Application of legumes in plant-based milk alternatives: a review of limitations and solutions.

In recent years, a global shift has been observed toward reducing the consumption of animal-derived foods in favor of healthier and more sustainable dietary choices. This has led to a steady growth in the market for plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs). Projections suggest that this market will reach a value of USD 69.8 billion by 2030. Legumes, being traditional and nutritious ingredients for PMBAs, are rich in proteins, dietary fibers, and other nutrients, with potential health benefits such as anticancer and cardiovascular disease prevention. In this review, the application of 12 legumes in plant-based milk alternatives was thoroughly discussed for the first time. However, compared to milk, processing of legume-based beverages can lead to deficiencies such as nutritional imbalance, off-flavor, and emulsion stratification. Considering the potential and challenges associated with legume-based beverages, this review aims to provide a scientific comparison between legume-based beverages and cow's milk in terms of nutritional quality, organoleptic attributes and stability, and to summarize ways to improve the deficiencies of legume-based beverages in terms of raw materials and processing method improvements. In conclusion, the legume-based beverage industry will be better enhanced and developed by improving the issues.

Multifunctional ferrofluid-infused surfaces with reconfigurable multiscale topography.

Developing adaptive materials with geometries that change in response to external stimuli provides fundamental insights into the links between the physical forces involved and the resultant morphologies and creates a foundation for technologically relevant dynamic systems1,2. In particular, reconfigurable surface topography as a means to control interfacial properties3 has recently been explored using responsive gels4, shape-memory polymers5, liquid crystals6-8 and hybrid composites9-14, including magnetically active slippery surfaces12-14. However, these designs exhibit a limited range of topographical changes and thus a restricted scope of function. Here we introduce a hierarchical magneto-responsive composite surface, made by infiltrating a ferrofluid into a microstructured matrix (termed ferrofluid-containing liquid-infused porous surfaces, or FLIPS). We demonstrate various topographical reconfigurations at multiple length scales and a broad range of associated emergent behaviours. An applied magnetic-field gradient induces the movement of magnetic nanoparticles suspended in the ferrofluid, which leads to microscale flow of the ferrofluid first above and then within the microstructured surface. This redistribution changes the initially smooth surface of the ferrofluid (which is immobilized by the porous matrix through capillary forces) into various multiscale hierarchical topographies shaped by the size, arrangement and orientation of the confining microstructures in the magnetic field. We analyse the spatial and temporal dynamics of these reconfigurations theoretically and experimentally as a function of the balance between capillary and magnetic pressures15-19 and of the geometric anisotropy of the FLIPS system. Several interesting functions at three different length scales are demonstrated: self-assembly of colloidal particles at the micrometre scale; regulated flow of liquid droplets at the millimetre scale; and switchable adhesion and friction, liquid pumping and removal of biofilms at the centimetre scale. We envision that FLIPS could be used as part of integrated control systems for the manipulation and transport of matter, thermal management, microfluidics and fouling-release materials.

A glycolysis-related two-gene risk model that can effectively predict the prognosis of patients with rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Aerobic glycolysis is an emerging hallmark of cancer. Although some studies have constructed glycolysis-related prognostic models of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, whether the COAD glycolysis-related prognostic model is appropriate for distinguishing the prognosis of rectal adenocarcinoma (READ) patients remains unknown. Exploring critical and specific glycolytic genes related to READ prognosis may help us discover new potential therapeutic targets for READ patients. RESULTS: Three gene sets, HALLMARK_GLYCOLYSIS, REACTOME_GLYCOLYSIS and REACTOME_REGULATION_OF_GLYCOLYSIS_BY_FRUCTOSE_2_6_BISPHOSPHATE_METABOLISM, were both significantly enriched in both COAD and READ through glycolysis-related gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). We found that six genes (ANKZF1, STC2, SUCLG2P2, P4HA1, GPC1 and PCK1) were independent prognostic genes in COAD, while TSTA3 and PKP2 were independent prognostic genes in READ. Glycolysis-related prognostic model of COAD and READ was, respectively, constructed and assessed in COAD and READ. We found that the glycolysis-related prognostic model of COAD was not appropriate for READ, while glycolysis-related prognostic model of READ was more appropriate for READ than for COAD. PCA and t-SNE analysis confirmed that READ patients in two groups (high and low risk score groups) were distributed in discrete directions based on the glycolysis-related prognostic model of READ. We found that this model was an independent prognostic indicator through multivariate Cox analysis, and it still showed robust effectiveness in different age, gender, M stage, and TNM stage. A nomogram combining the risk model of READ with clinicopathological characteristics was established to provide oncologists with a practical tool to evaluate the rectal cancer outcomes. GO enrichment and KEGG analyses confirmed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in several glycolysis-related molecular functions or pathways based on glycolysis-related prognostic model of READ. CONCLUSIONS: We found that a glycolysis-related prognostic model of COAD was not appropriate for READ, and we established a novel glycolysis-related two-gene risk model to effectively predict the prognosis of rectal cancer patients.

Pore-Scale Study on Shale Oil-CO2-Water Miscibility, Competitive Adsorption, and Multiphase Flow Behaviors.

Due to the fracturing fluid imbibition and primary water, oil-water two-phase fluids generally exist in shale nanoporous media. The effects of water phase on shale oil recovery and geological carbon sequestration via CO2 huff-n-puff is non-negligible. Meanwhile, oil-CO2 miscibility after CO2 huff-n-puff also has an important effect on oil-water two-phase flow behaviors. In this work, by considering the oil-CO2 competitive adsorption behaviors and the effects of oil-CO2 miscibility on water wettability, an improved multicomponent and multiphase lattice Boltzmann method is proposed to study the effects of water phase on CO2 huff-n-puff. Additionally, the effects of oil-CO2 miscibility on oil-water flow behaviors and relative permeability are also discussed. The results show that due to Jamin's effect of water droplets in oil-wetting pores and the capillary resistance of bridge-like water phase in water-wetting pores, CO2 can hardly diffuse into the oil phase, causing a large amount of remaining oil. As water saturation increases, Jamin's effect and the capillary resistance become more pronounced, and the CO2 storage mass gradually decreases. Then, based on the results from molecular dynamics simulations, the influences of oil-CO2 miscibility on oil-water relative permeability in calcite nanoporous media are studied, and as the oil mass percentage in the oil-CO2 miscible system decreases, the oil/water relative permeability decreases/increases. The improved lattice Boltzmann model can be readily extended to quantitatively calculate geological CO2 storage mass considering water saturation and calculate the accurate oil-water relative permeability based on the real 3D digital core.

Characterisation of kapok fibre's biochar for arsenate adsorption removal from aqueous solution.

Al-KBC was produced through the simple pyrolysis of Al-modified kapok fibres at high temperatures. Using the N2 adsorption Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) process, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the sorbent changes and characteristics were analysed. As a result of Al's addition to the fibre's surface, Al-KBC exhibited superior As(V) adsorption performance compared to KBC due to better pore structures. Experiments on the kinetics of As(V) adsorption revealed that the adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order model and that intradiffusion was not the only factor governing the adsorption. Experiments with isotherms indicated that the adsorption mechanism corresponded to the Langmuir model, and the adsorption capacity Qm of Al-KBC at 25 °C was 483 µg/g. The thermodynamic experiments suggested that the adsorption reactions were spontaneous endothermic with a random approach at the adsorption interface. 25 mg/L of coexisting ions such as sulphate and phosphate reduced the sorbent As(V) removal ability to 65% and 39%. After seven cycles of adsorption/desorption, Al-KBC demonstrated satisfactory performance in terms of reusability, adsorbing 53% of 100 µg/L As(V) from the water. This novel BC can probably be used as a filter to purify groundwater with high As(V) concentration in the rural zone.

Genome-Scale Methylation Analysis of Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Gastric Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant DNA hypermethylation of CpG islands (CGIs) occurs frequently and is genome-wide in human gastric cancer (GC). A DNA methylation approach in plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is attractive for the noninvasive detection of GC. Here, we performed genome-scale cfDNA methylation analysis in patients with GC. METHODS: We used MCTA-Seq, a genome-scale DNA methylation analysis method, on the plasma samples of patients with GC (n = 89) and control participants (n = 82), as well as 28 pairs of GC and adjacent noncancerous tissues. The capacity of the method for detecting GC and discriminating GC from colorectal cancer (CRC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was assessed. RESULTS: We identified 153 cfDNA methylation biomarkers, including DOCK10, CABIN1, and KCNQ5, for detecting GC in blood. A panel of these biomarkers gave a sensitivity of 44%, 59%, 78%, and 100% for stage I, II, III, and IV tumors, respectively, at a specificity of 92%. CpG island methylation phenotype (CIMP) tumors and NON-CIMP tumors could be distinguished and detected effectively. We also identified several hundreds of cfDNA biomarkers differentially methylated between GC, CRC, and HCC, and showed that MCTA-Seq can discriminate early-stage GC, CRC, and HCC in blood by using a high specificity (approximately 100%) algorithm. CONCLUSIONS: Our comprehensive analyses provided valuable data on cfDNA methylation biomarkers of GC and showed the promise of cfDNA methylation for the blood-based noninvasive detection of GC.

Mechanism of protection from insulin resistance by toll-like receptor 2 deficiency in high-fat diet fed mice: involvement in macrophage polarization.

BACKGROUND: Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) deficiency can increase insulin sensitivity and improves glucose tolerance. However, it is not yet fully understood about its underlying mechanism. The regulation of M1/M2 macrophage polarization has been verified to involve in insulin resistance. Here, we evaluated whether the beneficial effect of TLR2 deficiency is mediated by TLR2-associated macrophage polarization in mice fed with high-fat diet (HFD). METHODS AND RESULTS: Wild-type and TLR2 knockout (TLR2-/-) mice received HFD for two months. Following intraperitoneal glucose tolerance and insulin resistance tests, peripheral monocytes were isolated, and in vitro induced for differentiation into M1 and M2 macrophages, respectively. Macrophages polarization was evaluated using flow cytometry. The expression of macrophage polarization marker genes and cytokine production in visceral adipose tissue were measured by qRT-PCR and ELISA. Compared to wild-type mice, TLR2-/- mice showed higher glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, along with significantly reduced the population of M1 and increased M2 count in vitro. Additionally, TLR2-/- mice demonstrated higher expression of M2 marker iNOS mRNA and interleukin-10 level in adipose tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal that TLR2 knockout-mediated macrophages M2 polarization is a crucial factor for preventing against diet-induced insulin resistance in mice. These findings deepen our knowledge about the mechanism underlying HFD-induced insulin resistance.

Investigating the Overall Experience of Wearable Robots during Prototype-Stage Testing.

Wearable robots (WRs) might interact with humans in a similar manner to teammates to accomplish specific tasks together. However, the available data on WR user experience (UX) studies are limited, especially during the prototyping phase. Therefore, this study aims to examine the overall experience of WRs during the prototyping phase based on an exploratory research model. This theoretical model considered usability, hedonic quality, and attitude toward using WRs as key factors in explaining and predicting overall experience. To test the hypotheses inherent in the research model, quantitative empirical research was conducted and the data were analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results from the PLS-SEM analysis revealed the significance level of correlations between the latent variables in the research model. The exploratory research model was able to explain up to 53.2% of the variance in the overall experience of using WRs, indicating medium predictive power. This research develops a new quantitative empirical research model that can be used to explain and predict the overall experience of interactive products such as WRs. Meanwhile, the model is needed during WR testing in the prototype phase.

One-Step Pyrolysis of Nitrogen-Containing Chemicals and Biochar Derived from Walnut Shells to Absorb Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).

The pyrolysis of biomass is an efficient means of utilizing biomass resources. Biomass can be converted into various high-performance chemicals and functional materials through pyrolysis. However, current pyrolysis technologies suffer from low conversion rates and single products, so the preparation of nitrogen compounds with high economic value remains a challenge. The walnut shell was soaked in three nitrogen-containing compound solutions before carbonization to produce high-value-added nitrogen-containing chemicals (with a nitrogen content of 59.09%) and biochar for the adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). According to biochar analysis, biochar has a porous structure with a specific surface area of 1161.30 m2/g and a high level of rocky desertification. The surface forms a dense pyrrole structure, and the structure produces π-π interactions with naphthalene molecules, exhibiting excellent naphthalene adsorption with a maximum capacity of 214.98 mg/g. This study provides an efficient, rapid, and environmentally friendly method for producing nitrogen-containing chemicals with high-added value and biochar.

Long non-coding RNA profile study identifies a metabolism-related signature for colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Heterogeneity in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients provides novel strategies in clinical decision-making. Identifying distinctive subgroups in patients can improve the screening of CRC and reduce the cost of tests. Metabolism-related long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) can help detection of tumorigenesis and development for CRC patients. METHODS: RNA sequencing and clinical data of CRC patients which extracted and integrated from public databases including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were set as training cohort and validation cohort. Metabolism-related genes were acquired from Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and the metabolism-related lncRNAs were filtered using correlation analysis. The risk score was calculated based on lncRNAs with prognostic value and verified through survival curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and risk curve. Prognostic factors of CRC patients were also analyzed. Nomogram was constructed based on the results of cox regression analyses. The different immune status was observed in the single sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA). RESULTS: The training cohort and the validation cohort enrolled 432 and 547 CRC patients respectively. A total of 23 metabolism-related lncRNAs with prognostic value were screened out and 10 of which were significantly differentially expressed between tumour and normal tissues. Finally, 8 lncRNAs were used to establish a risk score (DICER1-AS1, PCAT6, GAS5, PRR7-AS1, MCM3AP-AS1, GAS6-AS1, LINC01082 and ADIRF-AS1). Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the median of risk scores in training cohort and the survival curves indicated that the survival prognosis was significantly different. The area under curve (AUC) of the ROC curve in two cohorts were both greater than 0.6. The age, tumour stage and risk score were selected as independent factors and used to construct a nomogram to predict CRC patients' survival rate with the c-index of 0.806. The ssGSEA indicated that the risk score was associated with immune cells and functions. CONCLUSIONS: Our systematic study established a metabolism-related lncRNA signature to predict outcomes of CRC patients which may contribute to individual prevention and treatment.

Prognosis Prediction for Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Risk Score Based on The Metabolic-Related Genes.

Risk assessment has high prognostic value in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), and the use of proper models is an effective approach frequently used to evaluate cancer progression for further treatment plans. Alterations in metabolism are confirmed to be a significant feature of tumor cells and have been an intense focus in disease research. Here, we mined the genes that were differentially expressed in CRC tissues compared to paired normal samples from a public database and then constructed a novel assessment system for the prognosis of patients based on the value of a risk score considering the expression status of metabolism-related genes after screening. The score successfully stratified patients by risk and was externally verified in our study. Moreover, we built a nomogram combining the score and clinical parameters to predict patient survival using a visual method. The results suggested that the risk score was well fit and could provide assistance for the individual treatment of CRC patients in the clinic.

Atomic Resolution Imaging of CrBr3 Using Adhesion-Enhanced Grids.

Suspended specimens of 2D crystals and their heterostructures are required for a range of studies including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), optical transmission experiments, and nanomechanical testing. However, investigating the properties of laterally small 2D crystal specimens, including twisted bilayers and air-sensitive materials, has been held back by the difficulty of fabricating the necessary clean suspended samples. Here we present a scalable solution that allows clean free-standing specimens to be realized with 100% yield by dry-stamping atomically thin 2D stacks onto a specially developed adhesion-enhanced support grid. Using this new capability, we demonstrate atomic resolution imaging of defect structures in atomically thin CrBr3, a novel magnetic material that degrades in ambient conditions.

Genomic and transcriptomic profiling of carcinogenesis in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis.

OBJECTIVE: Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is characterised by the development of hundreds to thousands of adenomas at different evolutionary stages in the colon and rectum that will inevitably progress to adenocarcinomas if left untreated. Here, we investigated the genetic alterations and transcriptomic transitions from precancerous adenoma to carcinoma. DESIGN: Whole-exome sequencing, whole-genome sequencing and single-cell RNA sequencing were performed on matched adjacent normal tissues, multiregionally sampled adenomas at different stages and carcinomas from six patients with FAP and one patient with MUTYH-associated polyposis (n=56 exomes, n=56 genomes and n=8,757 single cells). Genomic alterations (including copy number alterations and somatic mutations), clonal architectures and transcriptome dynamics during adenocarcinoma carcinogenesis were comprehensively investigated. RESULTS: Genomic evolutionary analysis showed that adjacent lesions from the same patient with FAP can originate from the same cancer-primed cell. In addition, the tricarboxylic acid cycle pathway was strongly repressed in adenomas and was then slightly alleviated in carcinomas. Cells from the 'normal' colon epithelium of patients with FAP already showed metabolic reprogramming compared with cells from the normal colon epithelium of patients with sporadic colorectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The process described in the previously reported field cancerisation model also occurs in patients with FAP and can contribute to the formation of adjacent lesions in patients with FAP. Reprogramming of carbohydrate metabolism has already occurred at the precancerous adenoma stage. Our study provides an accurate picture of the genomic and transcriptomic landscapes during the initiation and progression of carcinogenesis, especially during the transition from adenoma to carcinoma.

LncRNA CRNDE acts as an oncogene in cervical cancer through sponging miR-183 to regulate CCNB1 expression.

Studies have identified a series of lncRNAs that contributed to various tumors, although the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. We proposed a ceRNA network and investigate relations among lncRNA/miRNA/mRNA in cervical cancer (CC). The genes of differential expression and lncRNA/miRNA/mRNA network were identified by combining TCGA, miRcode, starBase, miRTarBase, miRDB, TargetScan and STRING databases. Meanwhile, the function enrichment was recognized with Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Quantitative real time-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to determine colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed (CRNDE) expression in CC tissues and cell lines. The effects of CRNDE on the CC biological functions and cyclin B1 (CCNB1) expression were detected by conducting in vitro and in vivo experiments. Quantitative real time-PCR, western blot and dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to predict the target of miR-183. Furthermore, rescue experiments were conducted to further confirm the regulation of CCNB1 by CRNDE. Systematic analyses of bioinformatics from several databases predicted that CRNDE, miR-183 and CCNB1 were in the same network path. Their expressions were up-regulated in CC tissues and cells. Silencing CRNDE-inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, restricted solid tumor growth and promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, our results suggested that miR-183 targeted the CCNB1 3'UTR and regulated its expression. Additionally, miR-183 mimic could inverse the antitumor function of CRNDE inhibition and partially eliminated the attenuated expression of CCNB1 induced by silencing CRNDE, indicating that CRNDE could positively regulate CCNB1 expression by sponging miR-183. Our study highlighted a role for the CRNDE/miR-183/CCNB1-axis in CC and offered a promising diagnostic strategy for CC treatment.

miR-206 inhibits thyroid cancer proliferation and invasion by targeting RAP1B.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is one of the primary tumors arisen from endocrine system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism by which RAP1B (Ras-related protein Rap-1b) modulates microRNA (miR)-206 related effects on TC cells. Expression of miR-206 and RAP1B was analyzed in cells and tissues. miR-206 mimics or inhibitors and RAP1B vector were used in functional experiments to investigate the effects of miR-206 and RAP1B on cell activities including proliferation, migration, and invasion. Luciferase assay was performed to explore the association between miR-206 and RAP1B. The influence of miR-206 on tumorigenesis of TC cells was investigated using an ex vivo model. Our results demonstrated the reduce of miR-206 in TC tissues and cell lines in which RAP1B was increased. Overexpression of miR-206 significantly inhibited the functional capacities of TPC-1 cells including proliferation, invasion, and migration, most likely, through reducing the expression of RAP1B. Xenograft experiment showed that increased miR-206 could effectively inhibit the tumorigenesis of TC cells. Our study showed that miR-206 negatively regulated cell activities of proliferation, invasion, and migration in TC via suppressing RAP1B expression, suggesting that miR-206 exerts a vital role in TC.

Detection of Colorectal Cancer in Circulating Cell-Free DNA by Methylated CpG Tandem Amplification and Sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant DNA hypermethylation of CpG islands occurs frequently throughout the genome in human colorectal cancer (CRC). A genome-wide DNA hypermethylation analysis technique using circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is attractive for the noninvasive early detection of CRC and discrimination between CRC and other cancer types. METHODS: We applied the methylated CpG tandem amplification and sequencing (MCTA-Seq) method, with a fully methylated molecules algorithm, to plasma samples from patients with CRC (n = 147) and controls (n = 136), as well as cancer and adjacent noncancerous tissue samples (n = 66). We also comparatively analyzed plasma samples from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n = 36). RESULTS: Dozens of DNA hypermethylation markers including known (e.g., SEPT9 and IKZF1) and novel (e.g., EMBP1, KCNQ5, CHST11, APBB1IP, and TJP2) genes were identified for effectively detecting CRC in cfDNA. A panel of 80 markers discriminated early-stage CRC patients and controls with a clinical sensitivity of 74% and clinical specificity of 90%. Patients with early-stage CRC and HCC could be discriminated at clinical sensitivities of approximately 70% by another panel of 128 markers. CONCLUSIONS: MCTA-Seq is a promising method for the noninvasive detection of CRC.

The near and far of a pair of magnetic capillary disks.

Control on microscopic scales depends critically on our ability to manipulate interactions with different physical fields. The creation of micro-machines therefore requires us to understand how multiple fields, such as surface capillary or electro-magnetic fields, can be used to produce predictable behaviour. Recently, a spinning micro-raft system was developed that exhibited both static and dynamic self-assembly [Wang et al., Sci. Adv., 2017, 3, e1602522]. These rafts employed both capillary and magnetic interactions and, at a critical driving frequency, would suddenly change from stable orbital patterns to static assembled structures. In this paper, we explain the dynamics of two interacting micro-rafts through a combination of theoretical models and experiments. This is first achieved by identifying the governing physics of the orbital patterns, the assembled structures, and the collapse separately. We find that the orbital patterns are determined by the short range capillary interactions between the disks, while the explanations of the other two behaviours only require the capillary far field. Finally we combine the three models to explain the dynamics of a new micro-raft experiment.

SASRT: Semantic-Aware Super-Resolution Transmission for Adaptive Video Streaming over Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks.

There are few network resources in wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs). Compressing media data can reduce the reliance of user's Quality of Experience (QoE) on network resources. Existing video coding software, such as H.264 and H.265, focuses only on spatial and short-term information redundancy. However, video usually contains redundancy over a long period of time. Therefore, compressing video information redundancy with a long period of time without compromising the user experience and adaptive delivery is a challenge in WMSNs. In this paper, a semantic-aware super-resolution transmission for adaptive video streaming system (SASRT) for WMSNs is presented. In the SASRT, some deep learning algorithms are used to extract video semantic information and enrich the video quality. On the multimedia sensor, different bit-rate semantic information and video data are encoded and uploaded to user. Semantic information can also be identified on the user side, further reducing the amount of data that needs to be transferred. However, identifying semantic information on the user side may increase the computational cost of the user side. On the user side, video quality is enriched with super-resolution technologies. The major challenges faced by SASRT include where the semantic information is identified, how to choose the bit rates of semantic and video information, and how network resources should be allocated to video and semantic information. The optimization problem is formulated as a complexity-constrained nonlinear NP-hard problem. Three adaptive strategies and a heuristic algorithm are proposed to solve the optimization problem. Simulation results demonstrate that SASRT can compress video information redundancy with a long period of time effectively and enrich the user experience with limited network resources while simultaneously improving the utilization of these network resources.

MiR-182 promotes glucose metabolism by upregulating hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in NSCLC cells.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to demonstrate the role of miR-182 in the glucose metabolism of NSCLC cells and the potential mechanism. METHODS: MTT Cytotoxicity Assay was used to measure the function of differentially expressed miR-182 on two NSCLC cell lines proliferation. Metabolite analysis was introduced to monitor the glucose consumption, lactate release and glycolytic intermediate metabolites. The mRNA level of critical genes involved in glycolysis was detected by qRT-PCR. The 3'UTRs of predicted gene with a miR-182 binding site and their seed-sequence-mutated version were cloned downstream to the ORF of a Renilla luciferase reporter gene and the ability of miR-182 to downregulate luciferase expression was assessed. RESULTS: MiR-182 had significantly improved proliferation of NSCLC cell lines. Metabolite analysis of the cells with strengthened miR-182 revealed significantly increased glucose consumption and lactate release, as well as glycolytic intermediate metabolites, or conversely. Among a panel of genes controlling glucose metabolism, miR-182 exhibited significantly influence on ENO1, GLUT1, HIF-1α, HK1, HK2, LDHA and PDK1, especially HIF-1α. For the predicted target gene HIF1AN, the wild-type but not mutated 3'UTR, responded to miR-182  b y directing ∼45% reduction of reporter gene expression. CONCLUSION: MiR-182 promotes glucose metabolism by upregulating HIF-1α in NSCLC cells.

Concentrations and potential health risks of strontium in drinking water from Xi'an, Northwest China.

Information about the concentrations of strontium (Sr(II)) in drinking water in China and the corresponding health risks to Chinese residents is lacking. This study investigated Sr(II) in drinking water through a monthly sampling campaign in twelve locations in Xi'an, Northwest China. A health risk assessment for different age groups and exposure pathways were carried out by Monte Carlo simulation. The results show Sr(II) concentrations of 0.06-1.69 mg/L in all drinking water samples, which exceeded the minimum reporting level (MRL) of 0.3 µg/L. Also, one sample exceeded the health reference level (HRL) of 1500 µg/L. Higher Sr(II) levels were recorded in groundwater supply zones and springs, and more potential changes in Sr(II) occurred in distribution pipes transporting groundwater. The non-carcinogenic risk associated with Sr(II) exposure via drinking water was less than 1, indicating no significant health risk to the residents of Xi'an. As the first attempt to provide information on the health risks of Sr(II) in drinking water in China, findings from this study can be useful for the development of potential strategies for risk control and management.