It has been reported both in clinic and rodent models that beyond spinal cord injury directly induced symptoms, such as paralysis, neuropathic pain, bladder/bowel dysfunction, and loss of sexual function, there are a ...It has been reported both in clinic and rodent models that beyond spinal cord injury directly induced symptoms, such as paralysis, neuropathic pain, bladder/bowel dysfunction, and loss of sexual function, there are a variety of secondary complications, including memory loss, cognitive decline, depression, and Alzheimer's disease. The largescale longitudinal population-based studies indicate that post-trauma depression is highly prevalent in spinal cord injury patients. Yet, few basic studies have been conducted to address the potential molecular mechanisms. One of possible factors underlying the depression is the reduction of adult hippocampal neurogenesis which may come from less physical activity, social isolation, chronic pain, and elevated neuroinflammation after spinal cord injury. However, there is no clear consensus yet. In this review, we will first summarize the alteration of hippocampal neurogenesis post-spinal cord injury. Then, we will discuss possible mechanisms underlie this important spinal cord injury consequence. Finally, we will outline the potential therapeutic options aimed at enhancing hippocampal neurogenesis to ameliorate depression.展开更多
Objective:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is a highly malignant gastrointestinal cancer with a 5-year survival rate of only 9%.Of PDAC patients,15%-20%are eligible for radical surgery.Gemcitabine is an important...Objective:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is a highly malignant gastrointestinal cancer with a 5-year survival rate of only 9%.Of PDAC patients,15%-20%are eligible for radical surgery.Gemcitabine is an important chemotherapeutic agent for patients with PDAC;however,the efficacy of gemcitabine is limited due to resistance.Therefore,reducing gemcitabine resistance is essential for improving survival of patients with PDAC.Identifying the key target that determines gemcitabine resistance in PDAC and reversing gemcitabine resistance using target inhibitors in combination with gemcitabine are crucial steps in the quest to improve survival prognosis in patients with PDAC.Methods:We constructed a human genome-wide CRISPRa/dCas 9 overexpression library in PDAC cell lines to screen key targets of drug resistance based on sgRNA abundance and enrichment.Then,co-IP,ChIP,ChIP-seq,transcriptome sequencing,and qPCR were used to determine the specific mechanism by which phospholipase D1(PLD1)confers resistance to gemcitabine.Results:PLD1 combines with nucleophosmin 1(NPM1)and triggers NPM1 nuclear translocation,where NPM1 acts as a transcription factor to upregulate interleukin 7 receptor(IL7R)expression.Upon interleukin 7(IL-7)binding,IL7R activates the JAK1/STAT5 signaling pathway to increase the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein,BCL-2,and induce gemcitabine resistance.The PLD1 inhibitor,Vu0155069,targets PLD1 to induce apoptosis in gemcitabine-resistant PDAC cells.Conclusions:PLD1 is an enzyme that has a critical role in PDAC-associated gemcitabine resistance through a non-enzymatic interaction with NPM1,further promoting the downstream JAK1/STAT5/Bcl-2 pathway.Inhibiting any of the participants of this pathway can increase gemcitabine sensitivity.展开更多
BACKGROUND Abnormal type I collagen(COL1)expression is associated with the development of many cardiovascular diseases.The TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway and circRNAs have been shown to regulate COL1 gene expression,...BACKGROUND Abnormal type I collagen(COL1)expression is associated with the development of many cardiovascular diseases.The TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway and circRNAs have been shown to regulate COL1 gene expression,but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood.METHODS Gain-and loss-of-function experiments were prformed to study the effect of circZBTB46 on the expression of alpha 2 chain of type I collagen(COL1A2).Co-immunoprecipitation assay was performed to observe the interaction between two proteins.RNA immunoprecipitation assay and biotin pull-down assay were performed to observe the interaction of circZBTB46 with PDLIM5.RESULTS In this study,we investigated the role of circZBTB46 in regulating COL1A2 expression in human vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs).We found that circZBTB46 is expressed in VSMCs and that TGF-beta inhibits circZBTB46 formation by downregulating KLF4 expression through activation of the Smad signaling pathway.CircZBTB46 inhibits the expression of COL1A2 induced by TGF-beta.Mechanistically,circZBTB46 mediates the interaction between Smad2 and PDLIM5,resulting in the inhibition of Smad signaling and the subsequent downregulation of COL1A2 expression.Furthermore,we found that the expression of TGFbeta and COL1A2 is decreased,while circZBTB46 expression is increased in human abdominal aortic aneurysm tissues,indicating that circZBTB46-mediated regulation of TGF-beta/Smad signaling and COL1A2 synthesis in VSMCs plays a crucial role in vascular homeostasis and aneurysm development.CONCLUSIONS CircZBTB46 was identified as a novel inhibitor of COL1 synthesis in VSMCs,highlighting the importance of circZBTB46 and PDLIM5 in regulating TGF-beta/Smad signaling and COL1A2 expression.展开更多
Image segmentation of sea-land remote sensing images is of great importance for downstream applications including shoreline extraction,the monitoring of near-shore marine environment,and near-shore target recognition....Image segmentation of sea-land remote sensing images is of great importance for downstream applications including shoreline extraction,the monitoring of near-shore marine environment,and near-shore target recognition.To mitigate large number of parameters and improve the segmentation accuracy,we propose a new Squeeze-Depth-Wise UNet(SDW-UNet)deep learning model for sea-land remote sensing image segmentation.The proposed SDW-UNet model leverages the squeeze-excitation and depth-wise separable convolution to construct new convolution modules,which enhance the model capacity in combining multiple channels and reduces the model parameters.We further explore the effect of position-encoded information in NLP(Natural Language Processing)domain on sea-land segmentation task.We have conducted extensive experiments to compare the proposed network with the mainstream segmentation network in terms of accuracy,the number of parameters and the time cost for prediction.The test results on remote sensing data sets of Guam,Okinawa,Taiwan China,San Diego,and Diego Garcia demonstrate the effectiveness of SDW-UNet in recognizing different types of sea-land areas with a smaller number of parameters,reduces prediction time cost and improves performance over other mainstream segmentation models.We also show that the position encoding can further improve the accuracy of model segmentation.展开更多
BACKGROUND Age is a significant risk factor of diabetes mellitus(DM).With the develop of population aging,the incidence of DM remains increasing.Understanding the epidemiology of DM among elderly individuals in a cert...BACKGROUND Age is a significant risk factor of diabetes mellitus(DM).With the develop of population aging,the incidence of DM remains increasing.Understanding the epidemiology of DM among elderly individuals in a certain area contributes to the DM interventions for the local elderly individuals with high risk of DM.AIM To explore the prevalence of DM among elderly individuals in the Lugu community and analyze the related risk factors to provide a valid scientific basis for the health management of elderly individuals.METHODS A total of 4816 elderly people who came to the community for physical examination were retrospectively analyzed.The prevalence of DM among the elderly was calculated.The individuals were divided into a DM group and a non-DM group according to the diagnosis of DM to compare the differences in diastolic blood pressure(DBP)and systolic blood pressure(SBP),fasting blood glucose,body mass index(BMI),waist-to-hip ratio(WHR)and incidence of hypertension(HT),coronary heart disease(CHD),and chronic kidney disease(CKD).RESULTS DM was diagnosed in 32.70%of the 4816 elderly people.The BMI of the DM group(25.16±3.35)was greater than that of the non-DM group(24.61±3.78).The WHR was 0.90±0.04 in the non-DM group and 0.90±0.03 in the DM group,with no significant difference.The left SBP and SBP in the DM group were 137.9 mmHg±11.92 mmHg and 69.95 mmHg±7.75 mmHg,respectively,while they were 126.6 mmHg±12.44 mmHg and 71.15 mmHg±12.55 mmHg,respectively,in the non-DM group.These findings indicate higher SBP and lower DBP in DM patients than in those without DM.In the DM group,1274 patients were diagnosed with HT,accounting for 80.89%.Among the 3241 non-DM patients,1743(53.78%)were hypertensive and 1498(46.22%)were nonhypertensive.The DM group had more cases of HT than did the non-DM group.There were more patients with CHD or CKD in the DM group than in the non-DM group.There were more patients who drank alcohol more frequently(≥3 times)in the DM group than in the non-DM group.CONCLUSION Older adults in the Lugu community are at a greater risk of DM.In elderly individuals,DM is closely related to high BMI and HT,CHD,and CKD.Physical examinations should be actively carried out for elderly people to determine their BMI,SBP,DBP,and other signs,and sufficient attention should be given to abnormalities in the above signs before further diagnosis.展开更多
The application of segmental semi-solid thixoforming of magnesium alloys is confined due to the dimensional distinction existing in solid particles of the alloy billet from edge to center zones. In the present study, ...The application of segmental semi-solid thixoforming of magnesium alloys is confined due to the dimensional distinction existing in solid particles of the alloy billet from edge to center zones. In the present study, the effects of Sm addition on the microstructural evolution of Mg-6Zn-0.4Zr and Mg-6Zn-4Sm-0.4Zr alloys by semi-solid isothermal heat treatment were investigated, to obtain optimum semi-solid microstructures for the subsequently thixoforming. The results indicate that the grains of the Sm-bearing alloy are evidently refined and gradually evolve from dendritic to globular and elliptic particles. In addition, the distinctly dimensional effect of the Mg-6Zn-0.4Zr alloy is eliminated with 4% Sm addition; the particle sizes in all zones from center to the edge of the billet are almost identical. With the increment of isothermal heat treatment temperature, the dendritic microstructures completely disappear, and meanwhile, the irregular and globular particles gradually form. The size, morphology and the distribution of solid particles mainly depend on the formation and permeation of the liquid phase in the process of isothermal heat treatment. As the isothermal temperature increases from 570 °C to 610 °C, the average size and shape factor of solid particles of both the alloys with and without Sm addition gradually decrease while the liquid fraction gradually increases.展开更多
Plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)coatings were prepared on AZ91D magnesium alloys in alkaline silicate-based electrolyte with and without additives.The mutual effects among additives including TiC particles,dispersan...Plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)coatings were prepared on AZ91D magnesium alloys in alkaline silicate-based electrolyte with and without additives.The mutual effects among additives including TiC particles,dispersant polyethylene glycol 6000(PEG6000)and anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS)were studied based on orthogonal experiment.The content and distribution of TiC deposited in the coatings were measured by EPMA and EDS.The thicknesses,phase compositions,microstructures and corrosion resistances of the codlings were cAarnined by using TT260 eddy current tuickncss gage,XRD,SEM and clcctrochcniical test,respectively.The results show that the experiment design of this study is the key to study the mutual effects among these additives.Each additive and their interactions all remarkably influence TiC content and corrosion resistance of the coatings.Smaller size TiC is much easier to migrate towards the anode,and the interaction between PEG6000 and SDS both effectively prevents its agglomeration and increases the number of its negative surface charges,which further increase the migration rate and the deposited uniformity of TiC and make TiC have more opportunity to deposit in the discharge channel.Thus,when smaller size TiC,PEG6000 and SDS are all added into the electrolyte,they could improve the anti-corrosion property of the coating to the largest extent attributed to higher TiC content and the densest microstructure of the coating.展开更多
Controlled Diffusion Solidification(CDS) is a promising process relied on mixing two liquid alloys of precisely controlled chemistry and temperature in order to produce a predetermined alloy composition. In this study...Controlled Diffusion Solidification(CDS) is a promising process relied on mixing two liquid alloys of precisely controlled chemistry and temperature in order to produce a predetermined alloy composition. In this study, the CDS was employed to prepare hypereutectic Al-20%Si(mass fraction) alloy using Al-30%Si and pure Al of different temperatures. The mixing rate was controlled using three small crucibles with a hole of different diameters in their bottom. The effect of mixing rate and temperature on the microstructure of the primary Si-phase during the mixing of molten Al and Al-30%Si was studied. The results showed that when the diameter of the small crucible bottom hole is 16 mm, a higher mass mixing rate 0.217 kg·s-1 would results in a lower stream velocity 0.414 m·s-1. Conversely a lower mass mixing rate 0.114 kg·s-1(the diameter of the small crucible bottom hole is 8 mm) would result in a higher fluid stream velocity 0.879 m·s-1. A lower mass mixing rate would be better to refine the primary Si than a higher mass mixing rate. Meanwhile, the morphology and distribution of primary Si could also be improved. Especially, when Al-30%Si alloy at 820 °C was mixed with pure Al at 670 °C in the case of a mass mixing rate of 0.114 kg·s-1 and a pouring temperature of 680 °C, the average size of the primary Si phase would be only 18.2 μm. Its morphology would mostly be octahedral and the primary Si would distribute uniformly in the matrix microstructure. The lower mass mixing rate(0.114 kg·s-1) will enhance the broken tendency of Al-30%Si steam and the mixing agitation of resultant melt, so the primary Si phase can be better refined.展开更多
A super redundant serpentine manipulator has slender structure and multiple degrees of freedom.It can travel through narrow spaces and move in complex spaces.This manipulator is composed of many modules that can form ...A super redundant serpentine manipulator has slender structure and multiple degrees of freedom.It can travel through narrow spaces and move in complex spaces.This manipulator is composed of many modules that can form different lengths of robot arms for different application sites.The increase in degrees of freedom causes the inverse kinematics of redundant manipulator to be typical and immensely increases the calculation load in the joint space.This paper presents an integrated optimization method to solve the path planning for obstacle avoidance and discrete trajectory tracking of a super redundant manipulator.In this integrated optimization,path planning is established on a Bezier curve,and particle swarm optimization is adopted to adjust the control points of the Bezier curve with the kinematic constraints of manipulator.A feasible obstacle avoidance path is obtained along with a discrete trajectory tracking by using a follow-the-leader strategy.The relative distance between each two discrete path points is limited to reduce the fitting error of the connecting rigid links to the smooth curve.Simulation results show that this integrated optimization method can rapidly search for the appropriate trajectory to guide the manipulator in obtaining the target while achieving obstacle avoidance and meeting joint constraints.The proposed algorithm is suitable for 3D space obstacle avoidance and multitarget path tracking.展开更多
Molybdenum carbides are highly active for CO2 conversion to CO via the reverse water-gas shift(RWGS)reaction, however the large grain size up to micrometers renders its relatively lower active sites utilization effici...Molybdenum carbides are highly active for CO2 conversion to CO via the reverse water-gas shift(RWGS)reaction, however the large grain size up to micrometers renders its relatively lower active sites utilization efficiency while generating CH4 as a by-product. In this work, a homogeneously dispersed molybdenum carbide hybrid catalyst with sub-nanosized cluster(the average size as small as 0.5 nm) is prepared via a facile carbothermal treatment for highly selective CO2-CO reduction. The partially disordered Mo2C clusters are characterized by synchrotron high-resolution XRD and atomic resolution HAADF-STEM analysis, for which the source cause of the disorder is pinpointed by XAFS analysis to be the nitrogen intercalants from the carbonaceous precursor. The partially disordered Mo2C clusters show a RWGS rate as high as 184.4 μmol gMo2C-1s-1 at 400 ℃ with a superior selectivity toward CO(> 99.5%). This work 2 highlights a facile strategy for fabricating highly dispersed and partially disordered Mo2C clusters at a sub-nano size with beneficial N-doping for delivering high catalytic activity and operational stability.展开更多
The application of Mg-Zn binary alloys is restricted due to their developed dendritic microstructure and poor mechanical properties. In this study, an alloying method was used to improve the mechanical properties of M...The application of Mg-Zn binary alloys is restricted due to their developed dendritic microstructure and poor mechanical properties. In this study, an alloying method was used to improve the mechanical properties of Mg-Zn alloy. The Mg-6Zn magnesium alloys microalloyed with varying Cu content(0, 0.8, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5wt.%) were fabricated by permanent mould casting, and the effects of Cu content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg-6Zn alloys were studied using OM, SEM, XRD and tensile tests at room temperature. The obtained results show that the addition of Cu not only can refine the grains effectively, but also can modify the eutectic morphology and improve the mechanical properties of the alloys. The main phases of the studied alloys include α-Mg, MgZn_2, Mg_2Cu and CuMgZn. When the content of Cu exceeds 0.8wt.%, Mg_2Cu phase appears. Meanwhile, the eutectic morphology is modified into dendritic shape or lamellar structure, which has an adverse effect on the tensile properties. Furthermore, among the investigated alloys, the alloy containing 0.8% Cu shows an optimalultimate tensile strength of 196 MPa, while the alloy with 1.5wt.% Cu obtains an excellent elongation of 7.22%. The experimental alloys under different Cu contents show distinguishing fracture behaviors: the fracture of the alloy with 0.8wt.% Cu reveals a mixed mode of inter-granular and quasi-cleavage, while in other investigated alloys, the fracture behaviors are dominated by cleavage fracture.展开更多
Driven by the increasing demand for electrochemical energy storage,lithium ion and lithium batteries have been the subject of tremendous scientific endeavors for decades.However,limited energy density,which is bottlen...Driven by the increasing demand for electrochemical energy storage,lithium ion and lithium batteries have been the subject of tremendous scientific endeavors for decades.However,limited energy density,which is bottlenecked by available high-density cathode materials,has become a critical issue to be solved.展开更多
Novel hybrid coatings on pure magnesium were prepared by combining plasma electrolytic carburizing(PEC)with micro-arc oxidation(MAO)to further enhance the anti-corrosion property in this paper.Scanning electron micros...Novel hybrid coatings on pure magnesium were prepared by combining plasma electrolytic carburizing(PEC)with micro-arc oxidation(MAO)to further enhance the anti-corrosion property in this paper.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)was used to observe the microstructure of the coatings,meanwhile,energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS)and X-ray diffraction(XRD)were separately used to investigate the elemental as well as phase compositions of the coatings.The anti-corrosion property of the coatings was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization curves as well as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS).The results show that PEC process is closely related with the effects of adsorption as well as diffusion of the activated carbon atoms,and it can provide a favorable pretreatment surface with predesigned chemical composition to obtain a new kind of phase,namely Si C with superior corrosion resistance and chemical stability,in the following PEC+MAO hybrid coatings.Meanwhile,PEC preprocessing also can afford an excellent micro-structure to increase the coating thickness as well as to improve the compactness of the PEC+MAO hybrid coatings.During the fabrication process of the PEC+MAO hybrid coatings,an overlapping phenomenon in regard to coating thickness can be observed instead of heaping up layer by layer.Compared with both single PEC surface modification layers as well as single MAO coatings,the PEC+MAO hybrid coatings exhibit more superior anti-corrosion property.Especially,the EIS data reveal that the PEC+MAO hybrid coatings can act as an effective protection system to provide relatively excellent long-range anti-corrosion protection.Note also that employing same MAO technique for both single MAO treatment as well as PEC+MAO combining procedure is the key to this research.展开更多
As the end products of cellular regulatory processes,metabolites provide the link between genotypes and phenotypes.Althoughmetabolites have been widely applied for functional gene detection and phenotype prediction in...As the end products of cellular regulatory processes,metabolites provide the link between genotypes and phenotypes.Althoughmetabolites have been widely applied for functional gene detection and phenotype prediction in maize,there is little research focusing on the genetic information of metabolites per se.Here,we performed genetic analyses for the kernel metabolites of 11 parental inbred lines of six representative maize varieties,including Zhongdan 2,Danyu 13,Yedan 13,Zhengdan 958,Xianyu 355,and Suyu 16,as well as their 26 reciprocal hybrids.We identified a total of 208 metabolites in maize kernels using untargeted metabolite profiling technology.Both cluster analysis and principal component analysis indicated that kernel metabolites could distinguish hybrids from their parents.Analysis of variance further revealed that 163 metabolites exhibited significant differences between parents and hybrids,and 40 metabolites showed significant differences between reciprocal crosses.We also investigated the genetic effects and heterosis for each metabolite.By taking all hybrids into consideration,about two-thirds of all metabolites displayed overdominant with 36.8%and 31%of them displaying positive overdominant and negative overdominant,respectively.Besides,27.5%and 20.4%of all hybrid combinations showed significant mid-parent heterosis and over-parent heterosis,respectively.Our findings revealed that kernel metabolites exhibited the diversity of relationship between maize hybrids and their parental lines.Additionally,we identified 25 significant metabolicmarkers related to 11 agronomic traits using the LASSO method.Seven metabolic markers were associated with more than one trait simultaneously.These results provide a genetic basis for further utilization of metabolites in the genetic improvement of maize.展开更多
BACKGROUND Papillary cystadenoma is a rare benign epithelial tumor of the salivary gland,which is characterized by papillary structures and oncocytic cells with rich eosinophilic cytoplasm. We found only one case of p...BACKGROUND Papillary cystadenoma is a rare benign epithelial tumor of the salivary gland,which is characterized by papillary structures and oncocytic cells with rich eosinophilic cytoplasm. We found only one case of papillary cystadenoma in nearly 700 cases of salivary gland tumors. Our case was initially mistaken for a tumor of the right temporomandibular joint(TMJ) capsule rather than of parotid gland origin. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and computed tomography(CT) should be carefully studied, which allows for appropriate preoperative counseling and operative planning.CASE SUMMARY Here, we report an unusual case of a 54-year-old woman with a parotid gland papillary cystadenoma(PGPC) that was misdiagnosed as a tumor of the right TMJ capsule. She was initially admitted to our hospital due to a mass anterior to her right ear inadvertently found 5 d ago. Preoperative CT and MRI revealed a well circumscribed tumor that was attached to the right TMJ capsule. The patient underwent a resection through an incision for TMJ, but evaluation of an intraoperative frozen section revealed a benign tumor of the parotid gland. Then we removed part of the parotid gland above the temporal facial trunk. The facial nerve was preserved. Postoperative histopathological findings revealed that the tumor was PGPC. No additional treatment was performed. There was no recurrence during a 20-mo follow-up period.CONCLUSION The integrity of the interstitial space around the condyle in MRI or CT should be carefully evaluated for parotid gland or TMJ tumors.展开更多
Objectives To investigate the effects of atorvastatin on the mRNA expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) activated by TNF-α in cultured human umbilical...Objectives To investigate the effects of atorvastatin on the mRNA expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) activated by TNF-α in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Methods and Results Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the culture media increased when HUVEC were incubated with TNF-α, suggesting a cytotoxic effect of TNF-α on HUVEC. The mRNA expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 increased in HUVEC incubated with 10μg/L TNF-α and reached peak in HUVEC incubated with 30μg/L TNF-α. The mRNA expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in HUVEC incubated with 30μg/L TNF-α began to increase at 6 h, reached peak at 48 h, and kept a plateau until 72 h. Atorvastatin dose-dependently inhibited the mRNA expressions of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 activated by incubating HUVEC with 30μg/L TNF-α for 48 hours. Conclusions Atorvastatin might stabilize plaque and decelerate the process of AS by inhibiting the mRNA expressions of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1.展开更多
基金supported by the Showalter Research Trust Fund (to XG)Indiana Spinal Cord&Brain Injury Research Fund (ISCBIRF) from the Indiana State Departm ent of Health (to XG)。
文摘It has been reported both in clinic and rodent models that beyond spinal cord injury directly induced symptoms, such as paralysis, neuropathic pain, bladder/bowel dysfunction, and loss of sexual function, there are a variety of secondary complications, including memory loss, cognitive decline, depression, and Alzheimer's disease. The largescale longitudinal population-based studies indicate that post-trauma depression is highly prevalent in spinal cord injury patients. Yet, few basic studies have been conducted to address the potential molecular mechanisms. One of possible factors underlying the depression is the reduction of adult hippocampal neurogenesis which may come from less physical activity, social isolation, chronic pain, and elevated neuroinflammation after spinal cord injury. However, there is no clear consensus yet. In this review, we will first summarize the alteration of hippocampal neurogenesis post-spinal cord injury. Then, we will discuss possible mechanisms underlie this important spinal cord injury consequence. Finally, we will outline the potential therapeutic options aimed at enhancing hippocampal neurogenesis to ameliorate depression.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2021YFA1201100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.82103006,82030092,81720108028,82072657,82072716,82103003,82173295,81871968,81871978,82072691,and 82103222)+1 种基金the Tianjin Hygiene Healthy Science and Technology Project(Grant No.TJWJ2022MS007)the Science&Technology Development Fund of Tianjin Education Commission for Higher Education(Grant No.2020KJ141).
文摘Objective:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is a highly malignant gastrointestinal cancer with a 5-year survival rate of only 9%.Of PDAC patients,15%-20%are eligible for radical surgery.Gemcitabine is an important chemotherapeutic agent for patients with PDAC;however,the efficacy of gemcitabine is limited due to resistance.Therefore,reducing gemcitabine resistance is essential for improving survival of patients with PDAC.Identifying the key target that determines gemcitabine resistance in PDAC and reversing gemcitabine resistance using target inhibitors in combination with gemcitabine are crucial steps in the quest to improve survival prognosis in patients with PDAC.Methods:We constructed a human genome-wide CRISPRa/dCas 9 overexpression library in PDAC cell lines to screen key targets of drug resistance based on sgRNA abundance and enrichment.Then,co-IP,ChIP,ChIP-seq,transcriptome sequencing,and qPCR were used to determine the specific mechanism by which phospholipase D1(PLD1)confers resistance to gemcitabine.Results:PLD1 combines with nucleophosmin 1(NPM1)and triggers NPM1 nuclear translocation,where NPM1 acts as a transcription factor to upregulate interleukin 7 receptor(IL7R)expression.Upon interleukin 7(IL-7)binding,IL7R activates the JAK1/STAT5 signaling pathway to increase the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein,BCL-2,and induce gemcitabine resistance.The PLD1 inhibitor,Vu0155069,targets PLD1 to induce apoptosis in gemcitabine-resistant PDAC cells.Conclusions:PLD1 is an enzyme that has a critical role in PDAC-associated gemcitabine resistance through a non-enzymatic interaction with NPM1,further promoting the downstream JAK1/STAT5/Bcl-2 pathway.Inhibiting any of the participants of this pathway can increase gemcitabine sensitivity.
基金This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31671182&No.31871152&No.81770285&No.81971328&No.82271624)the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province of China(No.H2022206074&No.H2021206459)the Medical Science Research Project in Hebei Province Foundation of Health Commission of Hebei Province of China(No.20230065).
文摘BACKGROUND Abnormal type I collagen(COL1)expression is associated with the development of many cardiovascular diseases.The TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway and circRNAs have been shown to regulate COL1 gene expression,but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood.METHODS Gain-and loss-of-function experiments were prformed to study the effect of circZBTB46 on the expression of alpha 2 chain of type I collagen(COL1A2).Co-immunoprecipitation assay was performed to observe the interaction between two proteins.RNA immunoprecipitation assay and biotin pull-down assay were performed to observe the interaction of circZBTB46 with PDLIM5.RESULTS In this study,we investigated the role of circZBTB46 in regulating COL1A2 expression in human vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs).We found that circZBTB46 is expressed in VSMCs and that TGF-beta inhibits circZBTB46 formation by downregulating KLF4 expression through activation of the Smad signaling pathway.CircZBTB46 inhibits the expression of COL1A2 induced by TGF-beta.Mechanistically,circZBTB46 mediates the interaction between Smad2 and PDLIM5,resulting in the inhibition of Smad signaling and the subsequent downregulation of COL1A2 expression.Furthermore,we found that the expression of TGFbeta and COL1A2 is decreased,while circZBTB46 expression is increased in human abdominal aortic aneurysm tissues,indicating that circZBTB46-mediated regulation of TGF-beta/Smad signaling and COL1A2 synthesis in VSMCs plays a crucial role in vascular homeostasis and aneurysm development.CONCLUSIONS CircZBTB46 was identified as a novel inhibitor of COL1 synthesis in VSMCs,highlighting the importance of circZBTB46 and PDLIM5 in regulating TGF-beta/Smad signaling and COL1A2 expression.
基金This paper is supported by the following funds:The National Key Research and Development Program of China(2018YFF01010100)The Beijing Natural Science Foundation(4212001)+1 种基金Basic Research Program of Qinghai Province under Grants No.2021-ZJ-704Advanced information network Beijing laboratory(PXM2019_014204_500029).
文摘Image segmentation of sea-land remote sensing images is of great importance for downstream applications including shoreline extraction,the monitoring of near-shore marine environment,and near-shore target recognition.To mitigate large number of parameters and improve the segmentation accuracy,we propose a new Squeeze-Depth-Wise UNet(SDW-UNet)deep learning model for sea-land remote sensing image segmentation.The proposed SDW-UNet model leverages the squeeze-excitation and depth-wise separable convolution to construct new convolution modules,which enhance the model capacity in combining multiple channels and reduces the model parameters.We further explore the effect of position-encoded information in NLP(Natural Language Processing)domain on sea-land segmentation task.We have conducted extensive experiments to compare the proposed network with the mainstream segmentation network in terms of accuracy,the number of parameters and the time cost for prediction.The test results on remote sensing data sets of Guam,Okinawa,Taiwan China,San Diego,and Diego Garcia demonstrate the effectiveness of SDW-UNet in recognizing different types of sea-land areas with a smaller number of parameters,reduces prediction time cost and improves performance over other mainstream segmentation models.We also show that the position encoding can further improve the accuracy of model segmentation.
基金Supported by the Capital’s Funds for Health Improvement and Research,No.2023-3S-002.
文摘BACKGROUND Age is a significant risk factor of diabetes mellitus(DM).With the develop of population aging,the incidence of DM remains increasing.Understanding the epidemiology of DM among elderly individuals in a certain area contributes to the DM interventions for the local elderly individuals with high risk of DM.AIM To explore the prevalence of DM among elderly individuals in the Lugu community and analyze the related risk factors to provide a valid scientific basis for the health management of elderly individuals.METHODS A total of 4816 elderly people who came to the community for physical examination were retrospectively analyzed.The prevalence of DM among the elderly was calculated.The individuals were divided into a DM group and a non-DM group according to the diagnosis of DM to compare the differences in diastolic blood pressure(DBP)and systolic blood pressure(SBP),fasting blood glucose,body mass index(BMI),waist-to-hip ratio(WHR)and incidence of hypertension(HT),coronary heart disease(CHD),and chronic kidney disease(CKD).RESULTS DM was diagnosed in 32.70%of the 4816 elderly people.The BMI of the DM group(25.16±3.35)was greater than that of the non-DM group(24.61±3.78).The WHR was 0.90±0.04 in the non-DM group and 0.90±0.03 in the DM group,with no significant difference.The left SBP and SBP in the DM group were 137.9 mmHg±11.92 mmHg and 69.95 mmHg±7.75 mmHg,respectively,while they were 126.6 mmHg±12.44 mmHg and 71.15 mmHg±12.55 mmHg,respectively,in the non-DM group.These findings indicate higher SBP and lower DBP in DM patients than in those without DM.In the DM group,1274 patients were diagnosed with HT,accounting for 80.89%.Among the 3241 non-DM patients,1743(53.78%)were hypertensive and 1498(46.22%)were nonhypertensive.The DM group had more cases of HT than did the non-DM group.There were more patients with CHD or CKD in the DM group than in the non-DM group.There were more patients who drank alcohol more frequently(≥3 times)in the DM group than in the non-DM group.CONCLUSION Older adults in the Lugu community are at a greater risk of DM.In elderly individuals,DM is closely related to high BMI and HT,CHD,and CKD.Physical examinations should be actively carried out for elderly people to determine their BMI,SBP,DBP,and other signs,and sufficient attention should be given to abnormalities in the above signs before further diagnosis.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundations of China(51464032)the National Basic Research Program of China(grant No.2010CB635106)
文摘The application of segmental semi-solid thixoforming of magnesium alloys is confined due to the dimensional distinction existing in solid particles of the alloy billet from edge to center zones. In the present study, the effects of Sm addition on the microstructural evolution of Mg-6Zn-0.4Zr and Mg-6Zn-4Sm-0.4Zr alloys by semi-solid isothermal heat treatment were investigated, to obtain optimum semi-solid microstructures for the subsequently thixoforming. The results indicate that the grains of the Sm-bearing alloy are evidently refined and gradually evolve from dendritic to globular and elliptic particles. In addition, the distinctly dimensional effect of the Mg-6Zn-0.4Zr alloy is eliminated with 4% Sm addition; the particle sizes in all zones from center to the edge of the billet are almost identical. With the increment of isothermal heat treatment temperature, the dendritic microstructures completely disappear, and meanwhile, the irregular and globular particles gradually form. The size, morphology and the distribution of solid particles mainly depend on the formation and permeation of the liquid phase in the process of isothermal heat treatment. As the isothermal temperature increases from 570 °C to 610 °C, the average size and shape factor of solid particles of both the alloys with and without Sm addition gradually decrease while the liquid fraction gradually increases.
基金The authors are grateful to the Department of Science&Technology of Gansu Province(China)for the support of the Creative Research Group Fund Grant(1111RJDA011)the Open Fund(SKLAB02015006)from State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Non-ferrous Metals(China).
文摘Plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)coatings were prepared on AZ91D magnesium alloys in alkaline silicate-based electrolyte with and without additives.The mutual effects among additives including TiC particles,dispersant polyethylene glycol 6000(PEG6000)and anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS)were studied based on orthogonal experiment.The content and distribution of TiC deposited in the coatings were measured by EPMA and EDS.The thicknesses,phase compositions,microstructures and corrosion resistances of the codlings were cAarnined by using TT260 eddy current tuickncss gage,XRD,SEM and clcctrochcniical test,respectively.The results show that the experiment design of this study is the key to study the mutual effects among these additives.Each additive and their interactions all remarkably influence TiC content and corrosion resistance of the coatings.Smaller size TiC is much easier to migrate towards the anode,and the interaction between PEG6000 and SDS both effectively prevents its agglomeration and increases the number of its negative surface charges,which further increase the migration rate and the deposited uniformity of TiC and make TiC have more opportunity to deposit in the discharge channel.Thus,when smaller size TiC,PEG6000 and SDS are all added into the electrolyte,they could improve the anti-corrosion property of the coating to the largest extent attributed to higher TiC content and the densest microstructure of the coating.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51064017 and 51464031)
文摘Controlled Diffusion Solidification(CDS) is a promising process relied on mixing two liquid alloys of precisely controlled chemistry and temperature in order to produce a predetermined alloy composition. In this study, the CDS was employed to prepare hypereutectic Al-20%Si(mass fraction) alloy using Al-30%Si and pure Al of different temperatures. The mixing rate was controlled using three small crucibles with a hole of different diameters in their bottom. The effect of mixing rate and temperature on the microstructure of the primary Si-phase during the mixing of molten Al and Al-30%Si was studied. The results showed that when the diameter of the small crucible bottom hole is 16 mm, a higher mass mixing rate 0.217 kg·s-1 would results in a lower stream velocity 0.414 m·s-1. Conversely a lower mass mixing rate 0.114 kg·s-1(the diameter of the small crucible bottom hole is 8 mm) would result in a higher fluid stream velocity 0.879 m·s-1. A lower mass mixing rate would be better to refine the primary Si than a higher mass mixing rate. Meanwhile, the morphology and distribution of primary Si could also be improved. Especially, when Al-30%Si alloy at 820 °C was mixed with pure Al at 670 °C in the case of a mass mixing rate of 0.114 kg·s-1 and a pouring temperature of 680 °C, the average size of the primary Si phase would be only 18.2 μm. Its morphology would mostly be octahedral and the primary Si would distribute uniformly in the matrix microstructure. The lower mass mixing rate(0.114 kg·s-1) will enhance the broken tendency of Al-30%Si steam and the mixing agitation of resultant melt, so the primary Si phase can be better refined.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.61733017)Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Robotics of China(Grant No.2018O13)Shanghai Pujiang Program of China(Grant No.18PJD018).
文摘A super redundant serpentine manipulator has slender structure and multiple degrees of freedom.It can travel through narrow spaces and move in complex spaces.This manipulator is composed of many modules that can form different lengths of robot arms for different application sites.The increase in degrees of freedom causes the inverse kinematics of redundant manipulator to be typical and immensely increases the calculation load in the joint space.This paper presents an integrated optimization method to solve the path planning for obstacle avoidance and discrete trajectory tracking of a super redundant manipulator.In this integrated optimization,path planning is established on a Bezier curve,and particle swarm optimization is adopted to adjust the control points of the Bezier curve with the kinematic constraints of manipulator.A feasible obstacle avoidance path is obtained along with a discrete trajectory tracking by using a follow-the-leader strategy.The relative distance between each two discrete path points is limited to reduce the fitting error of the connecting rigid links to the smooth curve.Simulation results show that this integrated optimization method can rapidly search for the appropriate trajectory to guide the manipulator in obtaining the target while achieving obstacle avoidance and meeting joint constraints.The proposed algorithm is suitable for 3D space obstacle avoidance and multitarget path tracking.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21872144,21972140 and 91645117)Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program(XLYC1907053)+2 种基金CAS Youth Innovation Promotion Association(2018220)Talents Innovation Project of Dalian City(2017RQ032 and 2016RD04)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2019TQ0314,2018M641726 and 2019M661146)。
文摘Molybdenum carbides are highly active for CO2 conversion to CO via the reverse water-gas shift(RWGS)reaction, however the large grain size up to micrometers renders its relatively lower active sites utilization efficiency while generating CH4 as a by-product. In this work, a homogeneously dispersed molybdenum carbide hybrid catalyst with sub-nanosized cluster(the average size as small as 0.5 nm) is prepared via a facile carbothermal treatment for highly selective CO2-CO reduction. The partially disordered Mo2C clusters are characterized by synchrotron high-resolution XRD and atomic resolution HAADF-STEM analysis, for which the source cause of the disorder is pinpointed by XAFS analysis to be the nitrogen intercalants from the carbonaceous precursor. The partially disordered Mo2C clusters show a RWGS rate as high as 184.4 μmol gMo2C-1s-1 at 400 ℃ with a superior selectivity toward CO(> 99.5%). This work 2 highlights a facile strategy for fabricating highly dispersed and partially disordered Mo2C clusters at a sub-nano size with beneficial N-doping for delivering high catalytic activity and operational stability.
基金financially supported by the National Nature Science Foundations of China(51464032)the National Basic Research Program of China(grant No.2010CB635106)
文摘The application of Mg-Zn binary alloys is restricted due to their developed dendritic microstructure and poor mechanical properties. In this study, an alloying method was used to improve the mechanical properties of Mg-Zn alloy. The Mg-6Zn magnesium alloys microalloyed with varying Cu content(0, 0.8, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5wt.%) were fabricated by permanent mould casting, and the effects of Cu content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg-6Zn alloys were studied using OM, SEM, XRD and tensile tests at room temperature. The obtained results show that the addition of Cu not only can refine the grains effectively, but also can modify the eutectic morphology and improve the mechanical properties of the alloys. The main phases of the studied alloys include α-Mg, MgZn_2, Mg_2Cu and CuMgZn. When the content of Cu exceeds 0.8wt.%, Mg_2Cu phase appears. Meanwhile, the eutectic morphology is modified into dendritic shape or lamellar structure, which has an adverse effect on the tensile properties. Furthermore, among the investigated alloys, the alloy containing 0.8% Cu shows an optimalultimate tensile strength of 196 MPa, while the alloy with 1.5wt.% Cu obtains an excellent elongation of 7.22%. The experimental alloys under different Cu contents show distinguishing fracture behaviors: the fracture of the alloy with 0.8wt.% Cu reveals a mixed mode of inter-granular and quasi-cleavage, while in other investigated alloys, the fracture behaviors are dominated by cleavage fracture.
文摘Driven by the increasing demand for electrochemical energy storage,lithium ion and lithium batteries have been the subject of tremendous scientific endeavors for decades.However,limited energy density,which is bottlenecked by available high-density cathode materials,has become a critical issue to be solved.
基金financially supported by the Creative Research Group Fund Grant of Gansu Province,China(1111RJDA011)。
文摘Novel hybrid coatings on pure magnesium were prepared by combining plasma electrolytic carburizing(PEC)with micro-arc oxidation(MAO)to further enhance the anti-corrosion property in this paper.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)was used to observe the microstructure of the coatings,meanwhile,energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS)and X-ray diffraction(XRD)were separately used to investigate the elemental as well as phase compositions of the coatings.The anti-corrosion property of the coatings was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization curves as well as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS).The results show that PEC process is closely related with the effects of adsorption as well as diffusion of the activated carbon atoms,and it can provide a favorable pretreatment surface with predesigned chemical composition to obtain a new kind of phase,namely Si C with superior corrosion resistance and chemical stability,in the following PEC+MAO hybrid coatings.Meanwhile,PEC preprocessing also can afford an excellent micro-structure to increase the coating thickness as well as to improve the compactness of the PEC+MAO hybrid coatings.During the fabrication process of the PEC+MAO hybrid coatings,an overlapping phenomenon in regard to coating thickness can be observed instead of heaping up layer by layer.Compared with both single PEC surface modification layers as well as single MAO coatings,the PEC+MAO hybrid coatings exhibit more superior anti-corrosion property.Especially,the EIS data reveal that the PEC+MAO hybrid coatings can act as an effective protection system to provide relatively excellent long-range anti-corrosion protection.Note also that employing same MAO technique for both single MAO treatment as well as PEC+MAO combining procedure is the key to this research.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31801028,41801013,31902101)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFD0100303)+2 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20180939)Qing Lan Project of Yangzhou Universitythe Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions。
文摘As the end products of cellular regulatory processes,metabolites provide the link between genotypes and phenotypes.Althoughmetabolites have been widely applied for functional gene detection and phenotype prediction in maize,there is little research focusing on the genetic information of metabolites per se.Here,we performed genetic analyses for the kernel metabolites of 11 parental inbred lines of six representative maize varieties,including Zhongdan 2,Danyu 13,Yedan 13,Zhengdan 958,Xianyu 355,and Suyu 16,as well as their 26 reciprocal hybrids.We identified a total of 208 metabolites in maize kernels using untargeted metabolite profiling technology.Both cluster analysis and principal component analysis indicated that kernel metabolites could distinguish hybrids from their parents.Analysis of variance further revealed that 163 metabolites exhibited significant differences between parents and hybrids,and 40 metabolites showed significant differences between reciprocal crosses.We also investigated the genetic effects and heterosis for each metabolite.By taking all hybrids into consideration,about two-thirds of all metabolites displayed overdominant with 36.8%and 31%of them displaying positive overdominant and negative overdominant,respectively.Besides,27.5%and 20.4%of all hybrid combinations showed significant mid-parent heterosis and over-parent heterosis,respectively.Our findings revealed that kernel metabolites exhibited the diversity of relationship between maize hybrids and their parental lines.Additionally,we identified 25 significant metabolicmarkers related to 11 agronomic traits using the LASSO method.Seven metabolic markers were associated with more than one trait simultaneously.These results provide a genetic basis for further utilization of metabolites in the genetic improvement of maize.
基金Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province,No.20170541042
文摘BACKGROUND Papillary cystadenoma is a rare benign epithelial tumor of the salivary gland,which is characterized by papillary structures and oncocytic cells with rich eosinophilic cytoplasm. We found only one case of papillary cystadenoma in nearly 700 cases of salivary gland tumors. Our case was initially mistaken for a tumor of the right temporomandibular joint(TMJ) capsule rather than of parotid gland origin. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and computed tomography(CT) should be carefully studied, which allows for appropriate preoperative counseling and operative planning.CASE SUMMARY Here, we report an unusual case of a 54-year-old woman with a parotid gland papillary cystadenoma(PGPC) that was misdiagnosed as a tumor of the right TMJ capsule. She was initially admitted to our hospital due to a mass anterior to her right ear inadvertently found 5 d ago. Preoperative CT and MRI revealed a well circumscribed tumor that was attached to the right TMJ capsule. The patient underwent a resection through an incision for TMJ, but evaluation of an intraoperative frozen section revealed a benign tumor of the parotid gland. Then we removed part of the parotid gland above the temporal facial trunk. The facial nerve was preserved. Postoperative histopathological findings revealed that the tumor was PGPC. No additional treatment was performed. There was no recurrence during a 20-mo follow-up period.CONCLUSION The integrity of the interstitial space around the condyle in MRI or CT should be carefully evaluated for parotid gland or TMJ tumors.
文摘Objectives To investigate the effects of atorvastatin on the mRNA expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) activated by TNF-α in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Methods and Results Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the culture media increased when HUVEC were incubated with TNF-α, suggesting a cytotoxic effect of TNF-α on HUVEC. The mRNA expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 increased in HUVEC incubated with 10μg/L TNF-α and reached peak in HUVEC incubated with 30μg/L TNF-α. The mRNA expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in HUVEC incubated with 30μg/L TNF-α began to increase at 6 h, reached peak at 48 h, and kept a plateau until 72 h. Atorvastatin dose-dependently inhibited the mRNA expressions of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 activated by incubating HUVEC with 30μg/L TNF-α for 48 hours. Conclusions Atorvastatin might stabilize plaque and decelerate the process of AS by inhibiting the mRNA expressions of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1.
