As an important method for uncertainty modeling, Dempster-Shafer (DS) evidence theory has been widely used in practical applications. However, the results turned out to be almost counter-intuitive ...when fusing the different sources of highly conflicting evidence with Dempster's combination rule. In previous researches, most of them were mainly dependent on the conflict measurement method between the evidence represented by the evidence distance. However, it is inaccurate to characterize the evidence conflict only through the evidence distance. To address this issue, we comprehensively consider the impacts of the evidence distance and evidence angle on conflicts in this paper, and propose a new method based on the mutual support degree between the evidence to characterize the evidence conflict. First, the Hellinger distance measurement method is proposed to measure the distance between the evidence, and the sine value of the Pignistic vector angle is used to characterize the angle between the evidence. The evidence distance indicates the dissimilarity between the evidence, and the evidence angle represents the inconsistency between the evidence. Next, two methods are combined to get a new method for measuring the mutual support degree between the evidence. Afterward, the weight of each evidence is determined by using the mutual support degree between the evidence. Then, the weights of each evidence are utilized to modify the original evidence to achieve the weighted average evidence. Finally, Dempster's combination rule is used for fusion. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness and reasonability for the proposed method.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a food contaminant derived from Aspergillus fungi, has been reported to cause hepatic immunotoxicity via inflammatory infiltration and cytokines release. As a pro-inflammatory ...factor, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is widely involved in liver inflammation induced by xenobiotics. However, the mechanism by which AFB1-induced COX-2 regulates liver inflammatory injury via hepatocytes-Kupffer cells (KCs) crosstalk remains unclear and requires further elucidation. Here, we established a COX-2 upregulated model with AFB1 treatment in vivo (C57BL/6 mice, 1 mg/kg body weight, i.g, 4 weeks) and in vitro (human liver HepaRG cells, 1 μM for 24 h). In vivo, AFB1-treated mice exhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation, inflammatory infiltration, and increased recruitment of KCs. In vitro, dephosphorylated COX-2 by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)-B55δ promoted NLRP3 inflammasome activation, including mitochondrial translocation of NLRP3, caspase 1 cleavage, and IL-1β release. Moreover, phosphorylated COX-2 at serine 601 (p-COX-2
Ser601
) underwent endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention for proteasome degradation. Furthermore, pyroptosis and inflammatory response induced by AFB1 were relieved with COX-2 genetic (si
PTGS2
) intervention or pharmaceutic (celecoxib, 30 mg/kg body weight, i.g, 4 weeks) inhibition of COX-2 via NLRP3 inflammasome suppression in vivo and in vitro. Ex vivo, in a co-culture system with murine primary hepatocytes and KCs, activated KCs induced by damaged signals from pyroptotic hepatocytes, formed a feedback loop to amplify NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis of hepatocytes via pro-inflammatory signaling, leading to liver inflammatory injury. Taken together, our data suggest a novel mechanism that protein quality control of COX-2 determines the intracellular distribution and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, which promotes liver inflammatory injury via hepatocytes-KCs crosstalk.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of predisposing factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The role of HBV x protein (HBx) in mediating the induction and maintenance of cancer stemness during ...HBV-related HCC attracts considerable attention, but the exact mechanism has not been clearly elucidated. Here, ABCG2-dependent stem-like side population cells, which are thought to be liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs), were present in HCC cells, and the fraction of this subset was increased in HBx-expressing HCC cells. In addition, glycolysis was upregulated in LCSCs and HBx-expressing HCC cells, and intervention of glycolysis attenuated cancer stem-like phenotypes. Mitochondria play an important role in the maintenance of energy homeostasis, BNIP3L-dependent mitophagy was also activated in LCSCs and HBx-expressing HCC cells, which triggered a metabolic shift toward glycolysis. In summary, we proposed a positive feedback loop, in which HBx induced BNIP3L-dependent mitophagy which upregulated glycolytic metabolism, increasing cancer stemness of HCC cells in vivo and in vitro. BNIP3L might be a potential therapeutic target for intervention of LCSCs-associated HCC. Anti-HBx, a monoclonal antibody targeting intracellular HBx, had the potential to delay the progression of HBV infection related-HCC.
Ridge-furrow with full film mulching (RFFM) is widely used in the Loess Plateau (LP) to increase maize yield. However, continuous RFFM application may cause excessive depletion of soil organic carbon ...(SOC) and soil water storage (SWS). The present study tested four production systems, namely, (1) RFFM; (2) ridge-furrow with polyethylene film and straw mulching (RFFSM); (3) non-contoured seedbed with film mulching (FFM); and (4) non-contoured seedbed without mulching (CK) in 2013 and 2014 to identify an optimal technique to increase maize yield yet minimizing the negative effects. SWS under RFFSM was significantly higher by 5.4% and 13.4% compared to RFFM and CK, respectively. The changes in SOC were -0.2, -0.2, and -0.4 g·kg
for RFFM, FFM, and CK, respectively, and 0.3 g·kg
for RFFSM. Increased root residue and extra external carbon input to soil under RFFSM directly contributed to SOC recovery. RFFSM had a comparable grain yield but higher water use efficiency compared to RFFM. The combination of RFFSM is promising for improving SOC stocks, water storage, and maize productivity.
Wohlfahrtia magnifica is an obligatory parasite that causes myiasis in several warm-blooded vertebrates. Adult females deposit the first-stage larvae directly onto wounds or natural body orifices ...(e.g., genitalia) of the host, from where they quickly colonize the host tissue and feed on it for development. The infestation of W. magnifica can lead to health issues, welfare concerns, and substantial economic losses. To date, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of the W. magnifica-causing myiasis.
In this study, we collected parasitic-stage larvae of W. magnifica from wounds of naturally infested Bactrian camels, as well as pupae and adult flies reared in vitro from the wound-collected larvae, for investigating the gene expression profiles of the different developmental stages of W. magnifica, with a particular focus on examining gene families closely related to the parasitism of the wound-collected larvae. As key proteins related to the parasite-host interaction, 2049 excretory/secretory (ES) proteins were identified in W. magnifica through the integration of multiple bioinformatics approaches. Functional analysis indicates that these ES proteins are primarily involved in cuticle development, peptidase activity, immune response, and metabolic processes. The global investigation of gene expression at different developmental stages using pairwise comparisons and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) showed that the upregulated genes during second-stage larvae were related to cuticle development, peptidase activity, and RNA transcription and translation; during third-stage larvae to peptidase inhibitor activity and nutrient reservoir activity; during pupae to cell and tissue morphogenesis and cell and tissue development; and during adult flies to signal perception, many of them involved in light perception, and adult behavior, e.g., feeding, mating, and locomotion. Specifically, the expression level analysis of the likely parasitism-related genes in parasitic wound-collected larvae revealed a significant upregulation of 88 peptidase genes (including 47 serine peptidase genes), 110 cuticle protein genes, and 21 heat shock protein (hsp) genes. Interestingly, the expression of 2 antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes, including 1 defensin and 1 diptericin, was also upregulated in the parasitic larvae.
We identified ES proteins in W. magnifica and investigated their functional distribution. In addition, gene expression profiles at different developmental stages of W. magnifica were examined. Specifically, we focused on gene families closely related to parasitism of wound-collected larvae. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the life cycle of the myiasis-causing fly, especially during the parasitic larval stages, and provide guidance for the development of control measures against W. magnifica.
Key message
Rice male fertility gene
Baymax1
, isolated through map-based cloning, encodes a MYB transcription factor and is essential for rice tapetum and microspore development.
The mining and ...characterization of male fertility gene will provide theoretical and material basis for future rice production. In
Arabidopsis
, the development of male organ (namely anther), usually involves the coordination between MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog) and bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) members. However, the role of MYB proteins in rice anther development remains poorly understood. In this study, we isolated and characterized a male sterile mutant (with normal vegetative growth) of
Baymax1
(
BM1
), which encodes a MYB protein. The
bm1
mutant exhibited slightly lagging meiosis, aborted transition of the tapetum to a secretory type, premature tapetal degeneration, and abnormal pollen exine formation, leading to ultimately lacks of visible pollens in the mature white anthers. Map-based cloning, complementation and targeted mutagenesis using CRISPR/Cas9 technology demonstrated that the mutated
LOC_Os04g39470
is the causal gene in
bm1
.
BM1
is preferentially expressed in rice anthers from stage 5 to stage 10. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that rice BM1 and its homologs in millet, maize, rape, cabbage, and pigeonpea are evolutionarily conserved. BM1 can physically interacts with bHLH protein TIP2, EAT1, and PHD (plant homeodomain)-finger member TIP3, respectively. Moreover,
BM1
affects the expression of several known genes related to tapetum and microspore development. Collectively, our results suggest that
BM1
is one of key regulators for rice male fertility and may serve as a potential target for rice male-sterile line breeding and hybrid seed production.
Representing and understanding the three-dimensional (3D) structural information of protein−ligand complexes is a critical step in the rational drug discovery process. Traditional analysis methods ...are proving inadequate and inefficient in dealing with the massive amount of structural information being generated from X-ray crystallography, NMR, and in silico approaches such as structure-based docking experiments. Here, we present SIFt (structural interaction fingerprint), a novel method for representing and analyzing 3D protein−ligand binding interactions. Key to this approach is the generation of an interaction fingerprint that translates 3D structural binding information from a protein−ligand complex into a one-dimensional binary string. Each fingerprint represents the “structural interaction profile” of the complex that can be used to organize, analyze, and visualize the rich amount of information encoded in ligand−receptor complexes and also to assist database mining. We have applied SIFt to tackle three common tasks in structure-based drug design. The first involved the analysis and organization of a typical set of results generated from a docking study. Using SIFt, docking poses with similar binding modes were identified, clustered, and subsequently compared with conventional scoring function information. A second application of SIFt was to analyze ∼90 known X-ray crystal structures of protein kinase−inhibitor complexes obtained from the Protein Databank. Using SIFt, we were able to organize the structures and reveal striking similarities and diversity between their small molecule binding interactions. Finally, we have shown how SIFt can be used as an effective molecular filter during the virtual chemical library screening process to select molecules with desirable binding mode(s) and/or desirable interaction patterns with the protein target. In summary, SIFt shows promise to fully leverage the wealth of information being generated in rational drug design.
In this study, eutectic salt/ceramic composites with MgO serving as supportingmaterial and Na2CO3–K2CO3 eutectic salt acting as thermal absorbing materials were prepared by the form-stable technique. ...As additives, effects of both Kaolin and graphite on the thermal stability of composites were investigated. The microstructures of the composites before and after thermal cycling tests were detected by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope techniques. The thermal stability and thermal properties including latent heat, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, etc. were measured using differential scanning calorimetry, laser thermal instrument and thermogravimetric analysis, etc. The results showed the composite phase change materials had good thermal reliability and chemical stability. No obvious damages were found in the samples with thermal cycles reaching 1500 times. Kaolin can improve the stability of the sample by restraining the volatilization of molten salt, but it can reduce the phase transition enthalpy of the composite. In comparison with kaolin, carbon can improve thermal cycle life due to its favorable shock resistance. But it suffers severe oxidation at high temperature, which might be a possible reason for its decay in thermal cycling life. These studies suggest the thermal life of the composite can be controlled by adding proper materials.
DSC curves of samples after various numbers of thermal cycles and the evolution of samples mass with the thermal cycling numbers. It was easily found that in comparison with samples 1 and 2, sample 3 seems have better resistant force to the thermal shock. The masses of all the samples decrease with the increased cycling numbers. The gradient of the fitted line shown in Fig. 9 can be used to describe the rate of volatilization. Obviously, among the three samples, the sample 2 has the best stability in material mass, which indicated kaolin can restrain the volatilization of molten salt in comparison with the other samples. Display omitted
•Thermal stability of Na2CO3–K2CO3 eutectic salt-ceramic composites were studied.•Thermal properties show repeatability with thermal cycles less than 1500 times.•The additives have obvious effects on the thermal properties of the composite.•Kaolin decreases the phase transition enthalpy of the composite obviously.•Carbon can improve thermal cycle life of the composite in spite of oxidation.
As an important method for uncertainty modeling, Dempster-Shafer (DS) evidence theory has been widely applied in practical applications. However, the counter-intuitive results are often generated ...when fusing different sources of highly conflicting evidence with Dempster's combination rule. Several different methods for measuring the evidence conflict have been proposed. Nevertheless, these methods showed focus only on a single criterion to measure the conflicting evidence. Mono-criteria factor for the measurement of the conflict between evidence is, however, often unreliable and inaccuracy. Because various factors affect the degree of conflict between the evidence, such as imperfection, dissimilarity, disparity, and uncertainty. To address this issue, multiple criteria factors are utilized to measure the degree of conflict between the evidence in this paper. An improved analytic hierarchy process is proposed to determine the weights of each body of evidence by considering multiple criteria. Firstly, calculating the quantitative value of the evaluation index of each evidence under every criterion. The covariance matrix of the criterion layer is determined based on the covariance between the quantitative values of each criterion. Then, the pairwise comparison matrix of the criterion layer can be obtained by transforming the covariance matrix. Next, the variance among the quantitative values of each criterion is applied to construct the fuzzy preference relation matrix. The fuzzy preference relation matrix is used to replace the pairwise comparison matrix of the scheme layer. After that, the weight of the criterion layer and the scheme layer are combined to acquire the final weights of each evidence. Finally, the original evidence is modified with the final weights of the evidence before using Dempster's combination rule. Two numerical experiments are given to verify the efficiency of the proposed approach. The result shows that the proposed method is more efficient and feasible in managing the conflicting evidence than other approaches available in the literature described.
Hesitant fuzzy set (HFS) is a mighty mathematical tool to represent the hesitant fuzzy information, which can reveal the situation of hesitancy in practical problems. More recently, HFS has been ...generally utilized in multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. How to cope with the hesitant fuzzy information effectively is crucial to address the problem of MCDM under hesitant fuzzy environment. In this study, a novel hesitant fuzzy utility function is proposed to depict the hesitant fuzzy information contained in the hesitant fuzzy element (HFE) and realizes the transformation from the hesitant fuzzy information to the crisp value. Firstly, a novel hesitant degree measure is presented to eliminate the drawbacks of traditional methods. The new hesitant degree measure can effectively describe the reliability of the HFE. Afterward, a novel approach of the hesitant fuzzy utility function is constructed by combining the hesitant fuzzy score value and the hesitant degree of the HFE. To generate accurate decision results, we introduce the gained and lost dominance score (GLDS) approach in our work. Then, a new hesitant fuzzy GLDS method is presented based on the GLDS method and the hesitant fuzzy utility function. Furthermore, we utilize the hesitant fuzzy utility value of the alternative to construct the comparison matrix between the criteria, which is used to identify the weight value of the criteria. Ultimately, a practical application is provided to demonstrate the validity and rationality of the proposed method, and comparative analysis with the existing decision making approaches.
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