and an analytical model was proposed based on the test results in this study and other studies to predict the stress-strain relationship of BTRC-confined concrete under axial compressive load. The stress-strain curves of BTRC-confined concrete predicted by the analytical model agreed strongly with the experimental curves, proving the model proposed in this study can be used to predict the stress-strain relationship of BTRC-confined concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gelation behavior of cationic surfactants with different counterions, Br−, [FeCl3Br]−, and [CeCl3Br]−, in imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) and protic ethylammonium nitrate was investigated. Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements and freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy observations revealed the lamellar phases of metallosurfactant ionogels. The characteristics of imidazolium ILs, including the size and type, have effects on metallosurfactant ionogel properties, such as transformation temperatures, interlayer spacing, and mechanical strength. Cubic fluorite structured cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) were produced by using metallosurfactant ionogels as precursors. Cubic fluorite CeO2 exhibited good catalase mimetic activity toward H2O2 to generate O2, providing more multiple mimetic enzyme activities of CeO2 NPs for H2O2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferulic acid is a polyphenolic compound contained in various types of fruits and wheat bran. As a salt of the active ingredient, sodium ferulate (SF) has potent free radical scavenging activity and can effectively scavenge ROS. In this study, we examined the effect of SF on iron-overloaded mice in comparison to a standard antioxidant, taurine (TAU).We determined the protective role of SF against liver injury by examining liver-to-body ratio (%), transaminase and hepatocyte apoptosis in rats supplied with 10% dextrose intraperitoneal injection. In addition, antioxidative enzymes activities, ROS formation, mitochondrial swelling, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were all evaluated to clarify the mechanism of protective effect of SF associated with oxidative stress. After 15 weeks of SF treatment, we found a significant reduction in liver-to-body weight radio and elevation in both transaminase and hepatocyte apoptosis associated with iron-injected to levels comparable to those achieved with TAU. Both SF and TAU significantly attenuated the impaired liver function associated with iron-overloaded in mice, whereas neither showed any significant effect on the iron uptake. Furthermore, treatment with either SF or TAU in iron-overloaded mice attenuated oxidative stress, associated with elevated oxidant enzymes activities, decreased ROS production, prevented mitochondrial swelling and dissipation of MMP and then inhibited hepatic apoptosis. Taken together, the current study shows that, SF alleviated oxidative stress and liver damage associated with iron-overload conditions compared to the standard ROS scavenger (TAU), and potentially could encourage higher consumption and utilization as healthy and sustainable ingredients by the food and drink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes the preparation and properties of self-patterning porous films consisting of giant vesicles formed by a 2.5-nm-diameter, polyoxometalate (POM) cluster {Mo 72 Fe 30 } macroanion, and a double-tailed cationic surfactant dimethyldistearylammonium bromide (DODMABr) in CHCl 3 –CH 3 OH mixture solvent (V CHCl3 : V CH3OH = 3:1). These inverse vesicles with the diameter in the range of 0.45 ~ 1.3 μm in organic solution and the porous films consisting of the giant vesicles of the {Mo 72 Fe 30 }(DODMA) 3 complexes were characterized by SEM, TEM, XPS and AFM observations. Self-patterning of these giant vesicles into porous films that are highly ordered honeycomb films on solid surfaces can survive drying as the frameworks are firstly studied in detail. Water contact angle measurements proved that the porous films of {Mo 72 Fe 30 }(DODMA) 3 vesicles were endowed hydrophobic property from the hydrophilic surface. This porous film materials consisting of giant vesicles may be promising new options in many fields like photoelectrochemistry, sterilization, template, catalysis, in-situ synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let M be a complete, simply connected Riemannian manifold with negative curvature. We obtain an interpolation of Hardy inequality and Moser-Trudinger inequality on M. Furthermore, the constant we obtain is sharp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green and environmentally friendly ionogels formed by a sugar surfactant were prepared in two kinds of imidazolium-based ionic liquids. The phase transition from ribbon structures to lamellar structures induced by temperature and the transition mechanism were investigated in detail by means of freeze-fracture TEM and field-emission SEM observations, as well as small-angle X-ray scattering measurements. The rheological properties and tribological properties of two kinds of ionogels were systematically investigated. The difference in the lubricating properties and antiwear capability can be explained well by the mechanical and viscoelastic properties, as well as the different microstructures of samples destroyed by shear forces. This work provides a better understanding of the relationship between the structures, rheological properties, and tribological properties of ionogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two fatty acids, octanoic acid (OA) and decanoic acid (DA) were separately mixed with a natural biological molecule, l -arginine (Arg), in aqueous solutions for comparative investigation. Self-assembled structures including micelles, vesicles, sponge structures, were observed by varying the compositions and chain length of fatty acids. The structures of vesicles and sponge phase were determined by freeze fracture-transmission electron microscope (FF-TEM). The transition of self-assembled structures, especially from vesicles to sponge structure, was significantly reflected in the change of rheological properties. The double hydrogen bonding formed between the guanidyl group of Arg and the carboxyl group of fatty acids is considered to be the crucial force, which drives the self-assembly process combining with other non-covalent interaction, electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic interaction. Depending on the nature of the fatty acid, the systems exhibit good emulsion stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-pot green synthesis of luminescent carbon dots and carbon-coated metal (Au, Pt, Pd) particles is proposed by using the vitamin B 2 salt (riboflavin 5′-monophosphate sodium salt hydrate) as the carbon source and the reducing agent. The hydrothermal heating of B 2 salt and metal salt solution simultaneously can result in water soluble carbon dots in supernatant and carbon-coated metal particles in the precipitate. The size and the luminescent properties of the as-prepared carbon dots are dependent on the concentration of the B 2 salt in the synthesis. Moreover, the as-prepared carbon dots show both nitrogen and phosphorus doped characteristic, which is beneficial for their luminescent property. Besides the water soluble carbon dots recovered from the supernatant, there are also interesting carbon-coated metal particles recovered from the precipitates. Such metal-loaded carbon particles might have great potential applications in the catalysis field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]