Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) has been shown to be crucial in tumorigenesis where the EMT program enhances metastasis, chemoresistance and tumor stemness. Due to its emerging role as a ...pivotal driver of tumorigenesis, targeting EMT is of great therapeutic interest in counteracting metastasis and chemoresistance in cancer patients. The hallmark of EMT is the upregulation of N-cadherin followed by the downregulation of E-cadherin, and this process is regulated by a complex network of signaling pathways and transcription factors. In this review, we summarized the recent understanding of the roles of E- and N-cadherins in cancer invasion and metastasis as well as the crosstalk with other signaling pathways involved in EMT. We also highlighted a few natural compounds with potential anti-EMT property and outlined the future directions in the development of novel intervention in human cancer treatments. We have reviewed 287 published papers related to this topic and identified some of the challenges faced in translating the discovery work from bench to bedside.
The main objective of sustainable development is to ensure the current and future demand can be satisfied. Food, energy and water is the primary human demand. However, China is facing security issues ...of water, energy and food due to several economic, social and environmental impacts such as economic progress, population growth and environmental change. For this reason, it is important to evaluate the relationship between food, energy and water with sustainability aspects. Using Bayesian network models, we propose a quantitative analysis framework based on the Water-Energy-Food-Economy-Society-Environment Nexus. Under this framework, the causality relations between water, energy, food and economy, society, environment were studied and quantified. Additionally, the demand for water, energy, food was predicted from a perspective of systematic interaction. Different from previous studies, our research is more comprehensive, involving six subsystems. More importantly, we do research from a systematic point of view. Thirdly, the causality in the nexus was quantified. As a result, we found that water withdrawal is directly affected by population growth and energy demand, indirectly by other nodes in the nexus; energy demand is directly affected by GDP and population growth in the nexus; population growth is the only direct cause of changes in food demand. Projections show that the demand for water, energy and food in China will remain at 600,620) billion cubic meters, a growth rate of 4%, 8%) and 0%, 5%) with an average probability of 0.6772, 0.6128 and 0.7055 respectively from 2020 to 2030.
•Integrated resource management is crucial for national sustainable development.•Proposing a quantitative analysis framework based on Bayesian networks.•Water intake is directly affected by population growth and energy demand.•GDP and population are direct causes of changes in energy demand in the nexus.•Population is the only direct cause of changes in food demand in the nexus.
In this paper, the new structural characteristics and core influencing factors of the crude oil prices are summarized based on previous representative research results. Firstly, a newly dynamic ...Bayesian structural time series model (DBSTS) is developed to investigate the oil prices. In particular, Google trend is introduced as an indicator to reflect the impact of search data on the oil price. Secondly, the spike and slab method is employed to select core influence factors. Finally, the Bayesian model average (BMA) is utilized to predict the oil price. Experimental results confirm that the supply and demand of global crude oil and the financial market are still the main factors affecting the oil price. Furthermore, Google trend can reflect the changes in the crude oil price to a certain extent. Moreover, the impact of shale oil production on the oil price is gradually increasing, yet remains relatively small. In addition, the DBSTS model can identify turning points in historical data (such as the 2008 financial crisis). Finally, the findings suggest the DBSTS model has good predictive capabilities in short-term prediction, making it suitable for analyzing the crude oil prices.
•A novel dynamic Bayesian structural time series model is developed.•415 explanatory variables are included, especially, Google trend search data.•Spike-slab regression is used to extract core factors and analyze new structural characteristics.•The impact of shale oil production on oil price is small relatively.•Turning points of historical oil price are identified and analyzed.
Most tumour cells use aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect) to support anabolic growth and evade apoptosis. Intriguingly, the molecular mechanisms that link the Warburg effect with the suppression ...of apoptosis are not well understood. In this study, using loss-of-function studies in vitro and in vivo, we show that the anti-apoptotic protein poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)14 promotes aerobic glycolysis in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by maintaining low activity of the pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2), a key regulator of the Warburg effect. Notably, PARP14 is highly expressed in HCC primary tumours and associated with poor patient prognosis. Mechanistically, PARP14 inhibits the pro-apoptotic kinase JNK1, which results in the activation of PKM2 through phosphorylation of Thr365. Moreover, targeting PARP14 enhances the sensitization of HCC cells to anti-HCC agents. Our findings indicate that the PARP14-JNK1-PKM2 regulatory axis is an important determinant for the Warburg effect in tumour cells and provide a mechanistic link between apoptosis and metabolism.
We study the pion electromagnetic form factor in the modulus squared dispersion relation, and do the model independent extraction of the chiral mass embedded in the sub-leading twist light-cone ...distribution amplitude. The motivation of this work is the recent measurement of timelike form factor in the resonant regions, which makes up the piece lacking solid QCD-based calculation. With the perturbative QCD calculation up to next-to-leading-order of strong coupling and twist four level of meson distribution amplitudes, we obtain the chiral mass of pion meson as
m
0
π
(
1
GeV
)
=
1
.
31
-
0.30
+
0.27
GeV
. Due to the chiral enhancement contribution from the sub-leading twist distribution amplitudes in the perturbative QCD calculation, we can not extract the lowest Gegenbauer moments of pion from the study of electromagnetic form factor. This problem could be settled down with the foresee Belle-II and BESIII measurement of the transition form factor especially in the large momentum transfers regions.
As the largest mode in China’s transportation industry, road transportation is the vital part to achieve a goal of congestion and emissions reduction. We analyzed the future development of energy ...consumption and CO2 emissions associated with road transportation. First, a Bayesian structural equation model (BSEM) was developed to explore the internal relations of total demand, structure, and technology as factors impacting the road transportation system. Second, the core influence factors were screened using path analysis. Finally, a scenario analysis model was established to analyze potential energy conservation and CO2 emissions reduction under different conditions. The results show that total demand has the largest direct effect among all influencing factors; however, if we consider indirect influences arising from interactions between latent variables, then traffic structure becomes the most important factor with a combined impact coefficient of −1.63. The respective potential energy conservation and CO2 emissions reduction of road transportation are projected to be approximately 65,237.61 ktoe (37.33% rate) and 41 million tons (8.38%) during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016–2020) and reach approximately 91,923.63 ktoe (51.67%) and 68 million tons (12.66%) by 2025. Our results imply that to achieve China’s energy conservation and emissions reduction goals, quantity and structure should be emphasized in the short term, whereas technology is critical over the long term.
•BSEM is used to analyze road transportation system in terms of total quantity, structure, and technology.•Core influence factors are screened using path analysis.•Scenario analysis model is established to analyze potential energy conservation and CO2 emissions reduction.•In the short term, quantity and structure change are the priority.
We study the quasi-two-body decays B→D⁎h→Dπh with h=(π,K) in the perturbative QCD approach and focus on the virtual contributions from the off-shell D⁎(2007)0 and D⁎(2010)± in the four measured ...decays B¯0→D0π+π−, B¯0→D0π+K−, B−→D+π−π− and B−→D+π−K−. For the B¯0→D⁎+π−→D0π+π− and B¯0→D⁎+K−→D0π+K− decays, their branching fractions concentrate in a very small region of mD0π+ near D⁎+ pole mass, and the virtual contributions from D⁎+, in the region mD0π+>2.1 GeV, are about 5% of the corresponding quasi-two-body results. We define two ratios RD⁎+ and RD⁎0, from which we conclude that the flavor-SU(3) symmetry will be maintained for the B→D⁎h→Dπh decays with very small breaking at any physical value of the mDπ. The B−→D⁎0π−→D0π0π− and B−→D⁎0K−→D0π0K− decays can be employed as a constraint for the D⁎0 decay width, with preferred values consistent with previous theoretical predictions for this quantity.
Plant calmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) proteins play important roles in hormone signal transduction, developmental regulation, and environmental stress tolerance. However, in wheat, ...the CAMTA gene family has not been systematically characterized.
In this work, 15 wheat CAMTA genes were identified using a genome-wide search method. Their chromosome location, physicochemical properties, subcellular localization, gene structure, protein domain, and promoter cis-elements were systematically analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis classified the TaCAMTA genes into three groups (groups A, B, and C), numbered 7, 6, and 2, respectively. The results showed that most TaCAMTA genes contained stress-related cis-elements. Finally, to obtain tissue-specific and stress-responsive candidates, the expression profiles of the TaCAMTAs in various tissues and under biotic and abiotic stresses were investigated. Tissue-specific expression analysis showed that all of the 15 TaCAMTA genes were expressed in multiple tissues with different expression levels, as well as under abiotic stress, the expressions of each TaCAMTA gene could respond to at least one abiotic stress. It also found that 584 genes in wheat genome were predicted to be potential target genes by CAMTA, demonstrating that CAMTA can be widely involved in plant development and growth, as well as coping with stresses.
This work systematically identified the CAMTA gene family in wheat at the whole-genome-wide level, providing important candidates for further functional analysis in developmental regulation and the stress response in wheat.
A
bstract
We study the contributions of the resonant states
K
0
∗
(1430) and
K
0
∗
(1950) in the three-body decays
B → Kπh
(with
h
=
π, K
) in the perturbative QCD approach. The crucial ...nonperturbative input
F
Kπ
(
s
) in the distribution amplitudes of the
S
-wave
Kπ
system is derived from the matrix element of vacuum to
Kπ
pair. The
C P
averaged branching fraction of the quasi-two-body decay process
B →
K
0
∗
(1950)
h → Kπh
is about one order smaller than that of the corresponding decay
B →
K
0
∗
(1430)
h → Kπh
. In view of the important contribution from the
S
-wave
Kπ
system for the
B → Kπh
decays, it is not appropriate to neglect the
K
0
∗
(1950) in the theoretical or experimental studies for the relevant three-body
B
meson decays. The predictions in this work for the relevant decays are consistent with the existing experimental data.
In vitro, engagement of GITR on Treg cells by the agonistic anti-GITR mAb, DTA-1, appears to abrogate their suppressive function. The consequence of in vivo engagement of GITR by DTA-1 is, however, ...less clear. In this study, we show that Treg cells isolated from DTA-1-treated mice were as potent as those from untreated mice in suppressing conventional CD4 T cells in vitro, indicating that in vivo GITR ligation does not disable Treg cells. Treatment of Foxp3/GFP knock-in mice with DTA-1 led to a selective reduction of circulating Treg cells, suggesting that DTA-1 is a depleting mAb which preferentially targets Treg cells. In tumour-bearing mice, DTA-1-mediated depletion of Treg cells was most marked in tumours but not in tumour-draining lymph node. These features were confirmed in an adoptive transfer model using tumour antigen-specific Treg cells. Interestingly, Treg cells detected in tumour tissues expressed much higher levels of GITR than those in tumour-draining lymph nodes, indicating that the efficiency of depletion might be correlated with the level of GITR expression. Finally, in vivo labelling of GITR in naive or tumour-bearing mice demonstrated that Treg cells constitutively expressed higher levels of GITR than conventional T cells, independent of location and activation state, consistent with the preferential in vivo depletion of Tregs by DTA-1. Thus, depletion of Treg cells represents a previously unrecognised in vivo activity of DTA-1 which has important implications for the application of anti-GITR antibodies in cancer immunotherapy.
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