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Background: Metaplastic breast cancer(MBC) is a specific pathological type of invasive breast cancer. There are few studies related to MBC due to its rarity. This study aimed to analyse the differences in clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis between Metaplastic breast cancer and triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma (TN-IDC). Methods: We retrospectively compared the clinicopathological characteristics of patients diagnosed with MBC and TN-IDC at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between 2011 and 2020 in a 1:2 ratio. The log-rank test was used to compare the two groups' disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). For MBCs, we performed univariate and multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional hazards model to determine the characteristics that impacted OS and DFS. Results: A total of 81 patients with MBC and 162 patients with TN-IDC were included in this study. At initial diagnosis, MBC patients had larger tumour diameters(P = 0.03) and fewer positive lymph nodes (P = 0.04). Patients with MBC were more likely to have organ metastases after surgery (P = 0.03). Despite receiving the same treatment, MBC patients had worse DFS (HR = 1.66, 95%CI 0.90–3.08, P = 0.11) and OS (HR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.03–3.81, P = 0.04), and OS was statistically significant. Positive lymph nodes at initial diagnosis were associated with worse DFS (HR = 3.98, 95%CI 1.05–15.12, P = 0.04) and OS (HR = 3.70, 95%CI 1.03–13.34, P = 0.04) for patients with MBC. The efficacy of platinum-based agents is insensitive for MBC patients receiving chemotherapy. In addition, patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy had worse DFS compared to patients treated with postoperative chemotherapy (HR = 3.51, 95%CI 1.05–11.75, P = 0.04). Conclusions: The clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of MBC and TN-IDC differ in many ways. Further studies are required to determine suitable treatment guidelines for patients with MBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle East holds a critical strategic position in global politics, economy, and military affairs, serving as a pivotal hub for the advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through both land and sea routes. Since the proposal of BRI, China's cooperation with Middle Eastern countries has steadily deepened. Consequently, examining the evolution of China's interaction with Middle Eastern nations over the past decade is of paramount significance for future development. This study utilizes the GDELT database to construct formulas for measuring event impact and bilateral relationship intensity. It analyzes the temporal development and spatial patterns of China's interaction with Middle Eastern countries while also examining the types of interactive relationships between China and individual countries in the Middle East under the principle of reciprocity. The findings indicate that the overall interaction between China and Middle Eastern countries remains stable. Cooperative relationships have transitioned from a "single cooperation" approach to a "dual cooperation" model involving Iran and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the development trajectory has shifted from an imbalanced "north-high, south-low" pattern towards equilibrium, resulting in a general decline in conflict relations and a decrease in inter-country disparities. The prevalent type of interaction between countries is characterized by balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the relationship between C2 slope with sagittal parameters and clinical function of degenerative cervical kyphosis (DCK). Methods: A retrospective analysis of 127 patients with degenerative cervical spondylosis treated in our spinal deformity center from January 2019 to June 2022. Patients were categorized into two groups and compared based on C2-7 angle (C2-7 ≥ 5° as kyphosis group, C2-7 < 5° as lordosis group). Pearson correlation or Spearman correlation was used to analyze the relationship between C2S and conventional radiological parameters and health -related quality-of-life (HRQOL) outcomes as measured by the EuroQol 5 dimension questionnaire (EQ5D), NRS, and the neck disability index (NDI). The cutoff value of C2S was determined by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: There were 127 patients who met inclusion criteria (79 men and 48 women). Average 56.00 ± 10.27 years old (range 31–81 years old). C2S of kyphosis group is higher than non-kyphosis group. Aggravating cervical kyphosis increases cSVA positively. For all patients, C2S demonstrated a significant correlation with the O-C2 angle, C2-7 angle, cSVA, and TS-CL (p < 0.05). NRS, NDI and EQ5D-VAS scores revealed a significant correlation with C2S and cSVA (p < 0.01). For the subgroup of patients presenting with DCK, ROC curves demonstrated the cutoff values of C2S as 26.3°, and 30.5°, according to a cSVA of 40 mm, and severe disability expressed by NDI, respectively. Conclusion: On the basis of retaining the consistency of cranio-cervical and cervico-thoracic structure, C2S can better analyze the sagittal alignment of DCK patients than TS-CL and has good practicability in clinical application and HRQOL evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This single-arm, prospective, exploratory study investigated the effectiveness of ultra-low-dose radiotherapy in the treatment of ocular adnexal lymphoma (OAL). Patients and methods: Patients with pathologically confirmed ocular adnexal low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma (predominantly mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, MALT or follicular lymphoma) were included and treated with ultra-low-dose radiotherapy consisting of 2 successive fractions of 2 Gy at our institution between 2019 and 2021. Disease response was assessed clinically and radiographically within 4 months and at 3 to 6-month intervals after treatment. Data collected included rates of overall response, complete response (CR), partial response (PR), lesion size, and acute/chronic ocular toxic effects. Results: Sixteen patients with median age of 63 years (range 23–86 years) were included in the study. The histological subtypes included MALT (11 patients; 69%); follicular lymphoma (2 patients; 12%); Lymphoid hyperplasia (3 patient, 19%). At a median follow-up time of 15.5 months (range 5.0–30.0 months), the overall response rate was 88%, with a CR rate of 75% (n = 12) and a PR rate of 13% (n = 2). The average lesion area was reduced from 117.9 ± 60.4 mm2 before radiation therapy to 38.7 ± 46.0mm2 at initial evaluation post radiation therapy (P = 0.002, n = 16), and to 8.5 ± 21.2 mm2 (P < 0.001 compared with postoperative lesion area) in patients with response at one year (n = 11). Disease progression was noted in 2 patients (12%). The 1-year rates of local progression-free survivals (LPFS) and overall survival (OS) were 85% and 100%, respectively. No distant relapses were observed in any of the patients. No acute or late toxic effects were noted. Conclusion: Ultra–low-dose radiotherapy in patients with OAL is associated with excellent local disease control and long-term survival with no significant acute or late toxicities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can self-renew indefinitely in culture while retaining the potential to differentiate into virtually all normal cell types in the adult animal. Due to these remarkable properties, PSCs not only provide a superb system to investigate mammalian development and model diseases, but also hold promise for regenerative therapies. Autophagy is a self-digestive process that targets proteins, organelles, and other cellular contents for lysosomal degradation. Here, we review recent literature on the mechanistic role of different types of autophagy in embryonic development, embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and induced PSCs (iPSCs), focusing on their remodeling functions on protein, metabolism, and epigenetics. We present a perspective on unsolved issues and propose that autophagy is a promising target to modulate acquisition, maintenance, and directed differentiation of PSCs. Macroautophagic flux is accentuated during early embryonic development and in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and upregulation of macroautophagy facilitates reprogramming of somatic cells to iPSCs. Macroautophagy sustains quality and homeostasis of proteins and organelles in stem cells. It also remodels proteome, metabolome, and epigenome to facilitate the acquisition and maintenance of the pluripotent state. Mitophagy regulates mitochondrial integrity, dynamics, and function in stem cells. Mitophagy also reduces the number of mitochondria to enable glycolytic metabolism and minimize redox stress. Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) is maintained at low levels in ESCs and is markedly increased upon differentiation. CMA modulates intracellular levels of an obligatory cofactor for DNA and histone demethylases, thereby regulating epigenetic landscape and fate decisions of ESCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optically transparent and structurally flexible metamaterial absorbers (MMAs) are widely used in many practical applications. However, the realization of such MMAs requires both thickness reduction and bandwidth enhancement, which remains a challenge task. As a multi-objective optimization problem, it is a time-consuming and resource-demanding process. Guided by prior-knowledge, two degrees of freedom are taken into account in the design, namely the structure of unit-cells and their spatial arrangement. In this way, the multi-objective optimization problem is simplified into a two-step problem. A general procedure based on machine-learning (ML) method is proposed to solve this problem. First, an artificial neural network (ANN) is used to map the configuration parameters of a type of meta-atom onto its reflection coefficients; then, a dynamic graph convolutional neural network (DGCNN) is trained to realize the synthesis of quasi-periodic distributed MMA array; finally, combined with the differential evolution (DE) algorithm, the optimized configuration of the meta-atoms and their optimum distribution are obtained. Based on the proposed procedure, an ultrathin optically transparent and flexible MMA is designed, fabricated and further verified by experiments. The designed MMA realizes 87% absorption bandwidth covering 6.22 GHz–19.42 GHz (103% relative bandwidth) with the thickness only 3. 3 mm (0. 068 λ L) , which approaches the theoretical limit 1 / 17 λ L . And its averaged transparency is about 63% at the wavelength range 500 – 800 mm. The whole design process is achieved 50 times faster than the conventional full-wave simulation, which convincingly demonstrates the superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and colorimeter were applied to evaluate the quality of different species and differently prepared slices of Zedoray Rhizome samples with the aid of chemometric tools. Fifty batches of Zedoray Rhizome samples from different species and forty-two batches of Zedoray Rhizome samples from differently prepared slices were collected. The quantitative method was developed using HPLC to simultaneously determine the contents of twelve chemical ingredients in Zedoray Rhizome. The colour parameters L, a, and b were measured by a colorimeter. Then, the collected data were analyzed by the principal component analysis and Pearson correlation analysis. The results showed that the proposed method was capable of accurately determining the contents of the twelve chemical ingredients and the colour parameters for the collected samples. There was a dramatic difference in the contents of the chemical ingredients and in the colour parameters among different species and differently prepared slices of Zedoray Rhizome samples. This study reveals that combining HPLC, colorimeter, and chemometric tools can provide a new approach to comprehensively evaluate the quality of Zedoray Rhizome samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of alkenes with ozone has great effect on atmospheric oxidation, its transient species can produce OH radicals and contribute to the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA). In the present study, the reaction of tetramethylethene (TME) with ozone was investigated using self-assembled low temperature matrix isolation system. The TME and ozone were co-deposited on a salt plate at 15 K, and then slowly warmed up the plate. The first transient species primary ozonide (POZ) was detected, indicating that the reaction followed Criegee mechanism. Then POZ began to decompose at 180 K. However, secondary ozonide (SOZ) was not observed according to Criegee mechanism. Probably, Criegee Intermediate (CI) did not react with inert carbonyl of acetone, but with remaining TME formed tetra-methyl epoxide (EPO). Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance The impact of tumour thickness on radiation complications following plaque radiotherapy for uveal melanoma in the anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) era remains unknown. Background: To evaluate treatment outcomes following plaque radiotherapy and prophylactic intravitreal bevacizumab for uveal melanoma based on initial tumour thickness. Design This was a retrospective, interventional case series. Participants: Patients with uveal melanoma were included in this study. Methods: A review of medical records was conducted of patients with uveal melanoma treated with plaque radiotherapy and prophylactic intravitreal bevacizumab from 7 July 2000 to 2 November 2018. Main outcomes measures: Radiation‐related outcomes of cystoid macular oedema (CME), radiation maculopathy, papillopathy, retinopathy, iris neovascularization (NVI) and neovascular glaucoma (NVG) were compared based on tumour thickness (small [<3.0 mm] vs medium [3.1‐8.0 mm] vs large [>8.0 mm]). Results: Of 1131 eyes, 341 (30%) had small, 633 (56%) medium and 157 (14%) large melanoma. Comparison (small vs medium vs large) at 4 years following radiotherapy revealed large melanoma with greater Kaplan‐Meier estimated risk of CME (37% vs 37% vs 63%, P <.001), earlier onset of CME (33 vs 26 vs 19 months, P <.001) and greater development of NVI (<1% vs 2% vs 13%, P <.001) and NVG (1% vs 2% vs 12%, P <.001). Radiation‐induced maculopathy, papillopathy and retinopathy were not associated with tumour thickness. Conclusions and relevance: Compared with small and medium uveal melanoma, large uveal melanoma demonstrated greater 48‐month risk for CME, shorter time to CME onset and greater development of NVI and NVG following plaque radiotherapy and prophylactic intravitreal bevacizumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve a nonlinear time-varying system, a novel varying-gain recurrent neural network (termed as VG-RNN) is proposed and analyzed. To achieve a fast convergent performance, a vector-based unbounded error function is first defined. Second, a varying-gain neural dynamic approach is employed to design the recurrent neural network formula. Being different from the traditional constant-gain recurrent neural networks with fixed design parameters such as the gradient-based neural network (termed as GNN) and the zeroing neural network (termed as ZNN), the gain coefficient of the proposed VG-RNN is time-varying, which can change with time evolves. Otherwise, compared to the previous numerical methods on solving nonlinear time-varying systems, the solution obtained by VG-RNN is more precise. Third, rigorous mathematics analysis proves the super exponential convergence and accuracy of the proposed VG-RNN. Numerical experiments demonstrate the high accuracy, effectiveness and superiority of the VG-RNN compared with the conventional neural networks for solving nonlinear time-varying systems. Furthermore, we hope to apply the theory proposed in this paper to practical nonlinear time-varying automatic control systems, such as robots with nonlinear time-varying systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about the mud volcanoes, the pressure release of internal trap fluid in strata leading to the formation of the volcanoes, significance of mud volcanoes in the scientific research on earth system and the materials that includes muddy sediments, gas and oil. It talks about hydrocarbons accumulation and gas hydrates mineralization that is related to the formation of mud volcanoes, amount of methane gas erupted by the volcano that causes greenhouse effect and climate change.

Deep soil stores a large amount of organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). However, little is known regarding the interactions between soil C and net N mineralization in deep soil, which complicates the prediction of ecosystem C and N dynamics. In this study, a 150-day laboratory soil incubation experiment was performed under 20 °C and 25 °C to investigate the influence of soil depth and warming on C and net N mineralization and their relationship. Soils were collected from a Hapludalfs profile in a subtropical forest with three depth intervals: 0–10 (topsoil), 10–30 (midsoil), and 30–60 cm (subsoil). Soil microbial community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) was conducted to investigate the role of the microbial community in C and N mineralization. The results demonstrated that both C and net N mineralization rates in subsoil were significantly lower than in topsoil. Compared to topsoil, subsoil had lower temperature sensitivity of C mineralization and relatively higher temperature sensitivity of net N mineralization. Cumulative soil C and net N mineralized were positively correlated in topsoil with the mineralized N per mineralized C showed as 0.19 and 0.31 at 20 °C and 25 °C, respectively. However, there was no significant correlation between cumulative soil C and net N mineralized in subsoil due to the low amount of net N mineralization. The lack of labile C source and degradable organic N were believed to limit the net N mineralization in subsoil. The microbial community in topsoil used relatively more easily decomposable carbohydrates and carboxylic acids, which favored C mineralization. In contrast, the microbial community in subsoil had relatively high utilization of amino acids (N-containing substrates), which indicated there was N limitation. This distinguished substrate utilization patterns of microbial communities could explain the observed C and N mineralization rates among the soil depths, and suggests that the microbial community played an important role in soil C and N mineralization. The decoupled relationships between soil C and net N mineralization in deep soil and their differentiated responses to warmer temperatures among soil depths indicated that deep soil should be considered separately from topsoil for ecosystem C and N cycling, especially for ecosystem C dynamic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants assimilate inorganic nitrogen absorbed from soil into organic forms as Gln and Glu through the glutamine synthetase/glutamine:2-oxoglutarate amidotransferase (GS/GOGAT) cycle. Whereas GS catalyzes the formation of Gln from Glu and ammonia, GOGAT catalyzes the transfer of an amide group from Gln to 2-oxoglutarate to produce two molecules of Glu. However, the regulatory role of the GS/GOGAT cycle in the carbon–nitrogen balance is not well understood. Here, we report the functional characterization of rice ABNORMAL CYTOKININ RESPONSE 1 ( ABC1 ) gene that encodes a ferredoxin-dependent (Fd)-GOGAT. The weak mutant allele abc1-1 mutant shows a typical nitrogen-deficient syndrome, whereas the T-DNA insertional mutant abc1-2 is seedling lethal. Metabolomics analysis revealed the accumulation of an excessive amount of amino acids with high N/C ratio (Gln and Asn) and several intermediates in the tricarboxylic acid cycle in abc1-1 , suggesting that ABC1 plays a critical role in nitrogen assimilation and carbon–nitrogen balance. Five non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in the ABC1 coding region and characterized as three distinct haplotypes, which have been highly and specifically differentiated between japonica and indica subspecies. Collectively, these results suggest that ABC1 / OsFd-GOGAT is essential for plant growth and development by modulating nitrogen assimilation and the carbon–nitrogen balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 50 % of soil carbon (C) is stored in subsoil (below 30 cm). Inputs of labile C and nutrients can stimulate soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization priming effect (PE) and subsequently affect subsoil C dynamics. However, little is known about the magnitude and mechanism of the PE occurring in subsoil, which complicates the prediction of subsoil C dynamics. Using a lab incubation experiment, the effects of glucose and nitrogen (N) addition on SOC mineralization were studied for three soil layers (0-10, 10-30, and 30-60 cm) from a subtropical forest. Five glucose (5.16 atom % C) levels were applied according to soil microbial biomass in each soil layer. Meanwhile, community-level physiological profiling was conducted to reflect microbial functional diversity and activity. We found positive PE for all soil layers. The PE magnitude in subsoil was about two times higher than that in topsoil with stronger increase in the microbial activity in mining components of SOC. N addition led to a reduction of 45 % in the PE magnitude in topsoil with relatively lower microbial activity in mining N-containing substrates (amino acids and amines) but caused an increase of 18 % in subsoil PE. Soil C and N availability were associated with microbial functional activity, the shifts of which then mediated the SOC mineralization in the presence of labile C and nutrient. These results suggested that mineralization of subsoil C was more sensitive to labile C and N addition. Any future changes in environmental conditions that affect the input and distribution of labile C and N in soil profiles could affect C dynamics in deep soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research uses longitudinal production data from four monolingual Mandarin-speaking children under age 2 to investigate the acquisition of complement control in Mandarin Chinese. The main purpose of the research is to explore whether control is available to Mandarin children in early language development and to capture the emergence of control structures in child Mandarin. Our analysis of the data obtained in 145 weekly or biweekly audio- and video-taped sessions demonstrate that children produce control sentences as early as before 2. They have produced control sentences with a variety of control verbs. A scrutiny of the way in which these control sentences are used and what children do and do not do in some contexts reveals that properties of control in adult grammar also surface in early control sentences. Children's early control sentences respect structural constraints such as the generalized control rule and the overtness requirement on object control. They never omit matrix objects in object control structures. Early control sentences also suggest differences from two superficially similar structures, i.e. the serial verb construction and coordination, in various aspects. Young children's control sentences exhibit universal as well as language-specific properties of development. We take such findings as cross-linguistic evidence for early child control and for the continuity view of language acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Thermal influential factors affecting crude oil temperature in double pipelines system have been analyzed in detail. [•] Insulating layer and changes of crude oil physical characteristic are considered to correspond with practice. [•] Ambient temperature is a key parameter to determine pipeline interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Plants have been used to restore vegetation in desert region in Shapotou, where naturally biological soil crusts (BSCs) have formed after planting for several years. However, few works have been done on the allelopathic effects between the plants and soil microalgae in BSCs currently. In this study, we investigated the chemical compositions of volatile oil of Artemisia ordosica and its allelopathic effects on photosynthetic system II (PSII) and antioxidant system of Palmellococcus miniatus, a green algae isolated from BSCs. 37 components, consisted of 17 terpenoids, 14 alcohols, 2 esters, 2 ketones and other 2 components were identified in the volatile oil from A. ordosica by GC–MS analysis. High concentration of volatile oil could significantly inhibit the growth and photosynthetic activity (Fv/Fm), and decreased the photosynthetic parameters by affecting photon absorption, electron transport and the reaction center of PSII of P. miniatus, and also cause the significant increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.) activity, peroxidase (POD; EC 1.11.1.7) activity, reactive oxygen evolution (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents of P. miniatus through the combined effects of components in volatile oil. The results indicated that the emission of volatile oil of A. ordosica could inhibit the growth, photosynthesis of P. miniatus through the oxidative damage, and thus might negatively affect the development of BSCs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thrombomodulin (TM) is a single-transmembrane glycoprotein receptor for thrombin, which is best known as a cofactor for thrombin-mediated activation of anticoagulant protein C. C-type lectin-like domain (CTLD) of TM has distinct coagulation/fibrinolysis-independent anti-inflammatory properties. Here we found anti-inflammatory effects of a novel peptide (GC31) from CTLD of TM in endotoxin-induced uveitis, which was characterized by a reduction of leukocyte counts, protein concentration, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 levels in aqueous humor. Through in vitro experiments, we further found that GC31 suppressed TNF-α and interleukin (IL)-6 expressions in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells and interrupted LPS-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. These data indicate a beneficial role of peptide GC31 in preventing intraocular inflammatory response, especially uveitis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lead halide perovskite CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted great interest in recent years owing to their excellent properties such as strong light absorption, high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), good wavelength tunability, and narrow FWHM. However, their instability is still a bottleneck for their potential application. In this work, a pseudo-peritectic method, which is a peritectic reaction in solutions, was proposed. The phenomenon of "Survival of the fittest" was observed. The synthesized CsPb 2 Br 5 phase greatly reduces the surface defects, and improves the stability and PL properties. The pseudo-peritectic method using for preparing surface modified CsPbBr 3 @CsPb 2 Br 5 nanocrystals is a significant pathway to achieve long-term stable lead halide perovskite for optoelectronic devices. • A pseudo-peritectic method was proposed to prepare surface modified CsPbBr 3 @CsPb 2 Br 5 nanocrystals. • The phenomenon of "Survival of the fittest" was observed. • The CsPb 2 Br 5 phase has no impacts on light emission of CsPbBr 3 , but greatly improves the stability and the PL properties. • The fluorescence quantum efficiency of CsPbBr 3 @CsPb 2 Br 5 composite nanocrystals is up to 70% after 72 h in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the functions and regulation of caspases, or proteases for cell death. Structure and enzymatic activity of caspase; Mechanisms of procaspase activation; Details on the signaling pathways that activate caspases; Details on caspase substrates; Physiological functions of caspases; Roles of caspases in human diseases.

Background: Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentomics has demonstrated significant differentiation power between cancer patients and healthy individuals, but little is known in pancreatic and biliary tract cancers. The aim of this study is to characterize the cfDNA fragmentomics in biliopancreatic cancers and develop an accurate method for cancer detection. Methods: One hundred forty-seven patients with biliopancreatic cancers and 71 non-cancer volunteers were enrolled, including 55 patients with cholangiocarcinoma, 30 with gallbladder cancer, and 62 with pancreatic cancer. Low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (median coverage: 2.9 ×) was performed on plasma cfDNA. Three cfDNA fragmentomic features, including fragment size, end motif and nucleosome footprint, were subjected to construct a stacked machine learning model for cancer detection. Integration of carbohydrate antigen 19–9 (CA19-9) was explored to improve model performance. Results: The stacked model presented robust performance for cancer detection (area under curve (AUC) of 0.978 in the training cohort, and AUC of 0.941 in the validation cohort), and remained consistent even when using extremely low-coverage sequencing depth of 0.5 × (AUC: 0.905). Besides, our method could also help differentiate biliopancreatic cancer subtypes. By integrating the stacked model and CA19-9 to generate the final detection model, a high accuracy in distinguishing biliopancreatic cancers from non-cancer samples with an AUC of 0.995 was achieved. Conclusions: Our model demonstrated ultrasensitivity of plasma cfDNA fragementomics in detecting biliopancreatic cancers, fulfilling the unmet accuracy of widely-used serum biomarker CA19-9, and provided an affordable way for accurate noninvasive biliopancreatic cancer screening in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which suggested that FADD, an adapter protein and Daxx, have activated two pathways downstream of Fas, which is a cell surface death receptor. Materials and methods; Results and discussion.

Studies Daxx, a novel Fas-binding protein that activates JNK and apoptosis. Information pertaining to Daxx and its Fas-binding domain; What Fas is also known as; Background information on Fas; Indepth look at study including results.

By adjusting molar ratios of raw materials of Lu 2 O 3 (Eu 2 O 3) to WO 3 and MoO 3 as well as WO 3 to MoO 3 , several lutetium tungsten molybdenum oxide phosphors Lu 2 W 0·5 Mo 0·5 O 6 , Lu 2 W x Mo y O 9 (x + y = 2), Lu 2 W 1·5 Mo 1·5 O 12 , and Lu 6 W 0·5 Mo 0·5 O 12 were synthesized through a solid-state reaction method. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, energy-dispersive spectra (EDS), diffuse reflection (DR) spectra, room temperature photoluminescence (PL) excitation and emission spectra, luminescence decay curves, and temperature dependent PL spectra. Red shift excitation bands were recorded in Lu 2 W x Mo y O 9 (x + y = 2) phosphors with the concentration of Mo6+ increasing. Enhanced Eu3+ excitation and emission spectra were observed in the Lu 2 W x Mo y O 9 (x + y = 2) phosphors with the concentration of W6+ increasing. Possible energy transfer processes were proposed to explain the PL excitation and emission spectra. By combining phosphors with 365 nm ultraviolet (UV) chips, the obtained light emitting diodes (LEDs) gave bright red light under forward bias current. The results suggest that the obtained Eu3+ doped Lu 2 WMoO 9 have potential applications in phosphor converted based UV LEDs. W6+ concentration dependent PL excitation spectra, peak positions, and integrated emission intensities. Image 1 • Several lutetium tungsten molybdenum oxide phosphors were synthesized. • Red shift excitation band were recorded in Lu 2 W x Mo y O 9 (x + y = 2) phosphors. • Enhanced Eu3+ PL spectra were recorded in Lu 2 W x Mo y O 9 (x + y = 2) phosphors. • The O2--W6+ CTB showed better thermal stability than that of the O2--Mo6+ CTB. • Red LEDs were packaged by combining the phosphors with 365 nm UV chips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The right eye demonstrated tiny parafoveal pinpoint exudation and meticulous examination revealed subtle vascular misdirection with looping along the superonasal periphery [Figure 1]a, blue arrow]. These findings were suggestive of Coats disease stage 2B with parafoveal exudation, a relatively mild stage. Fluorescein angiographic abnormalities in the contralateral eye with normal fundus in children with unilateral Coats' disease. [Extracted from the article]

Presents research which examined the role of the pro-apoptotic protein CED-4 in the activation of apoptosis. Study of Caenorhabditis elegans; Mediation by protein-protein interaction; Induction of caspase activation and cell death; Oligomerization of CED-4; Mutations that abolished CED-4 oligomerization; Inhibition of this oligomerization.

Identifies four genes encoding proteins that interact with the SNF1 protein kinase from yeast using the two-hybrid system, a genetic method. Method; Results; Discussion.

Electronic toll collection (ETC) has been widely spread in China, providing efficient, comfortable, and convenient toll services. However, the nature of centralization of those ETC systems has incurred serious security threatens. Given blockchain's features of self-trust, decentralized architecture, and traceability, we propose a decentralized ETC architecture based on blockchain technology. After implementing our architecture in a test network, we verify its feasibility. A thorough discussion indicates that our architecture can effectively operate normal ETC services while avoiding most attacks that threaten traditional ETC systems. The proposed architecture provides a brand new way of conventional ETC system optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 :Eu3+, CaTiO 3 :Eu3+ and [CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 –CaTiO 3 ]:Eu3+ were synthesized by a solvothermal method without the help of templates or surfactants. And their structures, luminescence properties, and photocatalytic properties were systematically studied. The RIR (reference intensity ratio) data of CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 were first investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD), thus the ratios of each phase in the (m%CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 -n%CaTiO 3):3%Eu3+ biphasic mixture was determined. The bandgap value of CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 :3%Eu3+ is 0.28 eV less than that of CaTiO 3 :3%Eu3+. The specific surface area of CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 is 8.2 times larger than that of CaTiO 3. Compared with CaTiO 3 :Eu3+, the CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 :Eu3+ showed stronger luminescence intensity. The Judd-Ofelt theory analysis show that the Eu3+ ions in CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 :Eu3+ have low local symmetry, high Eu–O bonds covalence and low ligands electron density. The photocatalytic properties of CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 :y%Eu3+, CaTiO 3 :x%Eu3+ and [62.2%CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 -37.8%CaTiO 3 ]:3% Eu3+ were comparatively studied in detail. The band-gap value of [62.2 % CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 –37.8%CaTiO 3 ]:3%Eu3+ is significantly reduced due to the presence of heterojunctions compared to CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 :y%Eu3+ and CaTiO 3 : x%Eu3+. The built-in electric potential at heterojunction interface will guide electrons and holes to move in opposite directions, therefore [CaTi 2 O 4 (OH) 2 –CaTiO 3 ]:Eu3+ has excellent photocatalytic activity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumorigenesis entails circumventing cell‐intrinsic regulatory mechanisms while avoiding extrinsic immune surveillance and other host defence systems. Nevertheless, how tumour cells' ability to eliminate misfolded proteins affects immune surveillance remains poorly understood. In this study, we find that overexpression of murine tripartite motif‐containing protein 30a (TRIM30a) sensitises tumour cells to natural killer (NK) cells‐mediated cytolysis. TRIM30a has no effect on tumour cell proliferation or apoptosis in vitro. However, TRIM30a‐overexpressing tumour cells grow substantially slower than control tumour cells in immune‐competent mice but not in NK cell‐depleted mice. [Correction added on 04 October 2023, after first online publication: 'NK‐depleted' has been changed to 'NK cell‐depleted' in the preceding sentence.] Mechanistically, TRIM30a overexpression impedes the clearance of misfolded proteins and increases the production of reactive oxygen species induced by proteotoxic stress, implying that TRIM30a impairs protein quality control (PQC) systems in tumour cells. Furthermore, TRIM30a reduces expression of genes encoding proteasome subunits and antioxidant proteins. Our study demonstrates that TRIM30a is a potential tumour suppressor and immune modulator that promotes tumour cytolysis by NK cells, and suggests that an enhanced PQC and antioxidant capacity is an integral part of the immune escape mechanism during tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mud diapirs and gas chimneys are widely developed in continental slope areas, which can provide sufficient gas for hydrate formation, and they are important for finding natural gas hydrates. Based on the interpretation and analysis of high-resolution 2D and 3D seismic data covering the deep-water area in the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB), northern South China Sea, we studied the formation mechanism of mud diapirs and gas chimneys and their relationship with natural gas hydrates. Mud diapirs and gas chimneys are columnar and domelike in shape and the internal regions of these bodies have abnormal reflections characterized by fuzzy, chaotic, and blanking zones. The reflection events terminate at the rims of mud diapirs and gas chimneys with pull-up reflections and pull-down reflections, respectively. In addition, 'bright spots' and diapiric-associated faults occur adjacent to mud diapirs and gas chimneys. The rapidly deposited and deeply buried fine sediments filling in the Tertiary in deep-water areas of the QDNB and overpressure potential derived from undercompacted mudstones, as well as from the pressurization of organic matter and hydrocarbon generation, provide abundant materials and intensive driving forces for the formation of mud diapirs and gas chimneys. Bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) with strong amplitude and high or poor continuity were recognized atop the mud diapirs and gas chimneys and in the structural highs within the same region, indicating that they have a close relationship with each other. The mud diapirs and gas chimneys and associated high-angle faults provide favourable vertical pathways for the hydrocarbons migrating from deep strata to shallow natural gas hydrate stability zones where natural gas hydrates accumulate; however, some BSRs are characterized by weak amplitude and poor continuity, which can be affected by high temperature and overpressure in the process of the mud diapir and gas chimney activities. This mutually restricting relationship must be taken into consideration in the process of gas hydrate exploration in QDNB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uveitis is a major cause of vision impairment worldwide. Current treatments have limited effectiveness but severe complications. Mannose binding lectin (MBL) is an important protein of the innate immune system that binds to TLR4 and suppresses LPS‐induced inflammatory cytokine secretion. MBL‐mediated inhibition of inflammation via the TLR4 pathway and MBL‐derived peptides might be a potential therapeutics. In this study, we designed a novel MBL‐derived peptide, WP‐17, targeting TLR4. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted for the sequence, structure and biological properties of WP‐17. The binding of WP‐17 to THP‐1 cells was analyzed using flow cytometry. Signaling molecules were analyzed by western blotting, and activation of NF‐κB was measured by immunofluorescence‐histochemical analysis. Effects of WP‐17 were studied in vitro using LPS‐stimulated THP‐1 cells and in vivo in endotoxin‐induced uveitis (EIU). Our results showed that WP‐17 could bind to TLR4 expressed on macrophages, thus downregulating the expression levels of MyD88, IRAK‐4, and TRAF‐6, and inhibiting the downstream NF‐kB signaling pathway and LPS‐induced expression of TNF‐α and IL‐6 in THP‐1 cells. Moreover, in EIU rats, intravitreal pretreatment with WP‐17 demonstrated significant inhibitory effects on ocular inflammation, attenuating the clinical and histopathological manifestations of uveitis, reducing protein leakage and cell infiltration into the aqueous humor, and suppressing TNF‐α and IL‐6 production in ocular tissues. In summary, our study provides the first evidence of a novel MBL‐derived peptide that suppressed activation of the NF‐кB pathway by targeting TLR4. The peptide effectively inhibited rat uveitis and may be a promising candidate for the management of ocular inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conbercept is a recombinant fusion protein with high affinity for all vascular endothelial growth factor isoforms and placental growth factor. The repeated intravitreal injection of conbercept may cause intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuations and long-term suppression of neurotrophic cytokines, which could lead to retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) damage. This retrospective fellow-eye controlled study included 98 eyes of 49 patients. The changes in IOP and RNFL thickness as well as the correlation between RNFL changes and associated factors were evaluated. The IOP value between the baseline and the last follow-up visit in the injection group and the IOP value of the last follow-up visit between the injection and non-injection groups were not significantly different (p = 0.452 and 0.476, respectively). The global average thickness of the RNFL (μm) in the injection group decreased from 108.9 to 106.1; however, the change was not statistically significant (p = 0.118). No significant difference in the average RNFL thickness was observed at the last follow-up visit between the injection and non-injection groups (p = 0.821). The type of disease was the only factor associated with RNFL thickness changes. In conclusion, repeated intravitreal injections with 0.05 mL conbercept revealed an excellent safety profile for RNFL thickness, although short-term IOP changes were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raw Arecae Semen, the seed of Areca catechu L., as well as Arecae Semen Tostum and Arecae semen carbonisata are traditionally processed by stir-baking for subsequent use in a variety of clinical applications. These three Arecae semen types, important Chinese herbal drugs, have been used in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years. In this study, the sensory technologies of a colorimeter and sensitive validated high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection were employed to discriminate raw Arecae semen and its processed drugs. The color parameters of the samples were determined by a colorimeter instrument CR-410. Moreover, the fingerprints of the four alkaloids of arecaidine, guvacine, arecoline and guvacoline were surveyed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Subsequently, Student's t test, the analysis of variance, fingerprint similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, factor analysis and Pearson's correlation test were performed for final data analysis. The results obtained demonstrated a significant color change characteristic for components in raw Arecae semen and its processed drugs. Crude and processed Arecae semen could be determined based on colorimetry and high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector coupled with chemometrics methods for a comprehensive quality evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible and tunable radar absorbers (RAs) are in great demand both in stealth technologies and electromagnetic delusion for concealment of complex targets such as aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle from radar detection. As a general approach, conventional lumped components such as varactor diodes and resistors are employed to achieve frequency and/or amplitude tunability of RAs. However, despite the intricate feeding networks and complex fabrication processes, this approach shows great difficulty in integrating the conventional rigid components with flexible substrate. Hence, it is an enormous challenge to realize both dual‐tunable and flexible RAs. Here the authors for the first time design and experimentally characterize a flexible and dual‐tunable RA with independent control of the frequency and amplitude. Most important is that the achieving both amplitude and frequency control is fully based on the tunability of graphene, without any lumped devices and intricate feeding network, and even without any metal involved. Hence, this dual‐tunable RA shows the priority of being flexible, light weight, and environmentally friendly. Although the prototype in this work is operating in microwave spectrum, the tunable functionalities at millimeter or terahertz spectral bands can also be obtained due to the intrinsic tunability of graphene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] miR-93 is downregulated in the eyes of LPS-induced EIU rats. [•] miR-93 is downregulated in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. [•] miR-93 inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production. [•] miR-93 inhibits LPS-induced activation of NF-κB signaling through IRAK4. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study was to describe the synthesis of complexes of gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid conjugates of low-molecular-weight chitosan oligosaccharide Gd-DTPA-CSn (n =6, 8, 11) as a new class of contrast agent as well as its magnetic property in a pilot magnetic resonance imaging. The efficacy of the contrast agent was assessed by measuring the longitudinal relaxivity (r 1), FLASH imaging in phantoms in vitro and signal intensity in vivo of the rat abdominal axial imaging. The r 1 of Gd-DTPA-CS 11 was up to 11.65mM−1·s−1, which was 3 times higher than that of the analogous MRI contrast agent Gd-DTPA in commercial use. In vivo MR images of rat obtained with Gd-DTPA-CS 11 showed strong signal enhancement in liver and the vessels of the liver parenchyma during the extended period of time. The present study suggests that the new synthesized gadolinium complexes can be used as a new class of practical liver-specific MRI contrast agent because of its superior performance compared with Gd-DTPA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Experiments were conducted to study the removal of Se(IV) from aqueous solution using Aspergillus sp. J2. Batch Se(IV) removal experiments including biosorption kinetics, isotherms, effects of pH and competitive ions were investigated. Removal of Se(IV) was pH independent in the initial pH range from 4.0 to 10.7. The kinetics of Se(IV) sorption were better fit to both pseudo-second order and the pseudo-first order kinetic model. The Langmuir isotherm model gave a better fit to the experimental data than the Freundlich model. The presence of 0.2mM competing anions, such as Cl−, NO3−, and , except , had no significant effect on the removal of Se(IV). The biosorption capacity increased from 4.14 to 5.67mg/g as temperature increased from 18 to 38°C, which indicated the endothermic nature of the Se(IV) removal by Aspergillus sp. J2. FTIR analysis indicated that the sulfur compound was involved in Se(IV) biosorption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Death domain-associated protein (Daxx) regulates both transcription and apoptosis. The role of Daxx in transcription is not well understood. Here, we show that Daxx interacts with Skip/NcoA62, a transcription cofactor that modulates the activity of oncoproteins including Ski and NotchIC. Daxx strongly binds with Skip both in vitro and in mammalian cells. This interaction is mediated by the PAH2 domain of Daxx and the highly conserved SNW domain of Skip. Daxx partially co-localizes with Skip in vivo and changes the cellular distribution of Skip. In addition, Skip represses transcription when tethered to a promoter, and Daxx antagonizes this activity. Furthermore, Skip is phosphorylated at serine 224 in its SNW domain. These results suggest a novel function of Daxx in transcription regulation through alteration of the cellular localization of Skip. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Finds that the Fas death receptor can activate the Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway through the receptor-associated protein Daxx. Daxx as found to activate the JNK kinase ASK1; Overexpression of a kinase-deficient ASK1 mutant as inhibiting Fas- and Daxx-induced apoptosis and JNK activation; Daxx-ASK1 connection as completing a signaling pathway from a cell surface death receptor to kinase cascades that modulate nuclear transcription factors; Conclusions.

• PolyQ overexpression sensitizes tumor cells to NK cell cytolysis through inducing accumulation of misfolded proteins. • Abnormal transcriptome changes induced by polyQ protein predisposes tumor cells to death upon NK cell cytolysis. • PolyQ protein in NK cells compromises NK cell cytolytic activity through inducing an exhaustion-like status. Patients with Huntington's diseases display reduced tumor incidence mediated by unclear mechanisms. Besides, the effects of characteristic overexpression of 97 polyglutamine protein (polyQ protein) on tumor surveillance by the host immune system have not been investigated. NK cells are cytotoxic innate lymphocytes that sense and kill stressed and transformed cells through recognition of abnormal molecular patterns. Here, we found that polyQ protein induced the accumulation of misfolded proteins in tumor cells and sensitized these tumor cells to NK cell cytolysis in vitro. Transcriptome analysis showed that polyQ protein overexpression caused an abnormal transcriptome changes in tumor cells, which might predispose these tumor cells to death upon NK cell cytolysis. However, on the other hand, polyQ protein in NK cells compromised NK cell cytolytic activity through forcing the accumulation of misfolded proteins. Furthermore, polyQ overexpression enriched oxidative phosphorylation related gene set in NK cells, which might lead to an exhaustion-like status of NK cells with reduced cytolytic activity. Therefore, our study shows that polyQ protein overexpression in tumors alone, but not in both tumor cells and NK cells, might result in increased tumor rejection by NK cells, revealing a dual role of polyQ protein on tumor surveillance by the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Uveitis is a potentially sight-threatening form of ocular inflammation that affects the uvea in the wall of the eye. Currently available treatments for uveitis have exhibited profound adverse side effects. However, KS23 is a novel 23-amino-acid anti-inflammatory peptide derived from adiponectin that may have the capability to function as a safe alternative to these existing treatment options. We, therefore, evaluated the preventive effect of KS23 in experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU).Methods: EAU was induced in mice via immunization with the peptide interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein 161-180 (IRBP161-180). KS23 was then administered every 2 days via intraperitoneal injection to induce protection against EAU. Clinical and histopathological scores were employed to evaluate the disease progression. Inflammatory cytokines were also quantified using ELISA, and the expression levels of specific chemokines and chemokine receptors were assessed via qRT-PCR. In addition, the proportions of Th1 and Th17 cells were detected via flow cytometry, and the expression levels of specific proteins were quantified from the retina of mice using western blot analysis, to elucidate the specific mechanism of action employed by KS23 to suppress the inflammation associated with EAU.Results: KS23 was found to significantly improve EAU-associated histopathological scores, while decreasing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17A), chemokines (LARC, RANTES, MIG, IP-10), and chemokine receptors (CCR6 and CXCR3). The proportions of Th1 and Th17 cells were also suppressed following intraperitoneal injection with KS23. The anti-inflammatory mechanism employed by KS23 was determined to be associated with the activation of AMPK and subsequent inhibition of NF-κB.Conclusions: KS23 decreased the proportions of Th1 and Th17 cells to effectively ameliorate the progression of EAU. It may, therefore, serve as a promising potential therapeutic agent for uveitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating the number of pedestrians based upon surveillance videos and images has been a critical task while implementing intelligent signal controls at intersections. However, this has been a difficult task considering the pedestrian waiting area is an outdoor scenario with complex and time-varying surrounding environment. In this study, a method for estimating pedestrian counts based on multisource video data has been proposed. First, the partial least squares regression (PLSR) model is developed to estimate the number of pedestrians from single-source video (either visible light video or infrared video). Meanwhile, the temporal feature of the scenario (daytime or nighttime) is identified based on visible light video. According to the recognized time periods, pedestrian count detection results from the visible light and infrared video data can be obtained with preset corresponding confidence levels. The empirical experiments showed that this fusion method based on environment perception holds the benefits of 24-hour monitoring for outdoor scenarios at the pedestrian waiting area and substantially improved accuracy of pedestrian counting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of a novel peptide, PAPep, in poly(I:C)-stimulated corneal fibroblasts.Methods: Corneal fibroblasts were treated with poly(I:C) to elicit inflammation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and ELISA were used to measure the mRNA and protein levels of interleukin (IL)-6, monocyte chemotactic factor (MCP)-1, and interferon gamma (IFN-γ). Real-time PCR, immunofluorescence, and immunoblot were performed to determine ICAM-1 expression. Translocation of NF-κB p65 was observed by immunofluorescence. Phosphorylation of IκBα, NF-κB, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (p38, JNK and ERK) were detected by western blot.Results: The results showed that PAPep effectively decreased mRNA and protein expression of IL-6, MCP-1, and IFN-γ in corneal fibroblasts exposed to poly(I:C). In addition, PAPep reduced mRNA and protein levels of ICAM-1. The NF-κB and MAPK(p38) pathway were inhibited by PAPep treatment, as indicated by suppression of p65 nuclear translocation, and IκBα, NF-κB, and p38 activation. PAPep showed no effect on JNK or ERK activity.Conclusions: PAPep attenuates the expression of inflammatory cytokines and ICAM-1 in corneal fibroblasts induced by poly(I:C) through blocking the NF-κB and MAPK(p38) pathway. PAPep may be considered a promising therapeutic agent for treating viral keratitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) play major roles in soil quality and the global carbon budget. They can be measured rapidly and cost-effectively via visible and near-infrared reflectance (VNIR) spectroscopy. However, the reliability of this method is questionable because of the effects of heterogeneity. At present, only a few publications have addressed the effect of soil layers on model applicability, especially for highly heterogeneous soils in forest ecosystems. In the current work, we evaluated the performance of VNIR spectroscopy in estimating SOC and TN contents of soils collected from a mixed mountain forest in Central China. We also investigated the applicability of spectroscopic models between soil layers. We then further explored the possibility of using spiking with extra-weighting to improve model applicability. To achieve such objectives, we evaluated the applicability accuracy of the initial models (global and layered models) and modified models (spiked models with and without extra-weighting). Results showed that all the initial models successfully predicted SOC and TN. That is, for SOC, R 2 P ranged from 0.79 to 0.90, ratio of performance to inter-quartile range ( RPIQ ) ranged from 3.07 to 3.97, and the root mean square error ( RMSE P ) ranged from 0.54% to 0.88%; for TN, R 2 P ranged from 0.66 to 0.86, RPIQ ranged from 2.12 to 3.78, and RMSE P ranged from 0.05% to 0.08%. However, the prediction accuracies were seriously reduced when the model constructed from the top soil layer was used to predict the sub-surface soil properties, and vice versa. In terms of model applicability, our results demonstrated that spiking improved the applicability of the initial calibrations ( RMSE P and absolute prediction bias were obviously reduced) and that the accuracy was further improved when the spiking subset was extra-weighted. When the extra-weighting reached a certain level, the accuracies remained stable or slightly reduced. Our results illustrated that spiking alone and spiking with extra-weighing are effective approaches to improve model applicability in the VNIR estimation of SOC and TN between different soil layers in a highly heterogeneous forest. This approach is potentially useful in rapidly quantifying and monitoring soil carbon and nitrogen pools in heterogeneous landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Biocontrol is a promising strategy in the control of rice blast disease. In the present study, we isolated and characterized a novel antagonist to the pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae from rice endophytic actinomycetes. RESULTS Out of 482 endophytic actinomycetes isolated from rice blast infected and healthy rice, Streptomyces endus OsiSh-2 exhibited remarkable in vitro antagonistic activity. Scanning electron microscopy observations of M. oryzae treated by OsiSh-2 revealed significant morphological alterations in hyphae. In 2-year field tests, the spraying of OsiSh-2 spore solution (107 spores mL−1) is capable of reducing rice blast disease severity by 59.64%. In addition, a fermentation broth of OsiSh-2 and its cell-free filtrates could inhibit the growth of M. oryzae, suggesting the presence of active enzymes and secondary metabolites. OsiSh-2 tested positive for polyketide synthase-I and nonribosomal peptide synthetase genes and can produce cellulase, protease, gelatinase, siderophore, indole-3-acetic acid and 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase. A preliminary separation indicated that the methanol extract of OsiSh-2 could suppress the growth of pathogens. The major active component was identified as nigericin. CONCLUSION Endophytic S. endus OsiSh-2 has potential as a biocontrol agent against rice blast in agriculture. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this meta-analysis is to assess the associations between two most widely investigated polymorphisms (rs3746544 and rs1051312) in the 3′UTR of the SNAP-25 gene and susceptibility of ADHD. Two investigators selected related studies and assessed methodological quality independently. Six studies were included in this meta-analysis for a total of 715 cases and 655 controls. There is no apparent association between rs3746544 polymorphisms and risk of ADHD. However, subgroup analysis based on ethnicity demonstrated a strong association between rs3746544 polymorphism and ADHD in the subset of Asian participants, but not among Caucasians. Compared to the T allele, the allele G was associated with a significantly decreased risk of developing ADHD in the Asian population (odds ratio (OR) = 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.52–0.95, p = 0.02). The association between the TT genotype and ADHD risk was also significantly increased as compared to G/T (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.00–2.44, p = 0.05) and the dominant genetic model (GG + GT vs. TT: OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.07–2.13, p = 0.02). For the rs1051312 SNP, being homozygous for the minor allele (C/C) was associated with a 3.66 higher odds of ADHD as compared to cases homozygous for the major allele (T/T) (95% CI = 1.64–8.13, p = 0.001), and 3.57 higher odds as compared to heterozygous (C/T) carriers (95% CI = 2.01–12.90, p < 0.001). Our results suggest that the polymorphisms rs3746544 and rs1051312 may increase the odds of developing ADHD. Additional studies are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keratitis is a worldwide sight-threatening disease. Current drugs generate various adverse effects. Large molecules hardly penetrate ocular tissues. Small peptides derived from endogenous protein display certain advantages. Previously we indentified a novel peptide (PAPep) from human pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP), a protein with protective effect against inflammatory diseases. To further examine the effect of PAPep on inflammatory disease and expand its scope of potential clinical application, especially in keratitis, we tested the effect of PAPep on various aspects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)—induced corneal inflammation in vivo and in vitro. Dexamethasone (DXM) was used as a drug control. Our results suggested that PAPep suppressed the clinical manifestation, histological disorder and inflammatory cells infiltration and reduced the release of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 in the cornea. Moreover, PAPep inhibited LPS-induced mRNA and protein expression of the three cytokines in the corneal fibroblasts, prevented translocation of NF–κB and interrupted the phosphorylation of IKKα/β/IκBα/NF–κB. Our study demonstrates that PAPep could effectively attenuate LPS-induced keratitis, more likely by virtue of inhibiting the activation of the IKKα/β/IκBα/NF–κB pathway. PAPep may be considered to be a promising and safe drug for therapeutic application for ocular inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]