The complete genome sequence of the radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans R1 is composed of two chromosomes (2,648,638 and 412,348 base pairs), a megaplasmid (177,466 base pairs), and ...a small plasmid (45,704 base pairs), yielding a total genome of 3,284,156 base pairs. Multiple components distributed on the chromosomes and megaplasmid that contribute to the ability of D. radiodurans to survive under conditions of starvation, oxidative stress, and high amounts of DNA damage were identified. Deinococcus radiodurans represents an organism in which all systems for DNA repair, DNA damage export, desiccation and starvation recovery, and genetic redundancy are present in one cell.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The extensive and low-carbon economic modes were constructed on the basis of population, urbanization level, economic growth rate, industrial structure, industrial scale, and ecoenvironmental water ...requirement. The objective of this paper is to quantitatively analyze effects of these two economic modes on regional water demand. Productive and domestic water demands were both derived by their scale and quota. Ecological water calculation involves the water within stream, wetland, and cities and towns. Total water demand of the research region was obtained based on the above three aspects. The research method was applied in the Baiyangdian basin. Results showed that total water demand with the extensive economic mode would increase by 1.27 billion m3, 1.53 billion m3, and 2.16 billion m3 in 2015, 2020, and 2030, respectively, compared with that with low-carbon mode.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Using a data sample collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII storage ring, we observe a new neutral state Z_{c}(3900)^{0} with a significance of 10.4σ. The mass and width are ...measured to be 3894.8±2.3±3.2 MeV/c^{2} and 29.6±8.2±8.2 MeV, respectively, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The Born cross section for e^{+}e^{-}→π^{0}π^{0}J/ψ and the fraction of it attributable to π^{0}Z_{c}(3900)^{0}→π^{0}π^{0}J/ψ in the range E_{c.m.}=4.19-4.42 GeV are also determined. We interpret this state as the neutral partner of the four-quark candidate Z_{c}(3900)^{±}.
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CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UM
Adrenergic, alpha-1B-, receptor (ADRA1B) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 beta (PPARGC1B) genes are involved in regulation of hen ovarian development. In this ...study, these two genes were investigated as possible molecular markers associated with hen-housed egg production, egg weight (EW) and body weight in Chinese Dagu hens. Samples were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) technique, followed by sequencing analysis. Two novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified within the candidate genes. Among them, an A/G transition at base position 1915 in exon 2 of ADRA1B gene and a T/C mutation at base position 6146 in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of PPARGC1B gene were found to be polymorphic and named SNP A1915G and T6146C, respectively. The SNP A1915G (ADRA1B) leads to a non-synonymous substitution (aspartic acid 489-to-glycine). The 360 birds from the Dagu population were divided into genotypes AA and AG, allele A was found to be present at a higher frequency. Furthermore, the AG genotype correlated with significantly higher hen-housed egg production (HHEP) at 30, 43, 57, and 66 wks of age and with a higher EW at 30 and 43 wks (p<0.05). For the SNP T6146C (PPARGC1B), the hens were typed into TT and TC genotypes, with the T allele shown to be dominant. The TC genotype was also markedly correlated with higher HHEP at 57 and 66 wks of age and EW at 30 and 43 wks (p<0.05). Moreover, four haplotypes were reconstructed based on these two SNPs, with the AGTC haplotype found to be associated with the highest HHEP at 30 to 66 wks of age and with higher EW at 30 and 43 wks (p<0.05). Collectively, the two SNPs identified in this study might be used as potential genetic molecular markers favorable in the improvement of egg productivity in chicken breeding.
The crystallographic relationship between austenite and grain boundary nucleated allotriomorphic ferrite has been investigated using electron back-scattered diffraction with a view to establishing a ...mechanism of variant selection. It is possible in some circumstances for the ferrite to adopt a favoured orientation relationship with both of the austenite grains with which it is in contact. However, the theoretical probability for the development of such a dual orientation has in previous work been shown to be very small, although experiments indicate otherwise. In this work, we have discovered experimentally that the probability of dual orientations is significantly increased when adjacent austenite grains are connected by special high-angle boundaries. Crystallographic calculations validate these observations and lead to the conclusion that simultaneous lattice matching between ferrite and its parent austenite grains is more likely in the presence of certain kinds of microscopic texture in the austenite. The phenomenon of dual orientation provides a criterion for crystallographic variant selection during diffusional transformation.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
KEYNOTE-224 cohort 1 demonstrated that pembrolizumab was efficacious and tolerable in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) previously treated with sorafenib. We report results from ...KEYNOTE-224 (NCT02702414) cohort 2, which enrolled patients with advanced HCC and no prior systemic therapy.
KEYNOTE-224 was an open-label, multicountry phase II trial. Eligible patients in cohort 2 had advanced HCC not amenable or refractory to locoregional therapy and not previously treated with systemic therapy. Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks for ≤2 years. Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by central imaging review per RECIST v1.1. Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DOR), disease control rate (DCR), time to progression (TTP), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety/tolerability.
Between September 4, 2018, and February 20, 2019, 51 patients were allocated in cohort 2. The median time from the first dose to data cutoff (January 19, 2021) was 27 months (range, 23-29). ORR was 16% 95% confidence interval (CI), 7-29 and was similar across key subgroups. Median DOR was 16 months (range, 3-24+), and DCR was 57%. The median PFS was 4 months (95% CI, 2-8), and median TTP was 4 months (95% CI, 3-9). Median OS was 17 months (95% CI, 8-23). Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 16% of patients.
In patients with advanced HCC with no prior systemic therapy, pembrolizumab provided durable antitumor activity, promising OS, and had a safety profile consistent with previous observations. These findings support further evaluation of pembrolizumab-based regimens for HCC.
A ReBCO coated conductor maintains high current-carrying capability under a high magnetic field and superior mechanical performance. As a promising candidate material for high-field high-temperature ...superconductor magnets, it has been designed for application in the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor CS coil, with a maximum magnetic field requirement higher than 17 T. In practical application of the ReBCO tapes, the characteristic Ic response with respect to electromagnetic (EM) and thermal stress is important for safe operation of the magnet. In this paper, a nine-turn solenoid magnet was wound from 4 m of CORC cable and tested at 4.2 K in a background magnetic field of up to 19 T. The aim is to check the stability of the current-carrying properties of the ReBCO cable under combined thermal and EM loads. The solenoid coil results in a combined peak magnetic field on the conductor of 19.4 T at a critical current of 888 A. Furthermore, no performance degradation was observed after 20 cycles of operation at 800 A (90% Ic) under a background field of 19 T and 10 cycles of warm-up-cool-down between 77 K and room temperature. This demonstrates the stable performance of ReBCO conductors for high-field magnet application with EM and thermal cycles.
Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), expressed in both natural killer (NK) cells and a subset of T cells, represent a family of both inhibitory and activating receptors that can regulate ...NK and T cells upon interacting with human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules on target cells. The number and distribution of KIR genes vary between individuals and populations from different geographical regions and ethnic origins. In this study, we investigated KIR gene frequencies and genotype diversities of 13 KIR genes, 2 pseudogenes, expressed and non-expressed forms of KIR2DL5 and the two subtypes, full-length and deleted forms, of KIR2DS4 in 100 unrelated healthy individuals of the Bai population, living in the Dali Bai autonomous prefecture in the Yunnan province. All individuals were typed positive for the three framework loci KIR3DL3, 2DL4 and 3DL2, as well as for three non-framework genes KIR2DL1, 2DL3 and the pseudogene KIR2DP1. The gene frequencies of the other KIR genes ranged from 7%-95%. The results of tested linkage disequilibrium (LD) among KIR genes demonstrated that they display a wide range of LD. χ2 analysis among non-ubiquitous genes, using the KIR gene frequency data from our study population, as well as from previously published population data, was conducted and revealed significant differences in the KIR2DL1, 2DL2, 3DL1 and KIR2DS1 genes. The results of the present study can be valuable for enriching the Chinese ethnical gene information resources of the KIR gene pool, for anthropological studies, as well as for KIR-related disease research.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Over the years, many studies have attempted to establish a link between tobacco smoking and an increased risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but their results have been inconsistent. To clarify ...this link, we first conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to integrate the findings of epidemiologic studies from the last half-century. The methodology used for this study followed the checklist proposed by the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) Group. Pooled risk estimates were generated using a random-effects model. Twenty-eight case-control studies and 4 cohort studies involving a total of 10,274 NPC cases and 415,266 comparison subjects were included. A substantial effect of smoking on the risk of NPC was identified in this study. The results showed that ever smokers had a 60% greater risk of developing the disease than never smokers (95% confidence interval: 1.38, 1.87); this was a robust dose-dependent association. More importantly, stronger associations were observed in low-risk populations and among persons with the predominant histological type of differentiated NPC than in high-risk populations and persons with an undifferentiated type; the odds ratios were 1.76 and 2.20, respectively, versus 1.29 and 1.27. In this comprehensive meta-analysis, well-established statistical evidence was provided about the role of tobacco smoking in the etiology of NPC.
Circulating proteins are vital in human health and disease and are frequently used as biomarkers for clinical decision-making or as targets for pharmacological intervention. Here, we map and ...replicate protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) for 90 cardiovascular proteins in over 30,000 individuals, resulting in 451 pQTLs for 85 proteins. For each protein, we further perform pathway mapping to obtain trans-pQTL gene and regulatory designations. We substantiate these regulatory findings with orthogonal evidence for trans-pQTLs using mouse knockdown experiments (ABCA1 and TRIB1) and clinical trial results (chemokine receptors CCR2 and CCR5), with consistent regulation. Finally, we evaluate known drug targets, and suggest new target candidates or repositioning opportunities using Mendelian randomization. This identifies 11 proteins with causal evidence of involvement in human disease that have not previously been targeted, including EGF, IL-16, PAPPA, SPON1, F3, ADM, CASP-8, CHI3L1, CXCL16, GDF15 and MMP-12. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the utility of large-scale mapping of the genetics of the proteome and provide a resource for future precision studies of circulating proteins in human health.
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