ABSTRACT We have investigated the physical properties of Planck Galactic Cold Clumps (PGCCs) located in the Galactic Plane, using the JCMT Plane Survey (JPS) and the SCUBA-2 Continuum Observations of ...Pre-protostellar Evolution (SCOPE) survey. By utilizing a suite of molecular-line surveys, velocities, and distances were assigned to the compact sources within the PGCCs, placing them in a Galactic context. The properties of these compact sources show no large-scale variations with Galactic environment. Investigating the star-forming content of the sample, we find that the luminosity-to-mass ratio (L/M) is an order of magnitude lower than in other Galactic studies, indicating that these objects are hosting lower levels of star formation. Finally, by comparing ATLASGAL sources that are associated or are not associated with PGCCs, we find that those associated with PGCCs are typically colder, denser, and have a lower L/M ratio, hinting that PGCCs are a distinct population of Galactic Plane sources.
A comprehensive microarray analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) revealed distinct synexpression patterns during intrahepatic metastasis. Recent evidence has demonstrated that synexpression ...group member genes are likely to be regulated by master control gene(s). Here we investigate the functions and gene regulation of the transcription factor SOX4 in intrahepatic metastatic HCC. SOX4 is important in tumor metastasis as RNAi knockdown reduces tumor cell migration, invasion, in vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis. A multifaceted approach integrating gene profiling, binding site computation and empirical verification by chromatin immunoprecipitation and gene ablation refined the consensus SOX4 binding motif and identified 32 binding loci in 31 genes with high confidence. RNAi knockdown of two SOX4 target genes, neuropilin 1 and semaphorin 3C, drastically reduced cell migration activity in HCC cell lines suggesting that SOX4 exerts some of its action via regulation of these two downstream targets. The discovery of 31 previously unidentified targets expands our knowledge of how SOX4 modulates HCC progression and implies a range of novel SOX4 functions. This integrated approach sets a paradigm whereby a subset of member genes from a synexpression group can be regulated by one master control gene and this is exemplified by SOX4 and advanced HCC.
Abstract We introduce a novel model to spectroscopically constrain the mid-infrared (MIR) extinction/attenuation curve from 3–17 μ m, using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission drawn from ...an AKARI–Spitzer extragalactic cross-archival data set. Currently proposed MIR extinction curves vary significantly in their slopes toward the near-infrared, and the variation in the strengths and shapes of the 9.7 μ m and 18 μ m silicate absorption features make MIR spectral modeling and interpretation challenging, particularly for heavily obscured galaxies. By adopting the basic premise that PAH bands have relatively consistent intrinsic ratios within dusty starbursting galaxies, we can, for the first time, empirically determine the overall shape of the MIR attenuation curve by measuring the differential attenuation at specific PAH wavelengths. Our attenuation model shows PAH emission in most (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies is unambiguously subjected to attenuation, and we find strong evidence that PAH bands undergo differential attenuation as obscuration increases. Compared to preexisting results, the MIR attenuation curve derived from the model favors relatively gray continuum absorption from 3–8 μ m and silicate features with intermediate strength at 9.7 μ m but with stronger than typical 18 μ m opacity.
This study investigated the sorption and transport properties of proton-conducting membranes based on a bacterial cellulose (BC) biopolymer with 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) ...grafted using ultraviolet (UV)-induced polymerization. The transport properties of the membranes were characterized according to their self-diffusion coefficients and methanol permeabilities. Using pulsed field-gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR) technology, the water and methanol self-diffusion coefficients through the AMPS-g-BC membrane were identified as 1.48 × 10−5 cm2 s−1 and 5.30 × 10−6 cm2 s−1, respectively. The methanol permeability of the AMPS-g-BC membrane was 5.64 × 10−7 cm2 s−1, which was approximately 42% of that of Nafion 115. The differences in the transport behaviors of the Nafion 115 and AMPS-g-BC membranes correlated with the sorption characteristics of solvent uptake and lambda (λ) values (number of solvent molecules absorbed per sulfonic acid). The ratio of the water and methanol λ values (i.e., λCH3OH/λH2O) for the AMPS-g-BC membrane was 0.07, which indicated its sorption preference for water compared to methanol. Overall, results indicate that the AMPS-g-BC membrane is an effective methanol barrier and a potential solid electrolyte candidate for direct methanol fuel cells.
► This work pioneers the exploration of bacterial cellulose-based proton-conducting membranes for DMFCs. ► An effective modification of BC membrane with high conductivity is proposed. ► The modified BC membrane exhibits exceptional methanol-inhibiting behavior. ► The AMPS10-g-BC membrane used in DMFC is advantageous to be operated under higher methanol concentration.
Summary
Background
The roles remain unclear of early on‐treatment quantitative serum HBsAg and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels in the prediction of a sustained response (SR) to peginterferon ...alfa‐2a therapy in HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients infected with genotype B or C.
Aims
To determine their roles in HBeAg‐negative CHB patients infected with genotype B or C.
Methods
Sixty‐one patients were treated with peginterferon alfa‐2a for 48 weeks. Serum HBsAg levels were quantified using the Abbott Architect HBsAg QT assay throughout treatment. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of SR.
Results
Nineteen patients (31%) achieved SR with serum HBV DNA levels <312 copies/mL at 24 weeks post‐treatment. Serum HBsAg levels at 12 (OR 31.9; 95% CI 4.8–209.6; P = 0.0003) and 24 weeks of therapy (OR 8.8; 95% CI 2.0–38.0; P = 0.0035), and HBV DNA levels at baseline (OR 7.0; 95% CI 1.3–36.2; P = 0.0203), 12 (OR 7.9; 95% CI 1.2–48.4; P = 0.0249) and 24 weeks of therapy (OR 22.3; 95% CI 2.2–224.0; P = 0.0083) were early independent predictors of SR. A serum HBsAg cut‐off of 150 IU/mL at week 12 had an AUC, sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of 0.75, 63%, 95%, 86% and 85% with respect to predicting SR respectively.
Conclusions
A quantitative serum HBsAg level at 12 weeks of therapy can be used for the early prediction of SR to peginterferon therapy in HBeAg‐negative CHB patients infected with genotype B or C.
Sympathetic nerve activity is known to be important in ventricular arrhythmogenesis, but there is little information on the relation between the distribution of cardiac sympathetic nerves and the ...occurrence of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias in humans.
We studied 53 native hearts of transplant recipients, 5 hearts obtained at autopsy of patients who died of noncardiac causes, and 7 ventricular tissues that had been surgically resected from the origin of ventricular tachycardia. The history was reviewed to determine the presence (group 1A) or absence (group 1B) of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias. Immunocytochemical staining for S100 protein, neurofilament protein, tyrosine hydroxylase, and protein gene product 9.5 was performed to study the distribution and the density of sympathetic nerves. The average left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.22+/-0.07. A total of 30 patients had documented ventricular arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia and sudden cardiac death. A regional increase in sympathetic nerves was observed around the diseased myocardium and blood vessels in all 30 hearts. The density of nerve fibers as determined morphometrically was significantly higher in group 1A patients (total nerve number 19.6+/-11.2/mm(2), total nerve length 3.3+/-3.0 mm/mm(2)) than in group 1B patients (total nerve number 13.5+/-6.1/mm(2), total nerve length 2.0+/-1.1 mm/mm(2), P<0. 05 and P<0.01, respectively).
There is an association between a history of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmia and an increased density of sympathetic nerves in patients with severe heart failure. These findings suggest that abnormally increased postinjury sympathetic nerve density may be in part responsible for the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death in these patients.
Background: Dialysis patients with uremic pruritus have worse outcomes. However, the pathophysiology of the high mortality in these patients remains inconclusive except for links with ...calcium/phosphate imbalance and sleep disturbance. Whether inflammation, an outcome predictor in dialysis patients, plays a role is unknown. Methods: This prospective study included 321 chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients (>3 months) for survival analysis. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to measure the severity of itching, and the patients were divided into four groups: no pruritus (VAS = 0, N = 118), mild (VAS 1–3, N = 76), moderate (VAS 4–7, N = 89) and severe pruritus (VAS 8–10, N = 38). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to define sleep disturbance, while high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were used to evaluate inflammation. The patients were followed-up for 30 months. Results: Patients with moderate/severe pruritus had higher hs-CRP, but similar TNF-α levels; they also had a worse survival rate (P = 0.0197, log rank test). By stratifying hs-CRP levels, those with higher hs-CRP had worse survival regardless of the severity of uremic pruritus. In a Cox proportional hazard model, hs-CRP levels and moderate/severe uremic pruritus were independent predictors of mortality after adjusting for age, poor sleeper (PSQI > 5), diabetes, albumin, phosphate, hemoglobin and parathyroid hormone levels and (hs-CRP) × (moderate/severe uremic pruritus) (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: In moderate/severe pruritic HD patients, those with higher hs-CRP suffer from worse overall mortality. Inflammation may bridge uremic pruritus to high mortality, and elevated hs-CRP predicts a worse outcome in this population.
BiFeO3 (BFO) and La-doped BFO (BLFO) thin films were grown on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrate using pulsed laser deposition. The domain structures of the BFO and BLFO were investigated via piezoresponse ...force microscopy. Highly enhanced ferroelectric properties with great remanent polarization (P r) of 102I14Ccma degree 2 and decreased leakage current density were obtained via La doping. The magnetic property was also increased by the La doping, ascribed to spatial homogenization of the spin arrangement. The mechanisms for the enhancement of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic characteristics are discussed.
Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements in China indicate that crustal shortening accommodates most of India's penetration into Eurasia. Deformation within the Tibetan Plateau and its margins, ...the Himalaya, the Altyn Tagh, and the Qilian Shan, absorbs more than 90% of the relative motion between the Indian and Eurasian plates. Internal shortening of the Tibetan plateau itself accounts for more than one-third of the total convergence. However, the Tibetan plateau south of the Kunlun and Ganzi-Mani faults is moving eastward relative to both India and Eurasia. This movement is accommodated through rotation of material around the eastern Syntaxis. The North China and South China blocks, east of the Tibetan Plateau, move coherently east-southeastward at rates of 2 to 8 millimeters per year and 6 to 11 millimeters per year, respectively, with respect to the stable Eurasia.
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