Serine carboxypeptidase-like (SCPL) proteins are a group of acyltransferase enzymes that have important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. Although SCPL proteins have been ...studied in many plants, the biological functions of SCPL genes in grape are still unknown. In this study, 59 putative SCPL proteins were identified from the grape genome. A bioinformatics analysis, including chromosomal locations, exon/intron structures, phylogeny, cis-elements, and conserved motifs, was performed for the gene family. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that VvSCPL proteins could be classified into three groups, with the gene motifs in each group showing high similarity levels. The number of exons in the VvSCPL genes ranged from 1 to 19, suggesting significant variations among grape SCPL genes. The expression of the VvSCPL genes, as assessed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and quantitative real-time PCR, showed that most VvSCPL genes responded to drought- and waterlogging-stress treatments, which indicated their roles in abiotic stress responses. The results provide useful information for further study of SCPL genes in grape.
Creating different pore environments within a covalent organic framework (COF) will lead to useful multicompartment structure and multiple functions, which however has been scarcely achieved. Herein ...we report designed synthesis of three two-dimensional COFs with amphiphilic porosity by steric-hindrance-mediated precision hydrophilic-hydrophobic microphase separation. Dictated by the different steric effect of the substituents introduced to a monomer, dual-pore COFs with kgm net, in which all hydroxyls locate in trigonal micropores while hydrophobic sidechains exclusively distribute in hexagonal mesopores, have been constructed to form completely separated hydrophilic and hydrophobic nanochannels. The unique amphiphilic channels in the COFs enable the formation of Janus membranes via interface growth. This work has realized the creation of two types of channels with opposite properties in one COF, demonstrating the feasibility of introducing different properties/functions into different pores of heteropore COFs, which can be a useful strategy to develop multifunctional materials.
The issue of similarity measures of intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) is considered in this paper. Many existing similarity measures for two IFSs fail to take the abstention group influence into ...consideration and may lead to counterintuitive results in some cases. To deal with the problem, this paper first discusses the limitations of the existing similarity measures by some numerical examples, then, by considering the influence of abstention group, a new similarity measure of intuitionistic fuzzy sets is proposed, and the same numerical examples are given to demonstrate the validity of the proposed measure. Finally, the proposed similarity measure is applied to pattern recognition, multicriteria group decision making, and medical diagnosis.
β-Sitosterol (24-ethyl-5-cholestene-3-ol) is a common phytosterol Chinese medical plants that has been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. In this study we investigated the ...effects of β-sitosterol on influenza virus-induced inflammation and acute lung injury and the molecular mechanisms. We demonstrate that β-sitosterol (150-450 μg/mL) dose-dependently suppresses inflammatory response through NF-κB and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in influenza A virus (IAV)-infected cells, which was accompanied by decreased induction of interferons (IFNs) (including Type I and III IFN). Furthermore, we revealed that the anti-inflammatory effect of β-sitosterol resulted from its inhibitory effect on retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) signaling, led to decreased STAT1 signaling, thus affecting the transcriptional activity of ISGF3 (interferon-stimulated gene factor 3) complexes and resulting in abrogation of the IAV-induced proinflammatory amplification effect in IFN-sensitized cells. Moreover, β-sitosterol treatment attenuated RIG-I-mediated apoptotic injury of alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) via downregulation of pro-apoptotic factors. In a mouse model of influenza, pre-administration of β-sitosterol (50, 200 mg·kg
·d
, i.g., for 2 days) dose-dependently ameliorated IAV-mediated recruitment of pathogenic cytotoxic T cells and immune dysregulation. In addition, pre-administration of β-sitosterol protected mice from lethal IAV infection. Our data suggest that β-sitosterol blocks the immune response mediated by RIG-I signaling and deleterious IFN production, providing a potential benefit for the treatment of influenza.
Summary of main observation and conclusion
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with hierarchical porosity have drawn considerable attention very recently due to their advantages over the COFs with ...uniform porosity in some aspects. However, the design strategies for the construction of this type of COFs, namely heteropore COFs, are quite limited. We herein report a facile approach to constructing a two‐dimensional COF which possesses three different kinds of pores. Its structure is confirmed by powder X‐ray diffraction and nitrogen sorption studies. The successful construction of the triple‐pore COF represents a new method to access COFs with high hierarchical porosity.
A facile strategy for the construction of a two‐dimensional COF with three‐level hierarchical porosity has been developed through a desymmetrization design.
Background and Aim
Fusobacterium nucleatum is increasingly being recognized as an important risk factor in colorectal cancer and colorectal adenoma. Endoscopic polypectomy is associated with a ...decreased incidence of colorectal cancer; however, patients still suffer from a risk of metachronous adenoma. Currently, there are few effective non‐invasive factors that may predict metachronous colorectal adenoma. Here, we evaluated the performance of F. nucleatum in predicting metachronous adenoma.
Methods
Fecal samples and clinical information of patients before endoscopic polypectomy were collected from 367 patients in a retrospective cohort, and 238 patients in a prospective cohort. The abundance of fecal F. nucleatum was measured via quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Surveillance colonoscopies were conducted between 1 and 3 years after polypectomy (average follow‐up 27.07 months for the retrospective cohort & 22.57 months for the prospective cohort) to identify metachronous adenoma. Candidate predictive factors and cut‐off value of F. nucleatum abundance were identified from the retrospective cohort and then validated in the prospective cohort.
Results
A high abundance of fecal F. nucleatum was found to be an independent risk factor for metachronous adenomas (odds ratio, 6.38; P < 0.001) in the retrospective cohort and was validated in the prospective cohort with a specificity of 65.00%, and a sensitivity of 73.04%, and an overall performance with the area under the curve of 0.73.
Conclusion
Fecal abundance of F. nucleatum may be a reliable predictor for metachronous adenoma after endoscopic polypectomy.
The observed multi-GeV γ-ray emission from the solar disk-sourced by hadronic cosmic rays interacting with gas and affected by complex magnetic fields-is not understood. Utilizing an improved ...analysis of the Fermi-LAT data that includes the first resolved imaging of the disk, we find strong evidence that this emission is produced by two separate mechanisms. Between 2010 and 2017 (the rise to and fall from solar maximum), the γ-ray emission was dominated by a polar component. Between 2008 and 2009 (solar minimum) this component remained present, but the total emission was instead dominated by a new equatorial component with a brighter flux and harder spectrum. Most strikingly, although six γ rays above 100 GeV were observed during the 1.4 yr of solar minimum, none were observed during the next 7.8 yr. These features, along with a 30-50 GeV spectral dip which will be discussed in a companion paper, were not anticipated by theory. To understand the underlying physics, Fermi-LAT and HAWC observations of the imminent cycle 25 solar minimum are crucial.
Tumor immunotherapy, which targets immune checkpoints, presents a promising strategy for the treatment of various cancer types. However, current clinical data indicate challenges in its application ...to solid tumors. Recent studies have revealed a significant correlation between the degree of immune response in immunotherapy and the tumor microenvironment, particularly with regard to tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Among these immune cells, macrophages, a critical component, are playing an increasingly vital role in tumor immunotherapy. This review focuses on elucidating the role of macrophages within solid tumors and provides an overview of the progress in immunotherapy approaches centered around modulating macrophage responses through various immune factors. Video Abstract.
Biologic agents offer a range of new therapeutic options for patients with psoriasis; however, the relative benefit-risk profiles of such therapies are not well known. We compared two biologic ...agents, ustekinumab (an interleukin-12 and interleukin-23 blocker) and etanercept (an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor alpha), for the treatment of psoriasis.
We randomly assigned 903 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis to receive subcutaneous injections of either 45 or 90 mg of ustekinumab (at weeks 0 and 4) or high-dose etanercept (50 mg twice weekly for 12 weeks). The primary end point was the proportion of patients with at least 75% improvement in the psoriasis area-and-severity index (PASI) at week 12; a secondary end point was the proportion with cleared or minimal disease on the basis of the physician's global assessment. Assessors were unaware of the treatment assignments. The efficacy and safety of a crossover from etanercept to ustekinumab were evaluated after week 12.
There was at least 75% improvement in the PASI at week 12 in 67.5% of patients who received 45 mg of ustekinumab and 73.8% of patients who received 90 mg, as compared with 56.8% of those who received etanercept (P=0.01 and P<0.001, respectively). Similarly, 65.1% of patients who received 45 mg of ustekinumab and 70.6% of patients who received 90 mg of ustekinumab had cleared or minimal disease according to the physician's global assessment, as compared with 49.0% of those who received etanercept (P<0.001 for both comparisons). Among patients who did not have a response to etanercept, 48.9% had at least 75% improvement in the PASI within 12 weeks after crossover to ustekinumab. One or more adverse events occurred through week 12 in 66.0% of patients who received 45 mg of ustekinumab and 69.2% of patients who received 90 mg of ustekinumab and in 70.0% who received etanercept; 1.9%, 1.2%, and 1.2%, respectively, had serious adverse events. Safety patterns were similar before and after crossover from etanercept to ustekinumab.
The efficacy of ustekinumab at a dose of 45 or 90 mg was superior to that of high-dose etanercept over a 12-week period in patients with psoriasis. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00454584.)
The distributed power generation networks and smart grids are characterised by a high penetration of renewable energies. For purposes of improving the power quality of the distributed generation and ...achieving a reliable, efficient and safe operation of the grid, on the basis of the synchronisation techniques, this study proposes a robust frequency-locked loop (FLL) algorithm for grid synchronisation of single-phase applications under distorted grid conditions. The algorithm mainly includes a frequency-adjustable quadrature signal generator (QSG) and a cascaded adaptive complex filter (ACF), as well as a robust frequency adaptive controller. The suggested QSG can generate two-phase orthogonal voltages with the same attenuation ratio. In the proposed scheme, the normalised blocks and the cascaded ACF are introduced, for purposes of eliminating the influence of voltage fluctuation and the harmonics on the frequency adaptive adjustment effectively. Theoretical analysis indicates that the proposed FLL algorithm has good performance in aspects of rapidity and robustness even in the hostile envelopments caused by frequency variation, voltage fluctuation and harmonic distortion. Simulations and experimental results are provided at the end of this study to validate the good performance of the proposed algorithm.
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