Thick hard rock strata (THRS) are widely distributed among coal-bearing strata in China. The dynamic THRS failure may induce the coal-rock dynamic hazards during underground coal mining. In this ...study, the size, stress and energy characteristics of dynamic THRS failure were analyzed; the Yangliu coal mine, Huaibei coal basin, China, was taken as a case study. Then the apparent-depth effects of the dynamic THRS failure on the underlying coal mining were researched. The results revealed that the rock roof would be caved, fractured and deformed and even develop the bed separation during underlying coal mining. A large quantity of elastic energy is stored in the bent and compressed THRS, the amount and scope of the vertical stress concentration in front of the working face increases significantly before THRS breaking. THRS generally exhibit the square-form structure failure (SSF), after which the elastic and kinetic energy is attenuated in power form with the energy spreading distance. The shock force and energy effects of the dynamic THRS failure on the underlying coal mass were greater than those observed for the common lithological rock strata. Thus the mining coal mass below THRS bears similar mechanical conditions as the deeper coal mass and is of greater apparent depth, which is called the apparent-depth effects of the dynamic THRS failure. The apparent-depth effects of the dynamic THRS failure significantly influenced the coal-rock dynamic hazards according to in situ measurements of the mine earthquake energy, in situ stress, roof pressure and gas emission parameters. As a result, reasonable measures should be taken to avoid stress concentration and energy accumulation and to reduce the apparent depth of the mining-disturbed coal mass for preventing coal-rock dynamic hazards. The research results provide significant value for the control of coal-rock dynamic hazards below THRS.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility in child‐bearing‐age women. It is characterized by ovulation dysfunction, polycystic ovaries, and hyperandrogenism. ...Inflammation is likely to be a crucial contributor to the pathogenesis of PCOS. However, the association between the inflammatory cytokines and the development of PCOS has not been reported. To explore the relationship between the inflammatory cytokines and PCOS, alterations of serum proteins in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)‐induced PCOS rats were screened by protein array, and the concentration of IFN‐γ was further measured by using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). DHEA‐induced PCOS rats had a decreased level of IFN‐γ compared with the control rats, which was restored partly in flutamide (an androgen receptor antagonist)‐treated rats. Moreover, the level of IFN‐γ in serum of patients with PCOS was also lower than that in healthy women. Using the ovarian granulosa cells (KGN), we demonstrated that DHEA downregulated the expression and secretion of IFN‐γ in dose‐ and time‐dependent manners, which could be restored to some extent by treating with flutamide. Furthermore, flutamide ameliorated the inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and promotive effect on cell apoptosis by DHEA. The results also revealed that IFN‐γ promoted the proliferation but inhibited the apoptosis of KGN cells, which was suppressed by DHEA via activating the downstream PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Taken together, these results showed that DHEA inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells through downregulating the expression of IFN‐γ which could be restored by flutamide, and IFN‐γ may serve as a potential inflammatory biomarker for PCOS detection.
To explore the relationship between the inflammation cytokines and PCOS, alterations of serum proteins in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)‐induced PCOS rats were screened by protein array, and the concentration of IFN‐γ was further measured by using the sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. DHEA‐induced PCOS rats had a decreased level of IFN‐γ compared with the control rats, which was restored partly in flutamide‐treated rats. Using the KGN cell line, we demonstrated that the DHEA downregulated the expression and secretion of IFN‐γ, which could be restored to some extent by treating with flutamide. As the results showed, DHEA inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells through downregulating the expression of IFN‐γ which could be restored by flutamide, and IFN‐γ may serve as a potential inflammation biomarker for PCOS detection.
Parasitic diseases still threaten human health. At present, a number of parasites have developed drug resistance, and it is urgent to find new and effective antiparasitic drugs. As a rich source of ...biological compounds, marine natural products have been increasingly screened as candidates for developing new antiparasitic drugs. The literature related to the study of the antigenic animal activity of marine natural compounds from invertebrates and microorganisms was selected to summarize the research progress of marine compounds and the structure-activity relationship of these compounds in the past five years and to explore the possible sources of potential antiparasitic drugs for parasite treatment.
Trophoblast proliferation and invasion are essential for embryo implantation and placentation. Protein glycosylation is one of the most common and vital post-translational modifications, regulates ...protein physical and biochemical properties. FUT8 is the only known fucosyltransferase responsible for catalyzing α1,6-fucosylation in mammals, and α1,6-fucosylated glycoproteins are found to participate in various physiopathological processes. However, whether FUT8/α1,6-fucosylation modulates the functions of trophoblastic cells remains elusive.
FUT8 in human placenta villi during 6-8 gestational weeks and trophoblastic cells were detected by Western blot and immunofluorescent staining. α1,6-fucosylation in tissues or cells were measured by Lectin LCA (Lens culinaris) fluorescent staining and Lectin blot. FUT8 expression was down-regulated by siRNA transfection in JAR and JEG-3 cells, and cell viability, motility and invasiveness ability were detected by the functional experiments. α1,6-fucosylation of insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) was examined by immunoprecipitation, and the amount of phosphorylated IGF-1R was detected in FUT8 down-regulated JAR cells.
Human placenta villi and trophoblastic cells expressed FUT8/α1,6-fucosylation. Knockdown FUT8 by siRNA transfection suppressed the proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration and invasion of JAR and JEG-3 cells. Furthermore, we found that FUT8 modified the α1,6-fucosylation of IGF-1R, and regulated IGF-1 dependent activation of IGF-1R, MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in JAR cells.
Our results implicate a critical role for FUT8 in maintaining the normal functions of trophoblastic cells, suggesting manipulating FUT8 may be an effective approach in pregnancy.
•Human placenta villi from the first trimester express FUT8 and α1,6-fucosylation.•FUT8 facilitates the proliferation, migration and invasion of trophoblastic cells.•FUT8 modifies the α1,6-fucosylatioin of IGF-1R, and regulates the IGF-1R activation.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complicated reproductive endocrine disease characterized by polycystic ovaries, hyperandrogenism and anovulation. It is one of the main causes of infertility. ...RU486 is an antagonist of progesterone receptor, and most commonly used as a contraceptive. However, whether RU486 is correlated with PCOS remains unclear. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a small peptide with natriuretic and diuretic functions, and its availability to be used in PCOS treatment is unknown. Here, we showed that the serum ANP level was lower in PCOS patients than that in healthy women, and it was also decreased in the serum and ovarian tissues of RU486-induced PCOS rats compared with the control rats. We also found that RU486 inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of human KGN ovarian granulosa cells by downregulating progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1). Meantime, ANP promoted the proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis of KGN cells through upregulating ANP receptor A (NPRA). The promotive effects of ANP on ovarian functions were mediated through the formation of an NPRA/PGRMC1/EGFR complex, which further activated MAPK/ERK signaling and transcription factor AP1. Moreover, ANP treatment reversed the PCOS symptoms, and improved the fertility of RU486-induced PCOS rats. Collectively, these findings highlight that RU486 is associated with the pathogenesis of PCOS, and ANP treatment may be a promising therapeutic option for PCOS.
This study conducts an empirical study on the relationship between knowledge coupling and organizational resilience based on the knowledge-based view. Meanwhile, market orientation is considered a ...moderating variable because of its role in this transmission mechanism. The hypotheses are tested through a survey of 359 Chinese manufacturing firms. The results show that both complementary knowledge coupling and substitutive knowledge coupling have significant positive impacts on organizational resilience, and the proactive market orientation positively moderates the relationship between complementary/substitutive knowledge coupling and organizational resilience, while the responsive market orientation negatively moderates the relationship between complementary knowledge coupling and organizational resilience. In the context of the current globalization of the COVID-19 epidemic, this study explores the critical factors needed to survive and develop by firms in adversity, which enriches the research on organizational resilience and market orientation theory and provides suggestions for firms’ strategic planning.
How to fabricate scale low-cost microfluidic device for detection of biomarkers owns a great requirement. Herein, it is for the first time reported that a new microfluidic device based on bonding ...polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic channels onto the substrate of a screen-printed electrode with coating glass solution was fabricated for electrochemical sensing of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Compared to traditional microfabrication processes, this method is simple, fast, low cost, and also suitable for mass production. The prepared screen-printed electrode-based microfluidic device (CASPE-MFD) was used for the detection of the PSA in human serum. The prepared CASPE-MFD had a detection limit of 0.84 pg/mL (25.8 fM) and a good linearity with PSA concentration ranging from 0.001 to 10 ng/mL, which showed a great promise platform toward the development of miniaturized, low-cost electrochemical microfluidic device for use in human health, environmental monitoring, and other applications.
Bacteria and phages are two of the most abundant biological entities in the gut microbiome, and diet and host phylogeny are two of the most critical factors influencing the gut microbiome. A stable ...gut bacterial community plays a pivotal role in the host's physiological development and immune health. A phage is a virus that directly infects bacteria, and phages' close associations and interactions with bacteria are essential for maintaining the stability of the gut bacterial community and the entire microbial ecosystem. Here, we utilized 99 published metagenomic datasets from 38 mammalian species to investigate the relationship (diversity and composition) and potential interactions between gut bacterial and phage communities and the impact of diet and phylogeny on these communities. Our results highlight the co-evolutionary potential of bacterial-phage interactions within the mammalian gut. We observed a higher alpha diversity in gut bacteria than in phages and identified positive correlations between bacterial and phage compositions. Furthermore, our study revealed the significant influence of diet and phylogeny on mammalian gut bacterial and phage communities. We discovered that the impact of dietary factors on these communities was more pronounced than that of phylogenetic factors at the order level. In contrast, phylogenetic characteristics had a more substantial influence at the family level. The similar omnivorous dietary preference and closer phylogenetic relationship (family Ursidae) may contribute to the similarity of gut bacterial and phage communities between captive giant panda populations (GPCD and GPYA) and omnivorous animals (OC; including Sun bear, brown bear, and Asian black bear). This study employed co-occurrence microbial network analysis to reveal the potential interaction patterns between bacteria and phages. Compared to other mammalian groups (carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores), the gut bacterial and phage communities of bamboo-eating species (giant pandas and red pandas) exhibited a higher level of interaction. Additionally, keystone species and modular analysis showed the potential role of phages in driving and maintaining the interaction patterns between bacteria and phages in captive giant pandas. In sum, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between the gut microbiota and phages in mammals is of great significance, which is of great value in promoting healthy and sustainable mammals and may provide valuable insights into the conservation of wildlife populations, especially endangered animal species.
Animals living in captivity and the wild show differences in the internal structure of their gut microbiomes. Here, we performed a meta‐analysis of the microbial data of about 494 fecal samples ...obtained from giant pandas (captive and wild giant pandas). Our results show that the modular structures and topological features of the captive giant panda gut microbiome differ from those of the wild populations. The co‐occurrence network of wild giant pandas also contained more nodes and edges, indicating a higher complexity and stability compared to that of captive giant pandas. Keystone species analysis revealed the differences between geographically different wild populations, indicating the potential effect of geography on the internal modular structure. When combining all the giant panda samples for module analysis, we found that the abundant taxa (e.g., belonged to Flavobacterium, Herbaspirillum, and Escherichia‐Shigella) usually acted as module hubs to stabilize the modular structure, while the rare taxa usually acted as connectors of different modules. We conclude that abundant and rare taxa play different roles in the gut bacterial ecosystem. The conservation of some key bacterial species is essential for promoting the development of the gut microbiome in pandas. The living environment of the giant pandas can influence the internal structure, topological features, and strength of interrelationships in the gut microbiome. This study provides new insights into the conservation and management of giant panda populations.
Objectives
The transformation of cytotrophoblasts into mesenchymal‐like extravillous trophoblasts is necessary for successful embryo implantation, and the inadequate transformation may cause ...abortion. Epiregulin, which is a new growth factor, plays important roles in the reproductive processes. The glycosylation of many proteins in reproduction processes is critical. Protein O‐fucosyltransferase 1 (poFUT1) is the key enzyme for the biosynthesis of O‐fucosylation on the specific glycoproteins. Urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (uPA) contains O‐fucosylated domain on Thr18. However, the functions of epiregulin and poFUT1 in the trophoblast epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, the regulatory mechanism of epiregulin on poFUT1 and the resulting O‐fucosylated uPA remain unclear.
Materials and methods
We employed ELISA and Western blot to detect serum levels of epiregulin and poFUT1 from non‐pregnancy women, pregnancy women and abortion patients. Using two trophoblast cell lines and a mouse pregnancy model, we investigated the underlying mechanisms of epiregulin and poFUT1 in trophoblast EMT process.
Results
Serum levels of epiregulin and poFUT1 were higher in pregnant women compared with non‐pregnant women, and their levels were significantly decreased in abortion patients compared with pregnant women. The results showed that epiregulin upregulated poFUT1 expression and increased O‐fucosylation on uPA, which further activated the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway, facilitating EMT behaviour of trophoblast cells and embryo implantation in the mouse pregnant model.
Conclusions
Level of epiregulin and poFUT1 is lower in abortion patients than early pregnancy women. Epiregulin promotes trophoblast EMT through O‐fucosylation on uPA catalysed by poFUT1. Epiregulin and poFUT1 may be suggested as the potential diagnostic biomarkers and useful treatment targets for abortion.
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