NKAIN1, as an oncogene, promotes the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer, affecting its prognosis.

Na, K-ATPase interaction (NKAIN) is a transmembrane protein family, which can interact with Na, K-ATPase ß1 subunit. NKAIN1 plays an important role in alcohol-dependent diseases such as endometrial and prostate cancers. However, the relationship between NKAIN1 and human breast cancer has not been studied. Hence, this study aimed to explore the relationship between NKAIN1 expression and breast cancer. Data used in this study were mainly from the Cancer Genome Atlas, including differential expression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, multiple Cox regression analysis, co-expression gene analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis. Analyses were performed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry on 46 collected samples. The knockdown or overexpression of NKAIN1 in vitro in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines altered the proliferation and migration abilities of tumor cells. In vivo experiments further confirmed that NKAIN1 knockdown effectively inhibited the proliferation and migration of cancer cells. Therefore, our study identified NKAIN1 as an oncogene that is highly expressed in breast cancer tissues. The findings highlight the potential of NKAIN1 as a molecular biomarker of breast cancer.

Perception of Perioperative Risk for Arthroplasty Patients: A Poll of Chinese Orthopaedic Surgeons.

BACKGROUND: Informed by the precedent of an American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) survey, where 95% of participants reported instigating modifications to preoperative risk factors, this study appraised the approach of Chinese arthroplasty surgeons toward patients who had modifiable risks. METHODS: An adaptation of the AAHKS survey tool for a Chinese cohort was undertaken. The survey queried 600 Chinese Society of Hip and Knee Surgeons members on whether the perception of unoptimized medical comorbidities and socioeconomic elements affects the propensity to offer surgical procedures. RESULTS: Out of the distributed surveys, 150 responses were received, culminating in a response rate of 25%. The data illustrate that 98.7% of Chinese surgeons practice restrictions on arthroplasty access for patients who have modifiable risk factors, with notable frequencies for malnutrition (93.3%), anemia (91.3%), recent hyaluronic acid injections (within one month, 88.7%), and corticosteroid injections (within 3 months, 74.7%). Assessment criteria ahead of surgery included limitations such as a body mass index under 40 (47.3%), requirements for smoking cessation (57.3%), an acceptable hemoglobin A1c level (95.3%), and a dependent fasting blood glucose level (88%). Moreover, 87.3% of respondents endorsed the need for additional interventions for certain socioeconomically disadvantaged patients to achieve successful outcomes. A majority of respondents (94.7%) believed that more equitable access to care, facilitated by better-adjusted payment methodologies, could enhance patient outcomes. Current payment schemes were also perceived by a majority to potentially compromise outcomes for patients who have inadequate social support (80.7%), low socioeconomic status (67.3%), and those lacking insurance (72.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The consistency of the almost 99% response rate in addressing modifiable risk factors prior to arthroplasty aligns closely with the reported practices in the AAHKS survey. These findings underscore the shared valuation of preoperative risk factor optimization by Chinese and American arthroplasty surgeons, notwithstanding divergent healthcare system structures.

Contrastive Multiscale Transformer for Image Dehazing.

Images obtained in an unfavorable environment may be affected by haze or fog, leading to fuzzy image details, low contrast, and loss of important information. Recently, significant progress has been achieved in the realm of image dehazing, largely due to the adoption of deep learning techniques. Owing to the lack of modules specifically designed to learn the unique characteristics of haze, existing deep neural network-based methods are impractical for processing images containing haze. In addition, most networks primarily focus on learning clear image information while disregarding potential features in hazy images. To address these limitations, we propose an innovative method called contrastive multiscale transformer for image dehazing (CMT-Net). This method uses the multiscale transformer to enable the network to learn global hazy features at multiple scales. Furthermore, we introduce feature combination attention and a haze-aware module to enhance the network's ability to handle varying concentrations of haze by assigning more weight to regions containing haze. Finally, we design a multistage contrastive learning loss incorporating different positive and negative samples at various stages to guide the network's learning process to restore real and non-hazy images. The experimental findings demonstrate that CMT-Net provides exceptional performance on established datasets and exhibits superior visual outcomes.

Long-Term Coherent Integration Algorithm for High-Speed Target Detection.

Long-term coherent integration (CI) can effectively improve the radar detection capability for high-speed targets. However, the range walk (RW) effect caused by high-speed motion significantly degrades the detection performance. To improve detection performance, this study proposes an improved algorithm based on the modified Radon inverse Fourier transform (denoted as IMRIFT). The proposed algorithm uses parameter searching for velocity estimation, designs a compensation function based on the relationship between velocity and distance walk and Doppler ambiguity terms, and performs CI based on the compensated signal. IMRIFT can achieve RW correction, avoid the blind-speed sidelobe (BSSL) effect caused by velocity mismatch, and improve detection performance, while ensuring low computational complexity. In addition, considering the relationship between energy concentration regions and bandwidth in the 2D frequency domain, a fast method based on IMIRFT is proposed, which can balance computational cost and detection capacity. Finally, a series of comparative experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and the fast method.

The contribution of wetland plant litter to soil carbon pool: Decomposition rates and priming effects.

Plant litter input is an important driver of soil/sediment organic carbon (SOC) turnover. A large number of studies have targeted litter-derived C input tracing at a global level. However, little is known about how litter carbon (C) input via various plant tissues affects SOC accumulation and mineralization. Here, we conducted laboratory incubation to investigate the effects of leaf litter and stem litter input on SOC dynamics using the natural 13C isotope technique. A 122-day laboratory incubation period showed that litter input facilitated SOC accumulation. Leaf and stem litter inputs increased soil total organic carbon content by 37.6% and 15.5%, respectively. Leaf litter input had a higher contribution to SOC accumulation than stem litter input. Throughout the incubation period, the δ13C values of stem litter and leaf litter increased by 1.5‰ and 3.3‰, respectively, while δ13CO2 derived from stem litter and δ13CO2 derived from leaf litter decreased by 4.2‰ and 6.1‰, respectively, suggesting that the magnitude of δ13C in litter and δ13CO2 shifts varied, depending on litter tissues. The cumulative CO2-C emissions of leaf litter input treatments were 27.56%-42.47% higher than those of the stem litter input treatments, and thus leaf litter input promoted SOC mineralization more than stem litter input. Moreover, the proportion of increased CO2-C emissions to cumulative CO2-C emissions (57.18%-92.12%) was greater than the proportion of litter C input to total C (18.7%-36.8%), indicating that litter input could stimulate native SOC mineralization, which offsets litter-derived C in the soil. Overall, litter input caused a net increase in SOC accumulation, but it also accelerated the loss of native SOC. These findings provide a reliable basis for assessing SOC stability and net C sink capacity in wetlands.

Treated wastewater and weak removal mechanisms enhance nitrate pollution in metropolitan rivers.

The focus of urban water environment renovation has shifted to high nitrate (NO3-) load. Nitrate input and nitrogen conversion are responsible for the continuous increase in nitrate levels in urban rivers. This study utilized nitrate stable isotopes (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-) to investigate NO3- sources and transformation processes in Suzhou Creek, located in Shanghai. The results demonstrated that NO3- was the most common form of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), accounting for 66 ± 14% of total DIN with a mean value of 1.86 ± 0.85 mg L-1. The δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3- values ranged from 5.72 to 12.42‰ (mean value: 8.38 ± 1.54‰) and -5.01 to 10.39‰ (mean value: 0.58 ± 1.76‰), respectively. Based on isotopic evidence, the river received a significant amount of nitrate through direct exogenous input and sewage ammonium nitrification, while nitrate removal (denitrification) was insignificant, resulting in nitrate accumulation. Analysis using the MixSIAR model revealed that treated wastewater (68.3 ± 9.7%), soil nitrogen (15.7 ± 4.8%) and nitrogen fertilizer (15.5 ± 4.9%) were the main sources of NO3- in rivers. Despite the fact that Shanghai's urban domestic sewage recovery rate has reached 92%, reducing nitrate concentrations in treated wastewater is crucial for addressing nitrogen pollution in urban rivers. Additional efforts are needed to upgrade urban sewage treatment during low flow periods and/or in the main stream, and to control non-point sources of nitrate, such as soil nitrogen and nitrogen fertilizer, during high flow periods and/or tributaries. This research provides insights into NO3- sources and transformations, and serves as a scientific basis for controlling NO3- in urban rivers.

Molecular characterization and prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in sheep and goats in western Inner Mongolia, China.

Cryptosporidium spp. are zoonotic intestinal parasites that infect fish, birds, reptiles and mammals. Cryptosporidium spp. are common cause of diarrhea. In this study, a total of 1032 fecal samples were collected from the rectums of sheep and goats. The samples were analyzed using nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR) based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of Cryptosporidium spp. The average infection rate of Cryptosporidium spp. was 2.23% (n = 23), and three Cryptosporidium species were identified, namely Cryptosporidium ubiquitum (8/23), Cryptosporidium andersoni (5/23) and Cryptosporidium xiaoi (10/23). Subtyping of C. ubiquitum and C. xiaoi was carried out by DNA sequence analysis of the 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene. Eight C. ubiquitum isolates were identified as zoonotic subtype XIIa. Nine C. xiaoi isolates were identified as subtypes XXIIIc (n = 1), XXIIIf (n = 3) and XXIIIg (n = 5). Subtype XXIIIg was first found in Chinese sheep. C. ubiquitum subtype XIIa was found in both sheep and goats, suggesting that sheep and goats are important sources of C. ubiquitum infections.

Characterization of CpCaM, a protein potentially involved in the growth of Cryptosporidium parvum.

Cryptosporidium parvum is an important apicomplexan parasite causing severe diarrhea in both humans and animals. Calmodulin (CaM), a multifunctional and universal calcium-binding protein, contributes to the growth and development of apicomplexan parasites, but the role of CaM in C. parvum remains unknown. In this study, the CaM of C. parvum encoded by the cgd2_810 gene was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the biological functions of CpCaM were preliminarily investigated. The transcriptional level of the cgd2_810 gene peaked at 36 h post infection (pi), and the CpCaM protein was mainly located around the nucleus of the whole oocysts, in the middle of sporozoites and around the nucleus of merozoites. Anti-CpCaM antibody reduced the invasion of C. parvum sporozoites by 30.69%. The present study indicates that CpCaM is potentially involved in the growth of C. parvum. Results of the study expand our knowledge on the interaction between host and Cryptosporidium.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis Reveals the B3 Superfamily Involved in Embryogenesis and Hormone Responses in Dimocarpus longan Lour.

B3 family transcription factors play an essential regulatory role in plant growth and development processes. This study performed a comprehensive analysis of the B3 family transcription factor in longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.), and a total of 75 DlB3 genes were identified. DlB3 genes were unevenly distributed on the 15 chromosomes of longan. Based on the protein domain similarities and functional diversities, the DlB3 family was further clustered into four subgroups (ARF, RAV, LAV, and REM). Bioinformatics and comparative analyses of B3 superfamily expression were conducted in different light and with different temperatures and tissues, and early somatic embryogenesis (SE) revealed its specific expression profile and potential biological functions during longan early SE. The qRT-PCR results indicated that DlB3 family members played a crucial role in longan SE and zygotic embryo development. Exogenous treatments of 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), NPA (N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid), and PP333 (paclobutrazol) could significantly inhibit the expression of the DlB3 family. Supplementary ABA (abscisic acid), IAA (indole-3-acetic acid), and GA3 (gibberellin) suppressed the expressions of DlLEC2, DlARF16, DlTEM1, DlVAL2, and DlREM40, but DlFUS3, DlARF5, and DlREM9 showed an opposite trend. Furthermore, subcellular localization indicated that DlLEC2 and DlFUS3 were located in the nucleus, suggesting that they played a role in the nucleus. Therefore, DlB3s might be involved in complex plant hormone signal transduction pathways during longan SE and zygotic embryo development.

Transformer-Based Maneuvering Target Tracking.

When tracking maneuvering targets, recurrent neural networks (RNNs), especially long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, are widely applied to sequentially capture the motion states of targets from observations. However, LSTMs can only extract features of trajectories stepwise; thus, their modeling of maneuvering motion lacks globality. Meanwhile, trajectory datasets are often generated within a large, but fixed distance range. Therefore, the uncertainty of the initial position of targets increases the complexity of network training, and the fixed distance range reduces the generalization of the network to trajectories outside the dataset. In this study, we propose a transformer-based network (TBN) that consists of an encoder part (transformer layers) and a decoder part (one-dimensional convolutional layers), to track maneuvering targets. Assisted by the attention mechanism of the transformer network, the TBN can capture the long short-term dependencies of target states from a global perspective. Moreover, we propose a center-max normalization to reduce the complexity of TBN training and improve its generalization. The experimental results show that our proposed methods outperform the LSTM-based tracking network.

Identifying discriminative features for diagnosis of Kashin-Beck disease among adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Diagnosing Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) involves damages to multiple joints and carries variable clinical symptoms, posing great challenge to the diagnosis of KBD for clinical practitioners. However, it is still unclear which clinical features of KBD are more informative for the diagnosis of Kashin-Beck disease among adolescent. METHODS: We first manually extracted 26 possible features including clinical manifestations, and pathological changes of X-ray images from 400 KBD and 400 non-KBD adolescents. With such features, we performed four classification methods, i.e., random forest algorithms (RFA), artificial neural networks (ANNs), support vector machines (SVMs) and linear regression (LR) with four feature selection methods, i.e., RFA, minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR), support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) and Relief. The performance of diagnosis of KBD with respect to different classification models were evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that the 10 out of 26 discriminative features were displayed more powerful performance, regardless of the chosen of classification models and feature selection methods. These ten discriminative features were distal end of phalanges alterations, metaphysis alterations and carpals alterations and clinical manifestations of ankle joint movement limitation, enlarged finger joints, flexion of the distal part of fingers, elbow joint movement limitation, squatting limitation, deformed finger joints, wrist joint movement limitation. CONCLUSIONS: The selected ten discriminative features could provide a fast, effective diagnostic standard for KBD adolescents.

Establishment and preliminary application of nanoparticle-assisted PCR assay for detection of Cryptosporidium spp.

Cryptosporidium is an important intestinal protozoan parasite that causes diarrhoea in humans and animals. To rapidly and specifically detect Cryptosporidium spp., we designed a pair of primers based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of Cryptosporidium spp. to be used in a new nanoparticle-assisted PCR (nano-PCR) assay. The minimum detectable concentration (1.02 pg) of this nano-PCR was 10 times more sensitive than conventional PCR using the same primer pair. The DNA samples of C. parvum, C. baileyi, C. xiaoi, C. ryanae, and C. andersoni were successfully detected by the nano-PCR. No amplifications were evident with DNA samples of some common intestinal pathogens, including Eimeria tenella, Blastocystis sp., Giardia lamblia, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, and Balantidium coli. To validate the clinical usefulness of the novel nano-PCR, a total of 40 faecal samples from goats, camels, calves, and chickens were examined. The positive rate of Cryptosporidium spp. was 27.5% (11/40), which was consistent with that of an established nested PCR. These results indicate that the novel nano-PCR assay enables the rapid, specific, and accurate detection of Cryptosporidium infection in animals. The findings provide a technical basis for the clinical diagnosis, prevention, and control of cryptosporidiosis.

Spatial variations in CO2 fluxes in a subtropical coastal reservoir of Southeast China were related to urbanization and land-use types.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from aquatic ecosystems are important components of the global carbon cycle, yet the CO2 emissions from coastal reservoirs, especially in developing countries where urbanization and rapid land use change occur, are still poorly understood. In this study, the spatiotemporal variations in CO2 concentrations and fluxes were investigated in Wenwusha Reservoir located in the southeast coast of China. Overall, the mean CO2 concentration and flux across the whole reservoir were 41.85 ± 2.03 µmol/L and 2.87 ± 0.29 mmol/m2/h, respectively, and the reservoir was a consistent net CO2 source over the entire year. The land use types and urbanization levels in the reservoir catchment significantly affected the input of exogenous carbon to water. The mean CO2 flux was much higher from waters adjacent to the urban land (5.05 ± 0.87 mmol/m2/hr) than other land use types. Sites with larger input of exogenous substance via sewage discharge and upstream runoff were often the hotspots of CO2 emission in the reservoir. Our results suggested that urbanization process, agricultural activities, and large input of exogenous carbon could result in large spatial heterogeneity of CO2 emissions and alter the CO2 biogeochemical cycling in coastal reservoirs. Further studies should characterize the diurnal variations, microbial mechanisms, and impact of meteorological conditions on reservoir CO2 emissions to expand our understanding of the carbon cycle in aquatic ecosystems.

Large Spatial Variations in Diffusive CH4 Fluxes from a Subtropical Coastal Reservoir Affected by Sewage Discharge in Southeast China.

Coastal reservoirs are potentially CH4 emission hotspots owing to their biogeochemical role as the sinks of anthropogenic carbon and nutrients. Yet, the fine-scale spatial variations in CH4 concentrations and fluxes in coastal reservoirs remain poorly understood, hampering an accurate determination of reservoir CH4 budgets. In this study, we examined the spatial variability of diffusive CH4 fluxes and their drivers at a subtropical coastal reservoir in southeast China using high spatial resolution measurements of dissolved CH4 concentrations and physicochemical properties of the surface water. Overall, this reservoir acted as a consistent source of atmospheric CH4, with a mean diffusive flux of 16.1 µmol m-2 h-1. The diffusive CH4 flux at the reservoir demonstrated considerable spatial variations, with the coefficients of variation ranging between 199 and 426% over the three seasons. The shallow water zone (comprising 23% of the reservoir area) had a disproportionately high contribution (56%) to the whole-reservoir diffusive CH4 emissions. Moreover, the mean CH4 flux in the sewage-affected sectors was significantly higher than that in the nonsewage-affected sectors. The results of bootstrap analysis further showed that increasing the sample size from 10 to 100 significantly reduced the relative standard deviation of mean diffusive CH4 flux from 73.7 to 3.4%. Our findings highlighted the role of sewage in governing the spatial variations in reservoir CH4 emissions and the importance of high spatial resolution data to improve the reliability of flux estimates for assessing the contribution of reservoirs to the regional and global CH4 budgets.

Multilocus genotyping of Giardia duodenalis in Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) in China.

The protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis is known to infect humans and a wide range of animals globally. However, no studies on G. duodenalis infection in Bactrian camels have been reported. In the present study, in order to examine the prevalence and genetic diversity of G. duodenalis in Bactrian camels, 852 fecal samples were collected from 24 sampling sites in three geographical areas (Gansu province, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions) of northwestern China, and subjected to multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis targeting the 18S rRNA, ß-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), and triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) genes. About 84 fecal samples tested positive for Giardia infection, with an overall prevalence of 9.8%, including three samples from camel calves with diarrhea. Significant differences (χ2 = 80.7, df = 2, P < 0.01) in the prevalence were found in Bactrian camels belonging to three geographical areas, with the highest (33.3%) in Gansu province and the lowest (4.2%) in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Furthermore, significantly different prevalences (χ2 = 34.2, df = 2, P < 0.01) were revealed among age groups, with the highest (35.7%) in camels aged 3 to 6 years old, and the lowest (7.5%) in camels aged > 6 years old. Sequence analysis identified two assemblages, including zoonotic assemblage A and ungulate-adapted assemblage E, with the latter as the dominant G. duodenalis assemblage in each age group and at all sampling sites having positive samples except Hotan. Genetic variations were detected among G. duodenalis isolates in these camels, and eight, three, and seven haplotypes were identified at loci bg, gdh, and tpi, respectively, forming two multilocus genotypes (MLGs) of zoonotic assemblage A and one MLG of assemblage E. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on G. duodenalis infection in Bactrian camels, and the data indicate that G. duodenalis have a broad host range.

Molecular characterization of Balantioides coli in pigs from Shaanxi province, northwestern China.

Balantioides coli (syn. Balantidium coli) is an important zoonotic but usually neglected protozoa infecting human and a great number of animals, and the pig was considered to be the most important natural host and reservoir. However, no information about the infection of B. coli in pigs in northwestern China was available. In the present study, the prevalence and genetic diversity of B. coli in pigs in Shaanxi province were investigated. A total of 560 fecal samples were collected from pigs of four age groups in five different geographical regions and analyzed by using PCR targeting the ITS1-5.8S rRNA-ITS2 gene fragment. The infection of B. coli was detected in all age groups and regions, with the total prevalence of 16.8% (94/560). Significant differences (P < 0.01) in prevalence were found among four investigated age groups, with the highest in fatteners (38.8%) and the lowest in adults (5.7%). The prevalence was also significantly (P < 0.01) different among pigs from five sampling regions. Sequence analysis revealed two genetic variants, namely, A and B, in these investigated pigs, and both of them were detected in all age groups and regions, with the latter as the predominant one. Further, sixty-eight different haplotypes were found, with 19 and 49 belonged to genetic variants A and B, respectively. The findings in the present study indicated wide distribution and high diversity of B. coli in pigs in Shaanxi province and provided fundamental data for implementing control strategies on B. coli infection in pigs as well as other hosts in this province.

Blood routine test is a good indicator for predicting premature rupture of membranes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of blood routine test (blood RT) in order to predict the occurrence of premature rupture of membranes (PROM). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to collect blood RT data from 100 cases of preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM), 70 cases of full-term premature rupture of membranes (fPROM), and 100 cases of full-term pregnancy (Normal). Nonparametric tests were performed for each blood routine parameter, the ROC curve was established for the parameters with significant difference, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratios (+LR), and negative likelihood ratios (-LR) were further calculated. RESULTS: The statistical results showed that WBC, NE.%, LY.%, EO.%, BA.%, NE.#, EO.#, RBC, HGB, HCT, and NLR were significantly different between pPROM and fPROM (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in WBC, NE.%, LY.%, NE.#, MO.#, RBC, HGB, HCT, and NLR between the pPROM and Normal groups (P < 0.05). Between the fPROM and Normal groups, only WBC was statistically significant (P < 0.05). By establishing ROC curve, the results showed that when the cutoff value of WBC was 9.63 and NEU# was 7.12, their combined detection had the best predictive value with a sensitivity of 73% and a specificity of 81%. In addition, Its PPV was 79.3%, NPV was 75%, +LR was 3.84, and -LR was 0.33. CONCLUSION: The patient's blood RT results can be used to predict the risk of premature rupture of membranes, and in order to improve the sensitivity and specificity, multiple parameters can be combined.

Oroxylin A, a methylated metabolite of baicalein, exhibits a stronger inhibitory effect than baicalein on the CYP1B1-mediated carcinogenic estradiol metabolite formation.

Human cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1)-mediated formation of 4-hydroxyestradiol (4-OHE2) from 17ß-estradiol plays an important role in the progression of human breast cancer, while the biotransformation of 17ß-estradiol to 2-hydroxyestradiol mediated by cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) is considered as a less harmful pathway. In this study, inhibitory effects of flavonoids baicalein and oroxylin A, a metabolite of baicalein in human body, on CYP1A1 and 1B1 activities were investigated in vitro. The inhibition intensities of baicalein and oroxylin A towards CYP1B1 were greater than towards CYP1A1 with a mixed mechanism. In addition, oroxylin A showed a stronger inhibitory effect than baicalein towards the CYP1B1-mediated 17ß-estradiol 4-hydroxylation, with the IC50 values of 0.0146 and 2.27 µM, respectively. Docking studies elucidated that oroxylin A had a stronger binding affinity than baicalein for CYP1B1. In MCF-7 cells, compared with baicalein-treated groups, oroxylin A with lower doses decreased and increased the formation of 4-OHE2 and 2-hydroxyestradiol, respectively, with a preferential induction of mRNA of CYP1A1 over CYP1B1. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that oroxylin A showed a stronger inhibitory effect than baicalein on CYP1B1-mediated 4-OHE2 formation in MCF-7 cells, providing crucial implications for their possibly preventive/therapeutic potential against breast cancer via inhibition of CYP1B1, particularly of oroxylin A.

A Convex Optimization Algorithm for Compressed Sensing in a Complex Domain: The Complex-Valued Split Bregman Method.

The Split Bregman method (SBM), a popular and universal CS reconstruction algorithm for inverse problems with both l1-norm and TV-norm regularization, has been extensively applied in complex domains through the complex-to-real transforming technique, e.g., MRI imaging and radar. However, SBM still has great potential in complex applications due to the following two points; Bregman Iteration (BI), employed in SBM, may not make good use of the phase information for complex variables. In addition, the converting technique may consume more time. To address that, this paper presents the complex-valued Split Bregman method (CV-SBM), which theoretically generalizes the original SBM into the complex domain. The complex-valued Bregman distance (CV-BD) is first defined by replacing the corresponding regularization in the inverse problem. Then, we propose the complex-valued Bregman Iteration (CV-BI) to solve this new problem. How well-defined and the convergence of CV-BI are analyzed in detail according to the complex-valued calculation rules and optimization theory. These properties prove that CV-BI is able to solve inverse problems if the regularization is convex. Nevertheless, CV-BI needs the help of other algorithms for various kinds of regularization. To avoid the dependence on extra algorithms and simplify the iteration process simultaneously, we adopt the variable separation technique and propose CV-SBM for resolving convex inverse problems. Simulation results on complex-valued l1-norm problems illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed CV-SBM. CV-SBM exhibits remarkable superiority compared with SBM in the complex-to-real transforming technique. Specifically, in the case of large signal scale n = 512, CV-SBM yields 18.2%, 17.6%, and 26.7% lower mean square error (MSE) as well as takes 28.8%, 25.6%, and 23.6% less time cost than the original SBM in 10 dB, 15 dB, and 20 dB SNR situations, respectively.

Treatment of posterolateral tibial plateau fractures through fibular osteotomy approach.

The best approach for treating posterolateral tibial plateau fractures remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with posterolateral tibial plateau fractures after open reduction and internal fixation with the fibular osteotomy approach. Between January 2009 and July 2012, twelve patients with posterolateral tibial plateau fracture were treated using the fibular osteotomy approach with a proximal tibia locking compression plate. The epidemiological data, operation details, and clinical outcomes over 25.6 ± 2.1 months (range, 22-38 months) of follow-up were prospectively collected and analyzed. The average surgical duration was 92.5 ± 14.5 min (range, 83-107 min). An anatomical reduction rate of 91.7% (11/12) was observed, although one patient with a lateral comminuted fracture and dislocation had a 2-mm joint surface depression postoperatively. The average fracture healing time was 11.6 ± 3.1 weeks (range, 8-15 weeks), with an average hospital for special surgery knee score of 94.1 ± 3.2 points (range, 80-100 points), an average knee flexion of 118.6° ± 18.1° (range, 96°-138°) and an average knee extension of 1.9° ± 2.2° (range, 0°-6.3°). No complications were found. The fibular osteotomy approach with a proximal tibial compression plate can produce a satisfactory clinical outcome for patients with posterolateral tibial plateau fractures.