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Objective: To evaluate the clinical features and pregnancy outcomes in patients experiencing recurrent miscarriage (RM) with either low-titer or medium-high titer positivity of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was conducted for patients with aPL positivity and recurrent miscarriage between 2018 and 2022. The clinical features, treatment strategies, outcomes were compared between the patients with low (n = 92) and medium (n = 32) titer of aPL. Results: A total of 118 patients, resulting in 124 obstetric episodes (pregnancies), with a mean age of 33. 15 ± 4.56 and 31.47 ± 4.41 years between the two groups. The low-titer group exhibited a higher frequency of anti-cardiolipin antibodies IgM (P < 0.001), whereas the medium-high titer group demonstrated a higher frequency of anti-β2-glycoprotein 1 antibodies IgG (P < 0.001) and IgM (P = 0.032). Moreover, the medium-high titer group displayed a significantly elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate compared to the low-titer group (P < 0.05). In the low-titer group, 71 patients (77.2%) received appropriate treatment, resulting in 48 live births (67.6%) and 23 repeat abortions (32.4%). In the medium-high titer group, 29 patients (90.6%) received relevant treatment, leading to 23 live births (79.3%) and 6 repeat abortions (20.7%). No significant differences were observed in live births or maternal-fetal complications between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Conclusion: Noteworthy distinctions in laboratory parameters were identified between the low-titer and medium-high titer groups. However, when appropriately treated, the fetal-maternal outcomes were comparable in both groups. Timely intervention by clinicians is imperative to enhance pregnancy outcomes in patients experiencing recurrent miscarriage with low levels of aPL. Key Points • This study challenges the conventional belief that only the higher antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) titers directly correlated with worse pregnancy outcomes, which emphasized the importance of patients with low titer positive aPL-positive RM. • The results underscore the need for timely intervention in women with low titer aPL-positive RM, as it leads to favorable maternal–fetal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In real scenarios, accurate and real‐time detection of traffic signs is of great significance to the automatic driving system. To meet the requirements of detection accuracy and speed, a new traffic sign detection method based on YOLOv5 and Swin‐Transformer is proposed in this paper. First, based on the traditional Focus structure, a lightweight shallow information enhancement module is designed. Second, to enhance the channel weights of useful information, an adjustable channel attention mechanism is proposed. Additionally, a Cross Stage Partial module based on Swin‐Transformer is designed to capture contextual information around traffic signs, thereby improving the detection accuracy of small‐scale traffic signs. Finally, to better fuse deep semantic features and shallow detail features, an adaptive feature fusion method is proposed. To verify the superiority of the proposed method, experimental verification was carried out on TT100K and DFG traffic sign detection datasets, and their mAP, AP50 and FPS were (75.3, 94.8, 82) and (79.7, 85.9, 118), respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed traffic sign detection method has high accuracy and real‐time performance, and can meet the needs of traffic sign detection in the actual scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment will explore the role of TIGIT/PVR signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of MDS immune tolerance through in vitro co-culture of NK cells and MDSC cells. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression percentage of MDSCs and CD155 on MDSCs in the bone marrow of MDS patients and controls. The expression of NK cell surface receptors (NKG2D, NKp30, NKp46), secreted cytokines (perforin, granzyme B, CD107a, IFN-γ) and NK cell apoptosis rate were detected by flow cytometry to evaluate the effect of MDSCs on NK cell function. The number of MDSCs in bone marrow of MDS patients was notably higher than that of the control group (8.39 ± 7.01 vs 2.31 ± 1.65, P = 0.0001). Compared with the control group, the expression of CD155 on MDSCs in MDS group was increased (31.81 ± 21.33 vs. 10.49 ± 6.53, P < 0.0001). After NK cells were co-cultured with MDSCs, NKG2D, NKp30, NKp46, CD107a, IFN-γ, perforin and granzyme B were decreased, and the NK function partially recovered after the addition of inhibitors. Compared with the normal control, MDSCs and CD155 on MDSCs were highly expressed in MDS patients. After co-culture with MDSCs, the expression of NK cells' surface receptors decreased, the secretion of cytokines decreased and the apoptosis rate increased. After blocking TIGIT/CD155 pathway, NK cell function was reversed, but NK cell apoptosis was not reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional survival analysis methods have been widely used in medicine and various fields, but they must satisfy some statistical assumptions. Machine learning methods can overcome this weakness. Three support vector-based machine learning-survival analysis models are proposed with an actual cancer dataset. Experiments show that some machine learning models outperform the Cox statistical model. Accurate kernel complexity experiments are designed for different models, and the selected kernel functions are Poly, neural tangent kernel (NTK) and so on. The NTK kernel model with the highest accuracy is investigated in more depth, including computational complexity and robustness. Some interesting properties are found in these aspects that may provide new ideas for researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) increases the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic diseases. The pancreas of fetuses with IUGR is usually characterized by pancreatic dysplasia and reduced levels of insulin secretion caused by the diminished replication of β-cells. Previous studies showed that a low dose of ouabain could reduce the apoptosis of embryonic nephric cells during IUGR and partially restore the number of nephrons at birth. The rescued kidneys functioned well and decreased the prevalence of hypertension. Thus, we hypothesized that ouabain could rescue pancreatic development during IUGR and reduce the morbidity of T2DM and metabolic diseases. Maternal malnutrition was used to induce the IUGR model, and then a low dose of ouabain was administered to rats with IUGR during pregnancy. Throughout the experiment, we monitored the pattern of weight increase and evaluated the metabolic parameters in the offspring in different stages. Male, but not female, offspring in the IUGR group presented catch-up growth. Ouabain could benefit the impaired glucose tolerance of male offspring; however, this desirable effect was eliminated by aging. The insulin sensitivity was significantly impaired in male offspring with IUGR, but it was improved by ouabain, even during old age. However, in the female offspring, low birth weight appeared to be a beneficial factor even in old age; administering ouabain exacerbated these favorable effects. Our data suggested that IUGR influenced glucose metabolism in a sex-specific manner and ouabain treatment during pregnancy exerted strongly contrasting effects in male and female rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to explore whether superfluous sympathetic activity affects myoblast differentiation, fusion, and myofiber types using a continuous single-dose isoprenaline exposure model in vitro and to further confirm the role of distinct NFATs in ISO-mediated effects. Compared with delivery of single and interval single, continuous single-dose ISO most obviously diminished myotube size while postponing myoblast differentiation/fusion in a time- and dose-dependent pattern, accompanied by an apparent decrease in nuclear NFATc1/c2 levels and a slight increase in nuclear NFATc3/c4 levels. Overexpression of NFATc1 or NFATc2, particularly NFATc1, markedly abolished the inhibitory effects of ISO on myoblast differentiation/fusion, myotube size and Myh7 expression, which was attributed to a remarkable increase in the nuclear NFATc1/c2 levels and a reduction in the nuclear NFATc4 levels and the associated increase in the numbers of MyoG and MEF2C positive nuclei within more than 3 nuclei myotubes, especially in MEF2C. Moreover, knockdown of NFATc3 by shRNA did not alter the inhibitory effect of ISO on myoblast differentiation/fusion or myotube size but partially recovered the expression of Myh7, which was related to the slightly increased nuclear levels of NFATc1/c2, MyoG and MEF2C. Knockdown of NFATc4 by shRNA prominently increased the number of MyHC +, MyoG or MEF2C + myoblast cells with 1 ~ 2 nuclei, causing fewer numbers and smaller myotube sizes. However, NFATc4 knockdown further deteriorated the effects of ISO on myoblast fusion and myotube size, with more than 5 nuclei and Myh1/2/4 expression, which was associated with a decrease in nuclear NFATc2/c3 levels. Therefore, ISO inhibited myoblast differentiation/fusion and myotube size through the NFAT-MyoG-MEF2C signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-quality mental health services can improve outcomes for people with mental health problems and abate the burden of mental disorders. We sought to identify the challenges the country's mental health system currently faces and the human resource situation related to psychological services and to provide recommendations on how the mental health workforce situation could be addressed in China. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional survey design. A web-based questionnaire approach and a convenience sampling method were adopted. It was carried out from September 2020 to January 2021 in China, and we finally included 3824 participants in the analysis. Descriptive statistical analysis of the characteristics of the study sample was performed. The risk factors for competence in psychological counseling/psychotherapy were assessed using multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Workforce related to psychotherapy is scarce in China, especially in Western China and community mental health sectors. Psychiatrists (39.1%) and nurses (38.9%) were the main service providers of psychotherapy in psychiatric hospitals, and clinical psychologists (6.9%) and counsellors (5.0%) were seriously scarce in mental health care sectors. A total of 74.2% of respondents had no systematic psychological training, and 68.4 and 69.2% of them had no self-experience and professional supervision, respectively. Compared with clinical psychologists and counselors, psychiatrists and nurses had less training. Systematic psychological training (β = − 0.88), self-experience (β = − 0.59) and professional supervision (β = − 1.26) significantly influenced psychotherapy capacity (P<0.001). Conclusions: Sustained effort will be required to provide a high-quality, equitably distributed psychotherapy workforce in China, despite challenges for community mental health sectors and western China being likely to continue for some time. Because mental illness is implicated in so many burgeoning social ills, addressing this shortfall could have wide-ranging benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morbidity and mortality of malignant tumors are progressively rising on an annual basis. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) holds promise as a possible therapeutic agent for the avoidance or therapy of malignant tumors. Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen), a traditional Asian functional food, has therapeutic characteristics in application for the treatment of malignant tumors. Dihydrotanshinone I (DHTS) is the principal lipophilic phenanthraquinone compound found in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, whose anti-tumor effect has attracted widespread attention. The anti-tumor effects include inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, triggering apoptosis of tumor cells, inducing ferroptosis in tumor cells, inhibiting tumor cell invasion and metastasis, and improving drug resistance of tumor cells. In this paper, we summarized and analyzed the mechanisms and targets of anti-tumor effect of DHTS, providing new ideas and establishing a solid theoretical basis for the future advancement and clinical treatment of DHTS. [Display omitted] • Dihydrotanshinone I (DHTS) is the principal lipophilic phenanthioquinone compound found in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. • The antitumor effects of Dihydrotanshinone I primarily include inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, triggering apoptosis of tumor cells and inducing ferroptosis of tumor cells. • Future research can focus on the effective and controllable application of DHTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the risk factors of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC)-related venous thromboembolism (CRT) in patients with hematological malignancies and the predictive ability of the thrombotic risk assessment models (RAMs). The clinical data of the 117 eligible patients with hematological neoplasms at Mianyang Central Hospital with PICC from May 2018 to May 2020 were analyzed in this retrospective study. Thrombosis risk scores were calculated in patients with image-confirmed PICC-related thromboembolism. CRT occurred in 19 cases. Compared to the CRT-free group, the CRT group was older and showed higher body mass index (BMI), leukocyte count level, and the prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that BMI (P = 0.03) was a significant risk factor for CRT. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the Caprini scale (P = 0.01) was higher than that of the modified Wells scale (P = 0.94), the revised Geneva scale (P = 0.83), Padua scale (P = 0.59), and Michigan scale (P = 0.80). The sensitivity and specificity for the Caprini scale, Padua scale, modified Wells scale, the revised Geneva scale, and Michigan risk score were 63.3%/73.7%, 100%/0.00%, 95.9%/5.3%, 31.6%/73.7%, and 1.0%/99.0%, respectively. Caprini RAM had a better predictive ability for CRT in patients with hematological malignancies. Michigan risk score may not be better than Caprini RAM in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydrotanshinone (DIH) is an extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. It has been reported that DIH could regulate NF-κB signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate whether DIH could protect mice from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. In this study, sixty mice were randomly divided into five groups, one group as blank control group, the second group as LPS control group, and the last three groups were pre-injected with different doses of DIH and then inhaled LPS for experimental comparison. After 12 h of LPS treatment, the wet-dry ratio, histopathlogical changes, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity of lungs were measured. In addition, ELISA kits were used to measure the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF), and western blot analysis was used to measure the activity of NF-κB signaling pathway. The results demonstrated that DIH could effectively reduce pulmonary edema, MPO activity, and improve the lung histopathlogical changes. Furthermore, DIH suppressed the levels of inflammatory cytokines in BALF, such as TNF-α and IL-1β. In addition, DIH could also downregulate the activity of NF-κB signaling pathway. We also found that DIH dose-dependently increased the expression of LXRα. In addition, DIH could inhibit LPS-induced IL-8 production and NF-κB activation in A549 cells. And the inhibitory effects were reversed by LXRα inhibitor geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). Therefore, we speculate that DIH regulates LPS-induced ALI in mice by increasing LXRα expression, which subsequently inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly sensitive trypsin sensing system in serum was developed by using an anodic alumina oxide (AAO)-based, trypsin substrate-decorated hybrid ion permeation membrane. Owing to the trypsin-triggered peptide hydrolyzation reaction, the surface electrical feature of the peptide-decorated hybrid ion membrane changed. The electric double layer effect reduces the effective ion current diameter in the AAO nano unit, so that the ion current rectification ratio will be enhanced, realizing the quantitative detection of trypsin. The lowest detection concentration can be achieved as low as 0.1 pM. This method is no need for sample pre-preparation, easy to operate, highly sensitive, and also applicable to other enzyme evaluation systems by changing corresponding substrates. This study provides a new idea for selective measurements of proteases in complex biological samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of reproductive health (RH) services is important to promote RH. However, little is known about RH services in rural areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries. China is the most populous country in the world, and 40.4% of its population is rural. Our study determined the utilization of and factors associated with RH services in rural China. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 978 20- to 39-year-old women was performed in four villages of four cities in Hunan Province. A researcher-created structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were entered into EpiData v3.0 and analysed using SPSS v18.0. Statistical significance was defined as a two-sided P-value of less than 0.05. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the socio-demographic factors and the use of RH services by the sample population. Chi-square tests were used to assess associations between categorical variables. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors that correlated with the use of RH services. Results: The top three services used were antenatal examinations (90.2%), postpartum visits (73.0%) and free folic acid supplements (71.6%). Age, monthly household income, employment, spousal education level, and artificial abortion history were associated with RH service utilization (P < 0.05). The most desired RH service was cervical/breast cancer prevention services (58.9%). The most preferred method participants used to obtain information on RH services was the internet. Conclusions: The utilization rate for RH services in rural China needs improvement. Future efforts should target high-risk populations of women by providing them with RH-related information and cultivating positive attitudes towards RH services. Plain language summary: Reproductive health (RH) services are recognized worldwide as a cost-effective strategy to promote RH. However, little is known about RH services in rural areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries. China is the most populous country in the world, and 40.4% of its population is rural. Due to the implementation of China's universal two-child policy, women between 20 and 39 years old are likely to experience more RH problems related to childbirth. Our study investigated the utilization of and factors associated with RH services in rural China. The top three services used among the 978 participants were antenatal examinations (90.2%), postpartum visits (73.0%) and free folic acid supplements (71.6%). Age, monthly household income, employment, spousal education level, and artificial abortion history were associated with RH service utilization. The participants most desired services pertained to the prevention of cervical/breast cancer, and the most preferred methods used to obtain information related to RH services was the internet. In conclusion, the utilization of RH services requires improvement, and future efforts should target high-risk populations of women by providing them with RH-related information and cultivating positive attitudes towards RH services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) heterogeneous flower-like spherical MoS 2 /CNTs composites with worm-like interfaces were successfully fabricated by a simplified solvothermal reaction to achieve superb electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) properties. The microstructure characteristics, morphology features, EWA performance and associated mechanism of as-prepared specimen were systematically analyzed. The incorporation of MoS 2 resulted in the establishment of a 3D conductive network and a substantial augmentation of the heterogeneous interfaces between MoS 2 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), thereby inducing an amplified conductance loss and polarization loss, respectively. Moreover, the fabrication of 3D architecture not only enhances the structural robustness of the composites, but also broadens the avenue for electromagnetic wave (EW) reflection and scattering, thus augmenting the absorption of EW energy. As a result of the synergistic effect of augmented attenuation capability as well as optimized impedance matching, the EWA performance of materials was outstanding, with a minimum reflection loss (RL min) of −52.1 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 1.93 GHz achieved at a thin thickness of 2.46 mm in the X band. This research will serve as a meaningful point of reference for exploring 3D flower-like spherical structure of EW absorber. [Display omitted] • 3D heterogeneous flower-like spherical MoS 2 /CNTs composites were prepared. • MoS 2 /CNTs composites have worm-like interfaces. • Superior EMA performance was achieved with minimum reflection loss was −52.1 dB. • The impedance matching and polarization loss was enhanced with MoS 2. • The electromagnetic wave absorption mechanism was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is, in general, accompanied by a reduction of the nephron number, which increases the risk of hypertension and renal dysfunction. Studies have revealed that ouabain can partially restore the number of nephrons during IUGR. However, there is limited information regarding the melioration of nephric structure and function. We used maternal malnutrition to induce an IUGR model in rats. Subsequently, we used a mini-pump to administer ouabain to IUGR rats during pregnancy. Male offspring were divided randomly into two groups. One group was fed a normal diet, whereas the other was fed an isocaloric 8% high-salt diet. Maternal malnutrition led to a reduction in the birth weight and number of nephrons in offspring. At the end of a 40-week follow-up period, offspring from the IUGR group had high blood pressure and abnormal excretion of urinary protein; these parameters were exacerbated in offspring fed a high-salt diet. However, ouabain administration during pregnancy could partially restore the number of nephrons in IUGR offspring, normalize blood pressure, and reduce urinary protein excretion, even when challenged with a high-salt diet. Pathology findings revealed that IUGR, particularly following feeding of a high-salt diet, damaged the ultrastructure of glomeruli, but these harmful effects were ameliorated in offspring treated with ouabain. Collectively, our data suggest that ouabain could rescue nephrogenesis in IUGR newborns and protect (at least in part) the structure and function of the kidney during adulthood even when encountering unfavorable environmental challenges in subsequent life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upsurge in the number of people affected by the COVID-19 is likely to lead to increased rates of emotional trauma and mental illnesses. This article systematically reviewed the available data on the benefits of interventions to reduce adverse mental health sequelae of infectious disease outbreaks, and to offer guidance for mental health service responses to infectious disease pandemic. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, WHO Global Research Database on infectious disease, and the preprint server medRxiv were searched. Of 4278 reports identified, 32 were included in this review. Most articles of psychological interventions were implemented to address the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, followed by Ebola, SARS, and MERS for multiple vulnerable populations. Increasing mental health literacy of the public is vital to prevent the mental health crisis under the COVID-19 pandemic. Group-based cognitive behavioral therapy, psychological first aid, community-based psychosocial arts program, and other culturally adapted interventions were reported as being effective against the mental health impacts of COVID-19, Ebola, and SARS. Culturally-adapted, cost-effective, and accessible strategies integrated into the public health emergency response and established medical systems at the local and national levels are likely to be an effective option to enhance mental health response capacity for the current and for future infectious disease outbreaks. Tele-mental healthcare services were key central components of stepped care for both infectious disease outbreak management and routine support; however, the usefulness and limitations of remote health delivery should also be recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of six TRACHEARY ELEMENT DIFFERENTIATION INHIBITORY FACTOR (TDIF)-encoding genes in poplar, PtTDIF1 is predominantly expressed in adventitious roots (ARs), and the other five PtTDIFs are preferentially expressed in lateral roots (LRs). Upon auxin application, expression of all PtTDIFs declined in ARs but transiently increased in LRs. Both exogenous TDIF peptides and overexpression of PtTDIFs in poplar positively regulated the initiation and elongation of LRs, and overexpression of PtTDIFs also increased the number of ARs. As visualized by the auxin-responsive marker DR5:GUS , TDIF had differential impacts on the auxin signaling activity in ARs and LRs, which was corroborated by the free indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) measurements in them. Shoot tips of PtTDIF2- and PtTDIFL2- overexpressing (together as PtTDIFs OE ) trees revealed an enhanced IAA biosynthetic capacity, and removal of the aerial tissues dramatically diminished the root phenotypes of micro-propagated PtTDIFsOE trees. Furthermore, PtTDIFsOE poplars displayed an increased sensitivity for exogenous IAA, and N -1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) completely blocked the TDIF-induced AR and LR formation. In PtTDIFsOE roots, several auxin-related LR initiation markers such as GATA23 , LBD16 and LBD29 were transcriptionally upregulated, further supporting that TDIF regulates LR organogenesis by strengthening the spatiotemporal auxin cues and that dynamic interplays between hormones govern root branching and developmental plasticity in tree species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the "powerhouse" of cells, mitochondrion is the main site of cellular aerobic respiration and plays a vital role in performing many important cellular functions. The consequence of mitochondrial dysfunction could lead to a wide range of disorders and diseases. Traditional mitochondria‐related cytobiology methods always require the isolation of organelles for biological components, followed by structural analysis and quantitative analysis. In this study, we tried to assess the feasibility and reliability of the isolation‐based method and the in situ approach from the spectral fingerprint characters. Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy (SERS) was employed to investigate the molecular information of mitochondria from cancer cells (HepG2 and MCF‐7 cells) in situ with the assistant of mitochondrion‐targeting nanoprobes, which was compared with the isolation‐based ex situ method. The results display two methods, which show high consistency in the spectral profiles of mitochondrion, proving the feasibility of both in bioanalysis. Abundant molecular information such as protein and DNA is disclosed, and protein is one of the main components. From spectral comparison between two cancer cells, differences in protein content are observed. We believe that this comparative study will provide a valuable and recommended reference for the selection of analytical methods for different study purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct use of ammonium hydroxide in amination for the synthesis of primary amines is considered to be one of the major challenges in synthetic organic chemistry. Herein, the first example of catalyst-free direct amination of 3-halooxindoles with ammonium hydroxide to synthesize N-unprotected 3-tetrasubstituted aminooxindoles in high yields (up to 91% yield) is described. An enhancement of the reaction rate on using water was observed under mild conditions. Such an approach is not only protection/deprotection-free, but also more practical and cost-effective. Moreover, this method could expand the library of 3-tetrasubstituted aminooxindole building blocks for the further synthesis of AG-041R, GHSR antagonists and a charteline unit, opening up a new synthetic pathway in the chemistry of 3-aminooxindoles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Evidence concerning the impact of ambient particulate matter (PM) on mental health is just emerging and inconsistent. Air pollution with high PM levels has been frequently reported in China, however, no Chinese study has determined the association between PM exposures and anxiety hospitalizations. We examined the potential association between PM concentrations and anxiety admissions in 26 Chinese cities from January 2014 to December 2015.Methods: A time-stratified case-crossover design was employed in the study. Anxiety hospitalizations were identified according to ICD-10 from the electronic hospitalization summary reports system in China. Conditional logistic regression was applied to estimate the relation between PM levels and anxiety admissions, stratified by age and sex.Results: Positive associations between PM2.5/PM10 and admitted anxiety cases were observed. PM2.5 had the largest effect estimate at lag 5 days, with a per 10 μg/m3 increase corresponding to a 0.63% (95% CI, 0.26-1.00) increase in anxiety admissions. PM10's largest effect estimate was observed at lag 3 days, increasing 0.37% (95% CI, 0.12-0.62) anxiety admissions per 10 μg/m3. Females were more sensitive to PM2.5/PM10 concentrations than males, however, the effect modification by age was not significant. A marginally significant distinction in anxiety hospitalizations was found in patients with and without CVDs when they were exposed to PM2.5.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that short-term exposure to increased concentrations of PM2.5/PM10 exacerbates risks of anxiety hospitalizations in 26 Chinese cities. We observed effect modification by sex, with significantly stronger associations in female patients. This study offers the promise that reducing PM air pollution could probably reduce the huge disease burden from anxiety disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a member of the CLAVATA3 (CLV3)/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION-related (CLE) peptide family, tracheary element differentiation inhibitory factor (TDIF) plays crucial roles in vascular meristem maintenance by promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting xylem cell differentiation. In Populus trichocarpa , six TDIF-encoding genes are all expressed in vascular tissues, and in Arabidopsis PtTDIFpro:GUS lines, the expression driven by PtTDIF promoters were predominantly detected in stem vascular bundles, initiating leaves and leaf veins. Although exogenous application of two poplar TDIF peptides did not evidently affect the shoot growth in vitro , overexpression of PtTDIF genes in hybrid poplar severely retarded the internodal elongation by upregulating the expression of GA2ox and GA20ox genes and thus decreasing the level of endogenous gibberellins (GAs), which phenotypic defect could be rescued by exogenously applied GA3. In addition, TDIF overexpression unexpectedly induced a more complex venation pattern in poplar leaves, which was underpinned by the elevated expression of WOX4 and WOX13 genes. Upon TDIF treatment, the DR5:GUS poplar leaves revealed a higher GUS activity and in TDIF -overexpressing leaves, the transcript abundances of several PIN-FORMED (PIN) genes, especially that of PIN1 , were increased, which implied an integration of TDIF and auxin in mediating this process. Collectively, data of this work presented novel activities of TDIF involved in internode elongation and leaf vein formation, thus revealing the divergent functions of TDIF in perennial tree species from those in annual herbaceous Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A dual-core CMF transmitter is developed with a DSP chip and an FPGA chip. • The update speed of the drive signal and drive efficiency are improved. • The MFME model is established by the SVM method based on grid search. • On-line real-time correction experiments are performed to verify the validity. • The SVM method reduces the MFMEs and has good generalization performance. The lack of timely flowtube drive and large measurement error are two major problems for Coriolis mass flowmeter (CMF) to measure gas-liquid two-phase flow. To solve above problems, a dual-core CMF transmitter is developed with a DSP chip and an FPGA chip. The FPGA is used to realize a digital drive method for driving the flowtube to vibrate normally. The DSP is utilized to realize a zero-crossing detection algorithm for calculating the mass flowrate. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) method is adopted to establish the mass flow measurement error (MFME) model for on-line real-time correction. The experimental results show that the developed transmitter improves the update speed of the drive signal and drive efficiency, and reduces the execution time of the algorithm. The SVM method has higher modeling accuracy and good generalization performance, and can be effectively applied to on-line real-time correction of the MFMEs under the gas-liquid two-phase flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subcellular mitochondrion has become a target for improving the therapeutic efficiency and reducing side damage to normal cells via a combination of many therapeutic strategies. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with cell death induced by subcellular dysfunction remain unknown or disputed. In this study, we investigated the dynamic molecular changes of living mitochondria upon phototherapy (photothermal therapy plus photodynamic therapy, PTT & PDT) by surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy (SERS) and intended to disclose the photo-induced cell death route in breast cancer cells (MCF-7) taking into account the mitochondrion. Indocyanine green (ICG), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved clinic blood-injection near-infrared angiographic contrast agent and a PTT & PDT drug, was used for the evaluation of the phototherapy effect. The results revealed that the content of phenylalanine (Phe) in mitochondria evidently increased during the phototherapy-induced cell death process. Moreover, the phototherapy-induced cell apoptosis was mainly regulated through the DNA structures. We expect that the understanding of mitochondrial molecular stress responses will be helpful for the diagnosis and therapy of cellular processes associated with mitochondria and provide valuable guidance for the further design and development of more effective therapeutic platforms and methods at the sub-cellular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method was developed for the facile one-pot multicomponent construction of heterocycle-fused spiro compounds containing chromanone and pyrrolidinyl spirooxindoles, two potential pharmacophores, in one molecule through a decarboxylative 1,3-dipolar [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of carboxylic acid group-activated chromones 1 with isatin-derivated azomethine ylides based on molecular hybridization strategy. A wide variety of products with three contiguous stereocenters including a spiro quaternary stereocenter were smoothly prepared with high efficiency (up to 87% yield and 20:1 diastereomeric ratio). This method could offer libraries of architecturally diverse and multiple pharmacore collections, potentially useful in medicinal chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-silica MFI zeolite can hardly be prepared by the conventional hydrothermal synthesis route in the absence of amines, which is ascribed to the competitive growth of quartz, magadiite, or kenyaite phase. In this work, these impurity phases were excluded from the synthetic gel through a low-temperature crystallization method, while the growth of zeolite phase was promoted by seed-directed and C 2 H 5 OH filling. Consequently, well-crystallized ZSM-5 samples with controllable Si/Al ratios (46–205) and uniform particle sizes were successfully prepared, and the crystallization process was tracked by multiple characterization techniques, pointing toward a nonclassical particle attachment crystallization process. Interestingly, we found that the optimal C 2 H 5 OH/SiO 2 ratio can be proportionally reduced by decreasing the H 2 O/SiO 2 ratio in the synthetic gel. More importantly, the obtained high-silica MFI zeolite exhibited a much higher catalytic stability than the conventional sample synthesized using tetrapropylammonium as the template during the methanol-to-propylene and n-butene cracking reactions, which may be attributed to its fewer defect sites determined by 1H magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Overall, this work provides an efficient route for the large-scale production of high-silica ZSM-5 samples. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Diversity-oriented synthesis. • Four contiguous stereocenters. • A carboxylic acid-activation and then decarboxylation strategy. Abstract A new methodology was developed for the highly efficient one-pot multicomponent synthesis of chromanone-based 3,3′-pyrrolidinyl-spirooxindoles via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of chromones 1 with azomethine ylides (thermally generated in situ from isatins and proline or thioproline). Another valuable application of this method was for the less reactive chromone through a carboxylic acid-activation and then decarboxylation strategy, which enabled diversity-oriented synthesis of complex pirooxindoles bearing four contiguous stereocenters (one of which is a spiro quaternary stereocenter) with high efficiency and stereoselectivity (up to 90% yield and 20:1 d.r.). This protocol could provide libraries of stereochemically rich and multiple pharmecore collections, that will help in search for new drug-like molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ki67 has been a key role for the treatment options and prognosis evaluation in some kinds of tumors; however, the spatial expression of Ki67 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been fully-evaluated. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to elucidate the prognosis value of Ki67 spatial expression including in different cell types and at different compartments of tumor in OSCC patients. Methods: Immunohistochemical expression of Ki67 in tumor cells (TCs) and fibroblast like cells (FLCs) at center of tumor (CT) and invasive front (IF) was evaluated in 109 OSCC patients. Then correlations of Ki67 expressions with clinicopathological parameters were analyzed by Chi-square test, and survival curves were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier methods. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to assess the diagnostic values of Ki67 expression by the Cox regression model. Results: Ki67 expression in TCs was much higher than in FLCs both at CT and IF compartments, but Ki67 expression in TCs was simultaneously higher at CT than that at IF (P=0.0004), which was converse to Ki67 expression in FLCs (P<0.0001). Additionally, high Ki67 expression in FLCs at IF was significantly associated with poor tumor differentiation (P=0.003), worse depth of invasion (DOI, P=0.027) and worst pattern of invasion (WPOI, P=0.041), but Ki67 expression in TCs had no correlation with clinical parameters no matter at CT or IF. Moreover, patients with higher Ki67 expression in TCs at CT had significantly increased risk for OS (overall survival; HR:1.935, 95% CI: 1.181-4.823, P=0.0395) and DFS (disease-free survival; HR: 2.974, 95% CI:1.189-5.023, P=0.046). On contrary, higher Ki67 expression in FLCs at IF was correlated with better OS (HR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.018-0.846, P=0.0396) and DFS (HR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.018-0.947, P=0.0445). Whereas, Ki67 expression both at TCs in IF and at FLCs in CT had no significant prognostic value for OS and DFS. Furthermore, Cox multivariate analysis revealed that Ki67 expression in FLCs at IF could not be an independent prognostic factor for OSCC patients. Conclusion: These results show that higher Ki67 expression in FLCs at IF indicated better clinical outcomes for OSCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to remarkably enhance its absorption capability, a tunable dual-band graphene-based perfect absorber is proposed. By using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations, dual-band perfect absorption peaks are realized in the optical communication regime based on the critical coupling effect. By changing the lateral displacement of the two different holes, multiple absorption peaks could also be achieved. Furthermore, by manipulating the widths of air trenches, the wavelengths of absorption peaks could be shifted, while the values of absorption peaks are almost unchanged. Moreover, our proposed absorber also demonstrates polarization-dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To study the protective effects of late remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) against myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and determine whether Stat5 is involved in this protection by using cardiomyocyte-specific Stat5 knockout mice (Stat5-cKO). Methods and results Mice were exposed to lower limb RIPC or sham ischaemia. After 24 h, the left anterior descending artery (LAD) was ligated for 30 min, then reperfused for 180 min. The myocardial infarct size (IS), apoptotic rate of cardiomyocytes, and serum myocardial enzymes were measured to evaluate for cardioprotective effects. Heart tissues were harvested to determine the cardiomyocytes' anti-apoptotic and survival signaling. When compared with the Stat5fl/fl mice without RIPC, Stat5fl/fl mice with RIPC (Stat5fl/fl+RIPC + I/R) displayed a decreased myocardial IS/LV (16 ± 1.5 vs. 30.1 ± 3.1%, P < 0.01; IS/ area at risk (AAR), 42.2 ± 3.5 vs. 69.2 ± 4.9%, P < 0.01), a reduced cardiomyocyte apoptotic rate (2.1 ± 0.37 vs. 5.5 ± 0.53%, P < 0.01), and lower creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) levels. To the contrary, the Stat5-cKO mice (Stat5fl/fl; Tnnt2Cre mice with Doxycycline treatment for 7 days) did not exhibit any effect of RIPC-induced cardioprotection. Activation of STAT5 protein was significantly higher in the Stat5fl/fl+RIPC + I/R group than in the Stat5fl/fl+I/R group, while there was no significant difference between the Stat5-cKO + RIPC + I/R and the Stat5-cKO + I/R group. Further analyses with heart tissues detected decreased protein expressions of cytochrome c (Cyt c) and cleaved Caspase-3 in the Stat5fl/fl+RIPC + I/R mice, along with increased anti-apoptotic molecules, including B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2); such changes were not noted in the Stat5-cKO + RIPC + I/R mice. Additionally, RIPC increased cardiac hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1a) and interleukin-10 (IL10) protein levels and caused activation of AKT, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K), and vascular endothelial growth factor in the heart of the Stat5fl/fl mice. However, these changes were completely inhibited by the absence of Stat5. Conclusions These results suggest that RIPC-induced late cardioprotection against myocardial I/R injury is Stat5-dependent and is correlated with the activation of anti-apoptotic signaling and cardiomyocyte-survival signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Fungal transcription factors (TFs) implicated in the regulation of virulence gene expression have been identified in a number of plant pathogens. In Verticillium dahliae, despite its agricultural importance, few regulators of transcription have been characterized. In this study, a T‐DNA insertion mutant with significantly reduced virulence towards cotton was identified. The T‐DNA was traced to VdFTF1, a gene encoding a TF containing a Fungal_trans domain. Transient expression in onion epidermal cells indicated that VdFTF1 is localized to the nucleus. The VdFTF1‐deletion strains displayed normal vegetative growth, mycelial pigmentation and conidial morphology, but exhibited significantly reduced virulence on cotton, suggesting that VdFTF1 is required exclusively for pathogenesis. Comparisons of global transcription patterns of wild‐type and VdFTF1‐deletion strains indicated that VdFTF1 affected the expression of 802 genes, 233 of which were associated with catalytic processes. These genes encoded 69 potentially secreted proteins, 43 of which contained a carbohydrate enzyme domain known to participate in pathogenesis during infection of cotton. Targeted gene deletion of one VdFTF1‐regulated gene resulted in significantly impaired vascular colonization, as measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, as well as aggressiveness and symptom severity in cotton. In conclusion, VdFTF1, which encodes a TF containing a Fungal_trans domain, regulates the gene expression of plant cell wall degradation enzymes in V. dahliae, which are required for full virulence on cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression levels of glycans on the surfaces of cancer and normal cells show different, however, this difference is not noticeable enough to distinguish them directly. So, herein, based on the targeted molecular recognition of the glycans on cell surfaces by 4-mercaptophenyl boronic acid (MPBA), a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoprobe (glucose-MPBA@AgNPs) was prepared by inducing controllable assembly of MPBA decorated Ag nanoparticles (MPBA@AgNPs) in a certain level via the bridge of glucose to amplify such a limited difference in SERS measurements. On the basis of the aggregation-induced 3D SERS hot spot effect, this multi-particle nanoprobe possesses over 10 times stronger SERS enhancement ability than the individual MPBA@AgNPs. As the different sialic acid (SA) expression on the surfaces of cancer and normal cells led to the different accumulation of glucose-MPBA@AgNPs, the results we obtained (mean intensities recorded from five cells) indicate the SA amounts on two kinds of cells can provide 5–7 times signal contrast grade in SERS band intensities (P < 0.001). Compared with the monodispersed nanoprobe, our developed nanoprobe amplifies the SA expression difference on cell surfaces and supports high sensitivity for cancer cell recognition, which might be useful in providing highly effective recognition of the edges of tumor tissues in clinic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The finite-element method (FEM) and eigenmode expansion method (EEM) were adopted to analyze the guided modes and spectrum of phase-shift fiber Bragg grating at five phase-shift degrees (including zero, 1∕4π, 1∕2π, 3∕4π, and π). In previous studies on optical fiber grating, conventional coupled-mode theory was crucial. This theory contains abstruse knowledge about physics and complex computational processes, and thus is challenging for users. Therefore, a numerical simulation method was coupled with a simple and rigorous design procedure to help beginners and users to overcome difficulty in entering the field; in addition, graphical simulation results were presented. To reduce the difference between the simulated context and the actual context, a perfectly matched layer and perfectly reflecting boundary were added to the FEM and the EEM. When the FEM was used for grid cutting, the object meshing method and the boundary meshing method proposed in this study were used to effectively enhance computational accuracy and substantially reduce the time required for simulation. In summary, users can use the simulation results in this study to easily and rapidly design an optical fiber communication system and optical sensors with spectral characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycoside hydrolase 12 (GH12) proteins act as virulence factors and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in oomycetes. However, the pathogenic mechanisms of fungal GH12 proteins have not been characterized. In this study, we demonstrated that two of the six GH12 proteins produced by the fungus Verticillium dahliae Vd991, VdEG1 and VdEG3 acted as PAMPs to trigger cell death and PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) independent of their enzymatic activity in Nicotiana benthamiana. A 63-amino-acid peptide of VdEG3 was sufficient for cell death-inducing activity, but this was not the case for the corresponding peptide of VdEG1. Further study indicated that VdEG1 and VdEG3 trigger PTI in different ways: BAK1 is required for VdEG1- and VdEG3-triggered immunity, while SOBIR1 is specifically required for VdEG1-triggered immunity in N. benthamiana. Unlike oomycetes, which employ RXLR effectors to suppress host immunity, a carbohydrate-binding module family 1 (CBM1) protein domain suppressed GH12 protein-induced cell death. Furthermore, during infection of N. benthamiana and cotton, VdEG1 and VdEG3 acted as PAMPs and virulence factors, respectively indicative of host-dependent molecular functions. These results suggest that VdEG1 and VdEG3 associate differently with BAK1 and SOBIR1 receptor-like kinases to trigger immunity in N. benthamiana, and together with CBM1-containing proteins manipulate plant immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tunable Fano-like resonance in the hybrid construction between graphene nanorings and graphene grating is proposed. The simulation results reveal that the Fano-like resonance is generated between two bright modes, which are different from the previous studies of coupling between the plasmonics bright and dark modes. The adjustability of this Fano resonance is simply researched by changing the geometry parameters of the composite structure and the Fermi-energy of graphene. Also, the dual-Fano resonance can be realized by only decreasing the thickness of the substrate spacer without employing extra resonance mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of the transcription factor, signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), has been linked to the proliferation and migration of a variety of human cancer cells. These actions occur via the upregulation or downregulation of cell survival and tumor suppressor genes, respectively. Importantly, agents that can suppress STAT3 activation have the potential for use in the prevention and treatment of various cancers. In this study, an Asiatic acid (AA) derivative, N-(2α,3β,23-acetoxyurs-12-en-28-oyl)-l-proline methyl ester (AA-PMe), is reported to dose dependently suppress constitutive STAT3 activation in gastric cancer cells. This inhibition was mediated by blockade of Janus-activated kinase 2. Additionally, AA-PMe regulated the expression of STAT3-modulated gene products, including cyclin D1, Bax, Bcl-2, c-Myc, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. Finally, transfection with both a STAT3 mimic and an inhibitor reversed the AA-PMe-driven modulation of STAT3 downstream gene products. Overall, these results suggest that AA-PMe is a novel blocker of STAT3 activation and has the potential for the prevention and treatment of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our method compiles the interface conditions of the coupled PDEs into the networks properly. • This method can be served as an efficient alternative to the complex coupled problems. • We sampled randomly and only input spatial coordinates without being restricted by the nature of samples. • Our method is meshfree and parallel which can solve multiple variables independently at the same time. • We give the theory to guarantee the convergence of the loss function and the convergence of the neural networks to the exact solution. • We present the numerical examples in both 2D and 3D cases. In this paper, we propose and investigate an efficient method called CDNNs (Coupled Deep Neural Networks) for the time-dependent coupled Stokes-Darcy problems. Specifically, we encode complex interface conditions related to the variables of the coupled problems into several neural networks to constrain the approximation solution. We define a custom loss function to guarantee the physical properties of the numerical solution as well as the conservation of the energy. In particular, the present method is mesh-free since it only inputs random spatiotemporal points and can avoid the difficulties and complexities caused by the mesh-based method. Moreover, our method is parallel, it solves each variable simultaneously and independently. Furthermore, we obtain the convergence analysis to illustrate the capabilities of our method for solving the coupled problems. Numerical experiments further demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, sparerib is one of the most valuable parts of the pork carcass. As a result, candidate gene mining for number of ribs has become an interesting study focus. To examine the genetic basis for this major trait, we genotyped 596 individuals from an F Large White × Minzhu intercross pig population using the PorcineSNP60 Genotyping BeadChip. The genome-wide association study identified a locus for number of ribs in a 2.38-Mb region on Sus scrofa chromosome 7 (SSC7 of Sus scrofa genome assembly, Sscrofa10.2). We identified the top significant SNP ASGA0035536, which explained 16.51 % of the phenotypic variance. A previously reported candidate causal mutation (g.19034 A>C) in vertebrae development-associated gene VRTN explained 8.79 % of the phenotypic variation on number of ribs and had a much lower effect than ASGA0035536. Haplotype sharing analysis in F boars localized the rib number QTL to a 951-kb interval on SSC7. This interval encompassed 17 annotated genes in Sscrofa10.2, including the previously reported VRTN candidate gene. Of the 17 candidate genes, LTBP2, which encodes a latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein, was previously reported to indirectly regulate the activity of growth differentiation factor Gdf11, which has been shown to increase the number of ribs in knock-out mice. Thus, we propose LTBP2 as a good new candidate gene for number of ribs in the pig population. This finding advances our understanding of the genetic architecture of rib number in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common human malignancies worldwide and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. More than 70% of ESCC patients are diagnosed at the intermediate or advanced stage. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment regimen for patients with advanced ESCC. However, ESCC patients show a poor 5-year survival rate of around 20%. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the tumor microenvironment and control tumor initiation and progression. CAFs create a pro-survival and immunosuppressive microenvironment by crosstalk with cancer cells. Moreover, CAFs lead the collective invasion of cancer cells of the epithelial phenotype by remodeling the extracellular matrix. In this review, we highlight the impact of CAFs on ESCC, including induction of chemo- and radio-resistance, migration, invasion, and immune escape. The origin of CAFs and the influence of ESCC cells on CAF activation are also described. Furthermore, we highlight the clinical prospects and future trends of CAFs-targeted therapies in ESCC. A better understanding of the molecular biology of CAFs may contribute to the development of novel anti-ESCC strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asiatic acid (AA; 2α,3β,23-trihydroxyurs-12-ene-28-oic acid) is widely used for medicinal purposes in many Asian countries due to its various bioactivities. A series of AA derivatives has been synthesized in attempts to improve its therapeutic potencies. Herein we investigated the anti-tumor activities of N-(2α,3β,23-acetoxyurs-12-en-28-oyl)-l-proline methyl ester (AA-PMe), a novel AA derivative. AA-PMe exhibited a stronger anti-cancer activity than its parent compound AA. AA-PMe inhibited the proliferation of SGC7901 and HGC27 human gastric cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner but had no significant toxicity in human gastric mucosa epithelial cells (GES-1). AA-PMe induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and blocked G1-S transition, which correlated well with marked decreases in levels of cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase CKD4, and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein, and increase in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor P15. Further, AA-PMe induced apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells by affecting Bcl-2, Bax, c-Myc, and caspase-3. Moreover, AA-PMe suppressed the migration and invasion of human gastric cancer cells (SGC7901 and HGC27) cells by downregulating the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Overall, this study investigated the potential anti-cancer activities of AA-PMe including inducing apoptosis and suppressing proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells, as well as the underlying mechanisms, suggesting that AA-PMe is a promising anti-cancer drug candidate in gastric cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a numerical simulation method was employed to investigate and analyze superstructure fiber Bragg gratings (SFBGs) with five duty cycles (50%, 33.33%, 14.28%, 12.5%, and 10%). This study focuses on demonstrating the relevance between design period and spectral characteristics of SFBGs (in the form of graphics) for SFBGs of all duty cycles. Compared with complicated and hard-to-learn conventional coupled-mode theory, the result of the present study may assist beginner and expert designers in understanding the basic application aspects, optical characteristics, and design techniques of SFBGs, thereby indirectly lowering the physical concepts and mathematical skills required for entering the design field. To effectively improve the accuracy of overall computational performance and numerical calculations and to shorten the gap between simulation results and actual production, this study integrated a perfectly matched layer (PML), perfectly reflecting boundary (PRB), object meshing method (OMM), and boundary meshing method (BMM) into the finite element method (FEM) and eigenmode expansion method (EEM). The integrated method enables designers to easily and flexibly design optical fiber communication systems that conform to the specific spectral characteristic by using the simulation data in this paper, which includes bandwidth, number of channels, and band gap size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel donor–acceptor π-conjugated copolymers comprising ( E )-1,2-di(thiophen-2-yl)ethylene as the electron-donating unit, and diketopyrrolopyrrole flanked with phenyl or 2-pyridyl moiety as the electron-accepting unit were synthesized through a palladium-catalyzed Stille polymerization. With respect to the copolymer based on diketopyrrolopyrrole flanked with phenyl unit (PTDPP-Ph), the copolymer counterpart containing the 2-pyridyl moiety (PTDPP-Py) as the flanked unit exhibited increased coplanarity, bathochromic shift in absorption, decreased lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels, as well as the about one order of magnitude increase in hole mobility. Of particular interests is that the bulk heterojunction solar cell based on PTDPP-Py exhibited an improved power conversion efficiency of 3.26% relative to the power conversion efficiency of 2.51% as attained by PTDPP-Ph. These results indicated that the replacement of flanked phenyl with 2-pyridyl moiety of the diketopyrrolopyrrole core unit can be an effective strategy for the construction of conjugated polymers with improved optoelectronic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ouabain can normalize the blood pressure of the adult intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) offspring through retaining the number of glomeruli of the IUGR newborn. However, the melioration of hemodynamic features coinciding with the improvement in cardiac structure and function is poorly understood. Intrauterine growth restriction was induced in pregnant rats with protein intake restriction, and ouabain was administrated using osmotic mini pumps from the second gestational day. The male offspring of the mothers with normal diet, low-protein diet, and low-protein diet added with ouabain treatment were randomly divided into 2 groups, one of which received normal diet and the other was treated with isocaloric 8% high-salt diet. We found that maternal malnutrition caused fetal growth retardation. At the end of a 40-week research, the offspring of the IUGR group presented high blood pressure and deteriorative cardiac performance and even worse in the offspring fed with 8% high-salt diet. Ouabain can normalize the blood pressure and improve the cardiac performance, even if following 8% high-salt diet challenge. Pathological and molecular analyses showed IUGR following 8% high-salt diet significantly increased the cardiac hypertrophy, whereas the unfavorable effects were ameliorated in the offspring treated with ouabain. Results suggest that the effects of ouabain on restoration of glomerular number in newborn and normalization of blood pressure during adulthood in IUGR male offspring can benefit the cardiac structure and function, especially under high-salt diet challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel design for a highly sensitive high-resolution localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) biochemical sensor. The geometrical structure of the sensor consists of three segments. The first segment comprises single-mode fibers located in the output and input ends of the sensor. The second and third segments comprise rectangular nanometal arrays and serve as the analyte regions of the sensor; the amount of displacement between these two segments is one rectangular nonmetal particle. We integrated two breakthrough methods, the object meshing method and the boundary meshing method, with the finite element method to effectively improve the accuracy of simulation outcomes and reduce the amount of time and memory required for performing calculations. Subsequently, we constructed the proposed LSPR biochemical sensor, and the results indicated that the proposed sensor exhibited excellent geometric structure and spectral characteristics. Specifically, the sensor is short (approximately 250 μm) and features high resolution (approximately −130 dB) and high sensitivity (approximately 126,849.1333 nm/RIU). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, high-performance electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials derived from low-cost biomass materials have attracted widespread attention. Herein, a novel biomass‑carbon with porous array structures derived from waste soybean dregs is prepared by a hydrothermal method combined with heat treatment using formaldehyde and KOH as activators. The as-prepared biomass‑carbon with significantly enhanced specific surface area can possess more charge transmission paths, increased multiple reflections and scattering, multiple loss modes, and improved impedance matching, leading to the improvement of EMW absorption performances. The obtained single-component biomass‑carbon without any functional fillers exhibits an effective EMW absorption capability with a wide absorption bandwidth of 4.8 GHz at a thickness of 3.5 mm. This study will provide a valuable approach for the preparation of biomass‑carbon based EMW absorption materials with controllable porous structures by the activation process. [Display omitted] • High-performance single-component biomass carbon derived from soybean dregs • Unique porous array structures formed through an activation process. • Effective EMW absorption capability with a wide absorption bandwidth of 4.8 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifteen semi-synthetic derivatives of asiatic acid (AA) have been synthesized and evaluated for their biological activities. The successful modification of these compounds at the C-2, C-3, C-23 and C-28 positions was confirmed using NMR, MS and IR spectra. Further, their anti-tumor effects were evaluated in vitro using different cancer cell lines (HeLa, HepG2, B16F10, SGC7901, A549, MCF7 and PC3), while their anti-angiogenic activities were evaluated in vivo using a larval zebrafish model. Among the derivatives, compounds 4-10 showed more potent cytotoxic and anti-angiogenic effects than AA, while compounds 11-17 had significantly less effects. The new derivative 10 was also included in finished formulations to evaluate its stability using HPLC due to its potential topical use. The derivative 10 had markedly better anti-tumor activities than both AA and other derivatives, with similar stability as its parent compound AA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We focus on the research of glasses for mid-infrared optical fiber and investigate the effects of different fluorides on the dehydration as well as structure, and heavy metal oxide modifiers Nb 2 O 5 , WO 3 and MoO 3 on the thermal stability as well as structure of tellurite glass of the main composition of TeO 2 –ZnO–Na 2 O–La 2 O 3 . Raman spectra indicate that Nb 2 O 5 , WO 3 and MoO 3 will mitigate the destructive effect of fluoride on TeO 4 entities. The fluorotellurite glass stability is directly related to the structure of TeO 4 groups. The hydroxyl absorption coefficient is 0.07 cm − 1 when 10% (mol) fluoride is introduced. We succeed to improve the thermal stability of fluorotellurite glasses by some composition modifications. Consequently, this glass is promising for optical fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance further the performance of the current localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) biochemical fiber sensor, a novel design model for a short length, high resolution, and high sensitivity was developed in this study. Based on a cross-sectional view of the component, the proposed new LSPR biochemical fiber sensor comprises a single-mode fiber and two types of nano-metal gears. The difference between these two types of nano-metal gears is the angular displacement of a single pitch. In a cylindrical coordinate system, if the φ axis is considered a straight, the LSPR fiber sensor exhibits a clear tessellation array. The numerical simulation method that combines the finite element method (FEM) and eigenmode expansion method (EEM) was used to design and analyze the sensor. In addition, to increase the accuracy of the numerical simulation results, the proposed numerical simulation method included a perfectly matched layer (PML) and a perfectly reflecting boundary condition (PRB). After the design procedures had been performed, the LSPR biochemical fiber sensor designed in this study possesses the advantageous attributes of a short length (74.34779 μm), high resolution (−110 dB), and high sensitivity (93 987 nm/RIU). As far as I know, up to present it possesses the best resolution and sensitivity compared with the other LSPR sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the error between actual operations and numerical simulations, thereby enabling effective design parameters to be obtained during the sensor production process and increasing the precision of simulated results, we integrated theories relevant to the perfectly matched layer and perfectly reflecting boundary condition with the finite element method and eigenmode expansion method. In addition, the modified simulation method was used to design and research a high-performance nanometal ring-array localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensor, comprising single-mode fibers (SMFs) and nanometal ring arrays. The existence of LSPR waves is the primary reason that determines whether LSPR sensors exhibit high sensitivity; thus, we examined the ability of the sensor structure to trigger LSPR waves by using the electric field Er of the core mode HE11 on the optical fiber. After employing the relevant algorithms, the resulting images demonstrated the excitation of the LSPR. This nanometal ring-array LSPR fiber sensor is advantageous because of its short length (393.59788 µm), high resolution (approximately -90 dB), and high sensitivity (approximately 38,600 nm/RIU). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiARDP is a DREB-type transcription factor from foxtail millet. SiARDP is involved in ABA-dependent signal pathways under the control of SiARDP and plays a positive role in plant responses to drought stress.The DREB (dehydration-responsive element binding)-type transcription factors regulate the expression of stress-inducible genes by binding the DRE/CRT cis-elements in promoter regions. The upstream transcription factors that regulate the transcription of DREB transcription factors have not been clearly defined, although the function of DREB transcription factors in abiotic stress is known. In this study, an abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive DREB-binding protein gene (SiARDP) was cloned from foxtail millet (Setaria italica). The transcript level of SiARDP increased not only after drought, high salt, and low temperature stresses, but also after an ABA treatment in foxtail millet seedlings. Two ABA-responsive elements (ABRE1: ACGTGTC; ABRE2: ACGTGGC) exist in the promoter of SiARDP. Further analyses showed that two ABA-responsive element binding (AREB)-type transcription factors, SiAREB1 and SiAREB2, could physically bind to the ABRE core element in vitro and in vivo. The constitutive expression of SiARDP in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced drought and salt tolerance during seed germination and seedling development, and overexpression of SiARDP in foxtail millet improved drought tolerance. The expression levels of target genes of SiARDP were upregulated in transgenic Arabidopsis and foxtail millet. These results reveal that SiARDP, one of the target genes of SiAREB, is involved in ABA-dependent signal pathways and plays a critical role in the abiotic stress response in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]