Although many studies on lepidopteran pheromone‐binding proteins (PBPs)/ general odorant‐binding proteins (GOBPs) have been reported, the functional differentiation within and between the two ...odorant‐binding protein (OBP) subclasses is still elusive. Here we conducted a comparative study on three SexiPBPs and two SexiGOBPs in Spodoptera exigua. Results showed that all five SexiPBP/GOBP genes have the same intron numbers and conserved exon/intron splice sites. Reverse transcription PCR results showed that these five SexiPBP/GOBPs were primarily expressed in antennae of both sexes and some were also detected in other tissues. Further, quantitative real‐time PCR showed that five SexiPBP/GOBPs had different sex‐biased expression patterns, with PBP1 being highly male‐biased (5.96‐fold difference) and PBP3 slightly female‐biased (2.43‐fold difference), while PBP2 and two GOBPs were approximately sex‐equivalent (the absolute value < 1.90‐fold difference). Binding assays showed that all three SexiPBPs could bind all six sex pheromone components, but SexiPBP1 had much higher affinities dissociation constant (Kᵢ) < 1.10 μM than did the other two SexiPBPs (Kᵢ > 1.20 μM). Very intriguingly, SexiGOBP2 displayed even stronger binding to five sex pheromone components (Kᵢ < 0.40 μM) than SexiPBP1. In contrast, SexiGOBP1 only exhibited weak binding to three alcohol‐pheromone components. Similar results were obtained for tested pheromone analogues. In addition, each of SexiPBP/GOBPs selectively bound some plant odorants with considerable affinities (Kᵢ < 10.0 μM). Taken together, of the three SexiPBPs, SexiPBP1 may play the most important role in female sex pheromone reception, and additionally all three SexiPBPs can detect some plant odorants, while SexiGOBP2 may be involved in the detection of female sex pheromones in addition to plant odorants. The results strongly suggest functional differentiation within and between the two OBP sub‐classes.
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of non-apoptotic cell death, but its molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1) is a negative ...regulator of ferroptotic cancer cell death. Erastin, a specific ferroptosis-inducing compound, stimulates heat shock factor 1 (HSF1)-dependent HSPB1 expression in cancer cells. Knockdown of HSF1 and HSPB1 enhances erastin-induced ferroptosis, whereas heat shock pretreatment and overexpression of HSPB1 inhibits erastin-induced ferroptosis. Protein kinase C-mediated HSPB1 phosphorylation confers protection against ferroptosis by reducing iron-mediated production of lipid reactive oxygen species. Moreover, inhibition of the HSF1-HSPB1 pathway and HSPB1 phosphorylation increases the anticancer activity of erastin in human xenograft mouse tumor models. Our findings reveal an essential role for HSPB1 in iron metabolism with important effects on ferroptosis-mediated cancer therapy.
Aim To establish a predictive nomogram for high-grade prostate cancer (HGPCa) in biopsy-naive patients based on the Prostate Imaging–Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADS v2), magnetic ...resonance imaging (MRI)-based prostate volume (PV), MRI-based PV-adjusted prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD), and other classical parameters. Material and methods Between August 2014 and August 2015, 158 men who were eligible for analysis were included as the training cohort. A prediction model for HGPCa was built using backward logistic regression and was presented on a nomogram. The prediction model was evaluated by a validation cohort between September 2015 and March 2016 ( n =89). Histology of all lesions was obtained with MRI-directed transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided targeted and sectoral biopsy. Results The multivariate analysis revealed that patient age, PI-RADS v2 score, and adjusted PSAD were independent predictors for HGPCa. The most discriminative cut-off value for the logistic regression model was 0.33; the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 83.3%, 87.4%, 88.4%, and 81.2%, respectively. The diagnostic performance measures retained similar values in the validation cohort (AUC=0.83). Conclusion The nomogram for forecasting HGPCa is effective and potentially reducing harm from unnecessary prostate biopsy and over-diagnosis.
Evaporative cooling is an energy efficient and environmentally friendly air conditioning technology. Research and application of evaporative cooling in China have been very fruitful; however, they ...were little known to the world because most of works were published in Chinese. Therefore, this paper intends to present a comprehensive summary on them. The working principles and thermodynamic characteristics of different types of evaporative cooling, including direct, indirect and semi-indirect evaporative cooling, are first introduced. Experimental and theoretical research works on feasibility studies, performance test and optimization as well as heat and mass transfer analysis are then reviewed in detail. The feasibilities of evaporative cooling under different climates, efficiencies of various evaporative cooling equipment, and critical parameters and techniques for improving the efficiencies as well as numerical modeling of evaporative cooling processes are recalled. The typical systems and equipments of evaporative cooling adopted in China are reviewed in Part II.
SmB6, a well-known Kondo insulator, exhibits a transport anomaly at low temperature. This anomaly is usually attributed to states within the hybridization gap. Recent theoretical work and transport ...measurements suggest that these in-gap states could be ascribed to topological surface states, which would make SmB6 the first realization of topological Kondo insulator. Here by performing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments, we directly observe several dispersive states within the hybridization gap of SmB6. These states show negligible kz dependence, which indicates their surface origin. Furthermore, we perform photoemission circular dichroism experiments, which suggest that the in-gap states possess chirality of the orbital angular momentum. These states vanish simultaneously with the hybridization gap at around 150 K. Together, these observations suggest the possible topological origin of the in-gap states.
In this work a mass-conserved diffuse interface method is proposed for simulating incompressible flows of binary fluids with large density ratio. In the method, a mass correction term is introduced ...into the Cahn–Hilliard equation to compensate the mass losses or offset the mass increases caused by the numerical and modeling diffusion. Since the mass losses or increases are through the phase interfaces and at each time step, their values are very small, to keep mass conservation, mass sources or sinks are introduced and uniformly distributed in the volume of diffuse layer. With the uniform distribution, the mass correction term representing mass sources or sinks is derived analytically by applying mass conservation principle. By including the mass correction, the modified Cahn–Hilliard equation is solved by the fifth-order upwind scheme to capture the phase field of the bindery fluids. The flow field is simulated by the newly-developed multiphase lattice Boltzmann flux solver 20. The proposed approach is validated by simulating the Laplace law, the merging of two bubbles, Rayleigh–Taylor instability and bubble rising under gravity with density ratio of 1000 and viscosity ratio of 100. Numerical results of interface shapes and flow properties agree well with both analytical solutions and benchmark data in the literature. Numerical results also show that the mass is well-conserved in all cases considered. In addition, it is demonstrated that the mass correction term at each time step is in the order of 10−4∼10−5, which is a small number compared with the magnitude of order parameter.
We report the detailed electronic structure of WTe2 by high resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We resolved a rather complicated Fermi surface of WTe2. Specifically, there are in ...total nine Fermi pockets, including one hole pocket at the Brillouin zone center Γ, and two hole pockets and two electron pockets on each side of Γ along the Γ-X direction. Remarkably, we have observed circular dichroism in our photoemission spectra, which suggests that the orbital angular momentum exhibits a rich texture at various sections of the Fermi surface. This is further confirmed by our density-functional-theory calculations, where the spin texture is qualitatively reproduced as the conjugate consequence of spin-orbital coupling. Since the spin texture would forbid backscatterings that are directly involved in the resistivity, our data suggest that the spin-orbit coupling and the related spin and orbital angular momentum textures may play an important role in the anomalously large magnetoresistance of WTe2. Furthermore, the large differences among spin textures calculated for magnetic fields along the in-plane and out-of-plane directions also provide a natural explanation of the large field-direction dependence on the magnetoresistance.
Clostridioides difficile is considered an urgent threat to human health by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In recent years, C. difficile has been reported increasingly as a cause ...of gastrointestinal disease in children, and the prevalence of hospital-acquired C. difficile infection and community-acquired CDI in children is increasing.
To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of risk factors for CDI in children.
MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, OVID, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang (Chinese), SinoMed (Chinese) and Weipu (Chinese) were searched from inception to 12th January 2022. Observational studies (cohort, case–control and cross-sectional) on CDI in children were included in the analysis. Data were pooled using a fixed or random-effects model, and odds ratios (OR) were calculated.
In total, 25 observational studies were included in the analysis. Prior antibiotic exposure OR 1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25–2.97, prolonged hospitalization (OR 14.68, 95% CI 13.24–16.28), history of hospitalization (OR 3.67, 95% CI 1.91–7.06), gastric acid suppressants (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.41–2.73), male gender (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.05–1.32), neoplastic disease (OR 3.40, 95% CI, 2.85–4.07), immunodeficiency (OR 4.18, 95% CI 3.25–5.37), solid organ transplantation (OR 4.56, 95% CI 3.95–5.27) and enteral feeding (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.05–4.62) were associated with increased risk of CDI.
This systematic review and meta-analysis provides further evidence for the susceptibility factors of CDI to improve clinicians' awareness of CDI, and prevent C. difficile-associated diarrhoea in children.
Purpose
Tumoral calcinosis is a rare clinicopathological entity characterized by ectopic soft-tissue calcification, typically periarticular. Normophosphatemic tumoral calcinosis is seldom reported in ...East Asian populations, and the preoperative diagnosis is often elusive. This study was performed to characterize the clinical profile of normophosphatemic tumoral calcinosis and investigate the presence of the
SAMD9
gene mutation.
Methods
The clinical features, pathological examination findings, and outcomes of 19 subjects were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were analyzed for
SAMD9
gene mutation using paraffin-embedded tumoral calcinosis specimens.
Results
Nineteen subjects were analyzed (7 males, 12 females). Their mean age at surgery, mean age at symptom onset, and median disease duration was 51.9 ± 17.3 (range 7–75) years, 49.1 ± 17.2 (range 7–74) years, and 1.3 (interquartile range 0.5–3.0) years, respectively. Lesions were located in the hand in 8 (42.1%) subjects; wrist in 5 (26.3%); shoulder in 2 (10.5%); and hip, knee, buttock, and scrotum in 1 (5.3%) subject each. The lesions in 17 (89.5%) subjects were located around the joints small joints (hand and wrist) in 13 (68.4%) and large joints (shoulder, hip, and knee) in 4 (21.1%). Lesions occurred in the upper limbs in 15 (78.9%) subjects and in the lower limbs in 2 (10.5%). Multiple-lesion involvement (distal right index finger and middle finger) occurred in one (5.3%) subject. Symptoms included pain in 15 (78.9%) subjects, impaired mobility in 5 (26.3%), swelling in 5 (26.3%), numbness in 2 (10.5%), and an asymptomatic mass in 2 (10.5%). The serum inorganic phosphorus concentration was normal in all 19 subjects (mean 1.17 ± 0.15 mmol/L). The serum calcium concentration was normal in 18 subjects and low in 1. The serum alkaline phosphatase concentration was normal in all 19 subjects. Pathological examination indicated multiple nodules of calcified materials that manifested an amorphous or granular blue-purple crystal and were surrounded by proliferation of mononuclear or multinuclear macrophages, osteoclastic-like giant cells, fibroblasts, and chronic inflammatory cells. Notably, different phases of pathological manifestations were observed in the same microscopic field. During follow-up (0.5–65.0 months), no recurrence of tumoral calcinosis was observed in 18 (94.7%) subjects, but 1 subject developed in situ recurrence of an asymptomatic subcutaneous mass after 6 months postoperatively. Genetic analysis in all 19 subjects revealed no
SAMD9
gene mutations.
Conclusions
Most subjects were females and developed calcinosis in adulthood. Small joints (hand and wrist) and the upper limbs were frequently involved. The presence of different phases of pathological features in the same subject suggests that about half of the study participants had been misdiagnosed with another condition (such as gout, osteoarthritis, etc.). Complete surgical excision led to cure without recurrence during follow-up in majority of the study participants.
Conducting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites are synthesized by mixing conductive nano‐ or microparticles witha PDMS gel. Experiments show that such composites exhibit good electrical ...conductivity and mechanical reliability, as well as desirable thermal characteristics. 3D microstructures, such as for the use of bio‐microchips, can be realized by a simple lithographic technique and a realistic 3D application is demonstrated (see figure).
PDF
