Evaluation of Environmental Factor Effects on the Polyphenol and Flavonoid Content in the Leaves of Chrysanthemum indicum L. and Its Habitat Suitability Prediction Mapping.

The leaves of Chrysanthemum indicum L. are known to have various bioactive compounds; however, industrial use is extremely limited. To overcome this situation by producing high-quality leaves with high bioactive content, this study examined the environmental factors affecting the phytochemical content and antioxidant activity using C. indicum leaves collected from 22 sites in Kochi Prefecture, Japan. Total phenolic and flavonoid content in the dry leaves ranged between 15.0 and 64.1 (mg gallic acid g-1) and 2.3 and 11.4 (mg quercetin g-1), while the antioxidant activity (EC50) of the 50% ethanol extracts ranged between 28.0 and 123.2 (µg mL-1) in 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay. Among the identified compounds, chlorogenic acid and 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid were the main constituents in C. indicum leaves. The antioxidant activity demonstrated a positive correlation with 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (R2 = 0.62) and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (R2 = 0.77). The content of chlorogenic acid and dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers varied significantly according to the effects of exchangeable magnesium, cation exchange capacity, annual temperature, and precipitation, based on analysis of variance. The habitat suitability map using the geographical information system and the MaxEnt model predicted very high and high regions, comprising 3.2% and 10.1% of the total area, respectively. These findings could be used in future cultivation to produce high-quality leaves of C. indicum.

Exploring the Rumen Microbiota and Serum Metabolite Profile of Hainan Black Goats with Different Body Weights before Weaning.

The critical role of the rumen microbiota in the growth performance of livestock is recognized, yet its significance in determining the body weight of goat kids before weaning remains less understood. To bridge this gap, our study delved into the rumen microbiota, serum metabolome, rumen fermentation, and rumen development in goat kids with contrasting body weights before weaning. We selected 10 goat kids from a cohort of 100, categorized into low body weight (LBW, 5.56 ± 0.98 kg) and high body weight (HBW, 9.51 ± 1.01 kg) groups. The study involved sampling rumen contents, tissues, and serum from these animals. Our findings showed that the HBW goat kids showed significant enrichment of VFA-producing bacteria, particularly microbiota taxa within the Prevotellaceae genera (UCG-001, UCG-003, and UCG-004) and the Prevotella genus. This enrichment correlated with elevated acetate and butyrate levels, positively influencing rumen papillae development. Additionally, it was associated with elevated serum levels of glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. The serum metabonomic analysis revealed marked differences in fatty acid metabolism between the LBW and HBW groups, particularly in encompassing oleic acid and both long-chain saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Further correlational analysis underscored a significant positive association between Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 and specific lipids, such as phosphatidylcholine (PC) (22:5/18:3) and PC (20:3/20:1) (r > 0.60, p < 0.05). In summary, this study underscores the pivotal role of the rumen microbiota in goat kids' weight and its correlation with specific serum metabolites. These insights could pave the way for innovative strategies aimed at improving animal body weight through targeted modulation of the rumen microbiota.

Simultaneous removal of Cr(â ¥) and tetracycline from wastewater by dielectric barrier discharge plasma coupled with TiO2/rGO/Cu2O composites: Performance and mechanism.

In this study, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma combined with titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide/copper oxide (TiO2/rGO/Cu2O) composites for simultaneous removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr(Ⅵ)) and tetracycline (TC) from wastewater were explored systematically. The TiO2/rGO/Cu2O composites were successfully prepared to improve the specific surface area and charge carrier separation rate. When Cr(Ⅵ) and TC coexist, the two pollutants have better removal efficiency without changing the initial pH. Moreover, the removal efficiency of Cr(Ⅵ) and TC could be further improved in the DBD-TiO2/rGO/Cu2O system, indicating that the TiO2/rGO/Cu2O composites also exhibited good synergistic effects with the DBD plasma. The mechanism exploration showed that the TiO2/rGO/Cu2O composite catalyst could be activated in DBD system to produce various active species by photocatalytic reaction, among which photo-generated electrons and •O2- could significantly enhance Cr(Ⅵ) reduction, while photo-generated holes and •OH could improve TC degradation. More importantly, the intermediate products obtained from TC degradation can be oxidized to •CO2- by photo-generated holes, which can also facilitate the reduction of Cr(Ⅵ). This study shows that DBD combined with TiO2/rGO/Cu2O composites are capable of simultaneous Cr(Ⅵ) reduction and TC degradation, which would provide novel ideas for practical wastewater remediation.

Turkish Plants, Including Quercetin and Oenothein B, Inhibit the HIV-1 Release and Accelerate Cell Apoptosis.

The introduction of combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART) in 1996, along with a continual breakthrough in anti-human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) drugs, has improved the life expectancies of HIV-1-infected individuals. However, the incidence of drug-resistant viruses between individuals undergoing cART and treatment-naïve individuals is a common challenge. Therefore, there is a requirement to explore potential drug targets by considering various stages of the viral life cycle. For instance, the late stage, or viral release stage, remains uninvestigated extensively in antiviral drug discovery. In this study, we prepared a natural plant library and selected candidate plant extracts that inhibited HIV-1 release based on our laboratory-established screening system. The plant extracts from Epilobium hirsutum L. and Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub, belonging to the family Onagraceae, decreased HIV-1 release and accelerated the apoptosis in HIV-1-infected T cells but not uninfected T cells. A flavonol glycoside quercetin with oenothein B in Onagraceae reduced HIV-1 release in HIV-1-infected T cells. Moreover, extracts from Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub and Senna alexandrina Mill. inhibited the infectivity of progeny viruses. Together, these results suggest that C. angustifolium (L.) Holub contains quercetin with oenothein B that synergistically blocks viral replication and kills infected cells via an apoptotic pathway. Consequently, the plant extracts from the plant library of Turkey might be suitable candidates for developing novel anti-retroviral drugs that target the late phase of the HIV-1 life cycle.

Extraction of Germanium from Low-Grade Germanium-Bearing Lignite by Reductive Volatilization.

Germanium (Ge) as an important strategic metal is widely used in many modern-technology fields such as optical fiber and thermal solar cells. In this study, the volatilization behavior of Ge from low-grade germanium-bearing lignite was investigated in detail through reductive volatilization. The results indicated that temperature and air flow rate in the semi-closed roasting system played a significant role in the process. The optimal volitation efficiency of Ge reached 98% at 1100 °C for 2 h with air flow rate of 0.7 L/min in a maffle furnace, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the contents of Ge lowered to 30 ppm in the roasting residue. Analysis of the enriched ash yielded 71,600 ppm for Ge. Chemical phase analysis of the Ge in the enrichment ash showed that soluble Ge accounted for 82.18% of the total Ge, which could be viewed as an excellent material for Ge extraction by chlorinated distillation.

In vitro activity of ceftazidime/avibactam, imipenem/relebactam and meropenem/vaborbactam alone or in combination with polymyxin B against carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Nosocomial infection caused by Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CR-A. baumannii) has become a challenge in clinical practice. Acting as the last resort antibacterial agents for the treatment of CR-A. baumannii infection, polymyxins have high risk of nephrotoxicity and poor clinical efficacy. Ceftazidime/avibactam, imipenem/relebactam and meropenem/vaborbactam are three ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor combination complexes that newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infection. In this study, we analyzed the in vitro activity of those novel antibacterial agents alone or in combination with polymyxin B against the CR-A. baumannii obtained from a Chinese tertiary hospital. Our results suggest that those novel antibacterial agents should not be used alone for the treatment of CR-A. baumannii infection, as they cannot prevent the regrowth of bacteria at the clinical achievable blood concentration. Imipenem/relebactam and meropenem/vaborbactam should not be used as the substitutes of imipenem and meropenem for polymyxin B based combination therapy against CR-A. baumannii, since they have no edge over imipenem and meropenem on antibacterial activity when in combination with polymyxin B. Ceftazidime/avibactam may be more suitable than ceftazidime for polymyxin B based combination therapy against CR-A. baumannii, as it has a higher synergistic rate with polymyxin B, and the antibacterial activity of ceftazidime/avibactam is much higher than that of ceftazidime when tested in combination with polymyxin B. Ceftazidime/avibactam may also be the better choice than imipenem and meropenem for polymyxin B based combination therapy against CR-A. baumannii, as it has a higher synergistic rate with polymyxin B.

Cellulose-based superhydrophobic wrinkled paper and electrospinning film as green tribolayer for water wave energy harvesting.

Water waves are viable low-carbon and renewable sources of power that can be optionally combined with triboelectric nanogeneration (TENG). Herein, we report on the synthesis of a TENG device based on green wrinkled paper tribolayers (W-TENG) assembled in grids (G-TENG) with channels that enable contact-separation modes involving metal balls that roll in phase with the waves. The paper's wrinkle wavelength and amplitude were adjusted by using a crepe blade at a given angle with respect to a drying cylinder, as well as the speed and torque. Polar hierarchical superhydrophobic cellulose micro/nanostructures, proposed as positive tribolayers with enhanced contact area and triboelectric density. The negative (biodegradable) tribolayers were prepared by electrospinning aqueous suspensions of polyvinyl alcohol and poly (ethylene oxide) reinforced with cellulose nanofibers. The charge transfer by the W-TENG reached up to 40 nC in air and retained 27 nC under 85 % relative humidity, ~5 and 7 times higher than those measured in planar TENG counterparts. A G-TENG array charging time (100-µF capacitor) of ~188 s was measured when the voltage of the capacitor raised to ~1.5 V. Overall, we introduce a new, scalable TENG system that is demonstrated for its remarkable ability to harvest blue energy.

Alloying Pt into Ni partially amorphous for promoted alkaline hydrogen production.

Aiming at the sluggish water dissociation step in alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the platinum-nickel alloy material (PtNi10/C) featuring unique crystalline/amorphous structure supported on carbon black is deliberately designed and fabricated via a reversely rapid co-precipitation and mild thermal reduction strategy. Electrochemical results show that only 66 mV of overpotential is needed for PtNi10/C to drive a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at a lower platinum loading (8.3 µgPt cm-2 geo), which is much lower than that of other catalysts with a single metal source(S-Ni/C and S-Pt/C) and even the commercial Pt/C catalyst (20 wt%). The target catalyst also exhibits smaller tafel slope value (16.73 mV dec-1) and electrochemical impedance value, enabling a fast kinetics rate for water dissociation. Partial crystallization facilitates moderate adsorption of intermediates, while the high-valence Ni(II) and Pt(II) species serve as pivotal driving force for the kinetic dissociation of water. The unique microstructure of PtNi10/C shows a remarkable advantage toward HER in alkaline but acidic medium. In addition, other transition metal-based catalysts following the similar protocol are also fabricated and present varying degrees of HER performance. Hence, the facile and rapid co-precipitation/thermal reduction strategy proposed in this study provides some guidelines for designing high-efficiency alkaline HER catalysts.

[Research on the anti-tumor effects of CRYAB in prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between CRYAB and the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa) as well as the potential mechanism. METHODS: Bioinformatics analysis was performed using R software, including differential gene expression and clinical correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Kaplan-Meier (KM) curve generation. Gene expression was detected using RT-qPCR, and protein expression was validated using Western Blot. The proliferation, apoptosis, and metastatic ability of PCa cells were detected using CCK8, TUNEL, Transwell migration, and invasion assays. RESULTS: According to the TCGA and GEO databases, CRYAB mRNA expression was down-regulated in PCa tissue compared with normal tissue (P< 0.05), and CRYAB mRNA and protein were down-regulated in PCa cells compared with RWPE1 cells (P< 0.05). Cell function experiments showed that up-regulated CRYAB could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of prostate cancer cells, promote apoptosis (P< 0.05), and up-regulate CDH1 expression while down-regulating CDH2 expression in the CRYAB-upregulated cell line. In addition, CRYAB mRNA expression was correlated with Gleason score (P< 0.01). The area under the ROC curve was 0.914, the KM curve showed that CRYAB had prognostic value for progression-free survival (P = 0.008) and disease-specific survival (P = 0.032). CONCLUSION: CRYAB is down-regulated in PCa tissue and is associated with the anti- tumor function of PCa cells. It may affect the metastatic ability of prostate cancer cells by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition molecules. CRYAB mRNA has important diagnostic and prognostic value in PCa.

Phytochemical Analysis and Habitat Suitability Mapping of Cardiocrinum cordatum (Thunb.) Makino Collected at Chiburijima, Oki Islands, Japan.

Cardiocrinum cordatum, known as ubayuri in Japan, has antihypertensive properties and has been shown to inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), which contributes to the production of angiotensin II, a hypotensive substance in the renin−angiotensin system. C. cordatum has been the subject of various studies as a useful plant and is applied as a functional food. Due to the limited distribution, loss of natural habitat by frequent natural disasters, and environmental conditions, the chemical content and biological activity of C. cordatum have been drastically affected. Obtaining a stable supply of Cardiocrinu cordatum material with high biological activity is still a challenge. Understanding the native habitat environment and suitable cultivation sites could help in solving this issue. Therefore, in the current study we investigated the effect of environmental parameters on the hypertensive and antioxidant activities of C. cordatum collected at Chiburijima, Oki Islands, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. We also predicted the habitat suitability of C. cordatum using a geographic information system (GIS) and MaxEnt model with various conditioning factors, including the topographic, soil, environmental, and climatic factors of the study area. A total of 37 individual plant samples along with soil data were collected for this study. In vitro assays of ACE inhibitory and antioxidant activity were conducted on the collected samples. The results show that plants at 14 out of 37 sites had very strong ACE inhibitory activity (IC50 < 1 mg mL−1). However, the collected plants showed no signs of strong antioxidant activity. Statistical analysis using analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that BIO05 (F value = 2.93, p < 0.05), nitrate−nitrogen (F value = 2.46, p < 0.05), and silt (F value = 3.443, p < 0.05) significantly affected ACE inhibitory activity. On the other hand, organic carbon content (F value = 10.986, p < 0.01) was found to significantly affect antioxidant activity. The final habitat suitability map shows 3.3% very high and 6.8% high suitability regions, and samples with ACE inhibition activity were located within these regions. It is recommended further investigations and studies are conducted on C. cordatum in these locations. The prediction suitability model showed accuracy with AUC-ROC of 96.7% for the study area.

Association between MTHFR polymorphism and seizure control in epileptic patients with hyperhomocysteinaemia

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations between MTHFR polymorphism and seizure control of epileptic patients with hyperhomocysteinaemia. Methods: A total of 81 epileptic patients with hyperhomocysteinaemia treated with oxcarbazepine monotherapy were enrolled in this study. All patients were offered vitamin B supplementation (2.5 mg/d folate and 1.5 mg/d mecobalamine) for six months. MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms, serum homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 levels as well as seizure frequency and score based on the Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) were evaluated at baseline and after six months of follow-up. Results: Spearman correlation analysis showed that the extent of decline of seizure frequency positively correlated with a dynamic change in serum homocysteine concentration between baseline and after six months of follow-up (t=0.241, p=0.015 [Spearman's coefficient]). For the MTHFR C677T polymorphism, compared to the CC genotype, the TT genotype was associated with a significant downtrend of homocysteine (19.69 vs 10.28 mmol/L, p=0.006) and uptrend of folate (6.21 vs 2.49 ng/mL; p=0.004). The decrease in homocysteine (17.94 vs 12.52 mmol/L, p=0.001) and increase of folate (5.08 vs 2.86 ng/mL; p=0.003) were significantly greater in patients with the T allele compared to those with the C allele. Also, the TT genotype (2.33 vs 1.4, p=0.056) and T allele (1.95 vs 1.38, p=0.037) were associated with a greater decrease in seizure frequency compared to the CC genotype or C allele. The A1298C polymorphism alone was not associated with elevated homocysteine or decreased folate levels at baseline, and showed little association with response to vitamin B supplementation in epileptic patients with hyperhomocysteinaemia. However, in patients with combined 677TT/1298AA or 677TT/1298AC polymorphisms, the changes in homocysteine and folate levels and seizure frequency were more obvious. Significance: MTHFR C677T polymorphism was associated with seizure control in epileptic patients with hyperhomocysteinaemia; individuals with the 677TT genotype or T allele demonstrated better seizure control.

A Functional Screening Identifies a New Organic Selenium Compound Targeting Cancer Stem Cells: Role of c-Myc Transcription Activity Inhibition in Liver Cancer.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are reported to play essential roles in chemoresistance and metastasis. Pathways regulating CSC self-renewal and proliferation, such as Hedgehog, Notch, Wnt/ß-catenin, TGF-ß, and Myc, may be potential therapeutic targets. Here, a functional screening from the focused library with 365 compounds is performed by a step-by-step strategy. Among these candidate molecules, phenyl-2-pyrimidinyl ketone 4-allyl-3-amino selenourea (CU27) is chosen for further identification because it proves to be the most effective compound over others on CSC inhibition. Through ingenuity pathway analysis, it is shown CU27 may inhibit CSC through a well-known stemness-related transcription factor c-Myc. Gene set enrichment analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assays, expression levels of typical c-Myc targets, molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance, immunoprecipitation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation are conducted. These results together suggest CU27 binds c-Myc bHLH/LZ domains, inhibits c-Myc-Max complex formation, and prevents its occupancy on target gene promoters. In mouse models, CU27 significantly sensitizes sorafenib-resistant tumor to sorafenib, reduces the primary tumor size, and inhibits CSC generation, showing a dramatic anti-metastasis potential. Taken together, CU27 exerts inhibitory effects on CSC and CSC-associated traits in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) via c-Myc transcription activity inhibition. CU27 may be a promising therapeutic to treat sorafenib-resistant HCC.

4-phenylbutyrate exerts stage-specific effects on cardiac differentiation via HDAC inhibition.

4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA), a terminal aromatic substituted fatty acid, is used widely to specifically attenuate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and inhibit histone deacetylases (HDACs). In this study, we investigated the effect of 4-PBA on cardiac differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Herein, we found that 4-PBA regulated cardiac differentiation in a stage-specific manner just like trichostatin A (TSA), a well-known HDAC inhibitor. 4-PBA and TSA favored the early-stage differentiation, but inhibited the late-stage cardiac differentiation via acetylation. Mechanistic studies suggested that HDACs exhibited a temporal expression profiling during cardiomyogenesis. Hdac1 expression underwent a decrease at the early stage, while was upregulated at the late stage of cardiac induction. During the early stage of cardiac differentiation, acetylation favored the induction of Isl1 and Nkx2.5, two transcription factors of cardiac progenitors. During the late stage, histone acetylation induced by 4-PBA or TSA interrupted the gene silence of Oct4, a key determinant of self-renewal and pluripotency. Thereby, 4-PBA and TSA at the late stage hindered the exit from pluripotency, and attenuated the expression of cardiac-specific contractile proteins. Overexpression of HDAC1 and p300 exerted different effects at the distinct stages of cardiac induction. Collectively, our study shows that timely manipulation of HDACs exhibits distinct effects on cardiac differentiation. And the context-dependent effects of HDAC inhibitors depend on cell differentiation states marked by the temporal expression of pluripotency-associated genes.

Understanding of TiO2 catalysis mechanism in underwater pulsed discharge system: Charge carrier generation and interfacial charge-transfer processes.

Compared with traditional photocatalysis system, TiO2 charge carrier generation and interfacial charge-transfer process may be influenced by various chemical and physical effects in underwater pulsed discharge plasma system. Here, the role of high-energy electron, ozone in TiO2 charge carrier generation and transfer process has been investigated using phenol as the probe molecule. The introduction of electron-trapping agent (KH2PO4) have an inhibiting effect on TiO2 catalytic activity, indicating high-energy electrons played a significant role in TiO2 catalytic process. EPR analysis showed that TiO2 could be activated to initiate pairs of electron-hole by high-energy electrons from plasma, and the electrons on the conduction band (CB) could be trapped on the oxygen vacancies. XPS analysis showed that the Ti3+OH species formed during discharge process due to the capture of CB electrons by Ti4+OH groups located at the TiO2 surface. The CB electrons transfer processes on TiO2 surface was strongly dependent on the redox potential of electron acceptors, which adsorbed on the TiO2 surface. The CB electrons can be transferred to dissolved O3, resulting in more OH production. Meanwhile, the CB electron also transferred to benzoquinone adsorbed on TiO2, resulting in accumulation of hydroquinone.

Serum Neuropeptide Y Level is Associated with Post-Ischemic Stroke Epilepsy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Post-ischemic stroke epilepsy (PISE) is one of the common complications of stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Methods To determine the risk factors of PISE, in this study, 78 patients with PISE and 86 patients without PISE were recruited. Clinical data and serum neuropeptide Y (NPY) levels were collected and the relative factors including clinical data and serum were analyzed. RESULTS: Logistic regression showed that low serum NPY was significantly associated with PISE. Every 5 ng/ml increment of serum NPY was associated with 62% risk decrease in patients with PISE. The area under curve of serum NPY was 0.910 with a sensitivity of 84.62% and a specificity of 86.05%. The cut-off value of serum NPY was 90 ng/ml. According to cut-off value of serum NPY, the percentage of patients with PISE decreased from 84.6% in low serum NPY group to 14.0% in high serum NPY group. Furthermore, patients were divided into different tertiles according to serum NPY. The percentage of patients with PISE reduced from 90.0% in the lowest tertile (NPY < 85 ng/ml) to 3.5% in the highest tertile (NPY ≥ 105 ng/ml). Compared with patients with normal video-electroencephalogram (VEEG), serum NPY levels significantly decreased in patients with abnormal VEEG; however, serum NPY levels were not associaated with epileptic seizure subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: Serum NPY was an independent risk factor for PISE. Targeting serum NPY may be used to the prevention and treatment of PISE.

Wnt3a upregulation is involved in TGFß1-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy, characterized by enlarged cell size and fetal gene reactivation, ultimately leads to cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. The expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFß1) is often elevated in experimental models of cardiac hypertrophy. In the present study, we observed the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in TGFß1-induced cardiac hypertrophy. TGFß1 stimulation decreased the phosphorylation levels of ß-catenin and triggered the nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin. In turn, TGFß1 enhanced the expression of c-Myc, which is a transcriptional target of canonical Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Knockdown of ß-catenin completely blocked TGFß1-induced c-Myc upregulation. Wnt3a is an important Wnt ligand associated with cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy. Further investigation revealed that TGFß1 can upregulate Wnt3a expression in an ALK5-Smad2/3-dependent manner. A consensus Smad binding sequence is located within the Wnt3a promoter, and TGFß1 stimulation enhanced recruitment of Smad2/3 onto the Wnt3a promoter. Meanwhile, Wnt3a overexpression also stimulated TGFß1 expression. Chemical inhibition of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling partially attenuated TGFß1-induced hypertrophic responses. These findings suggest crosstalk between TGFß1 and canonical Wnt/ß-catenin pathways in cardiac hypertrophy.

The splicing regulatory factor hnRNPU is a novel transcriptional target of c-Myc in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver cancer with high mortality. Here, we found that hnRNPU is overexpressed in HCC tissues and is correlated with the poor prognosis of HCC patients. Besides, hnRNPU is of high significance in regulating the proliferation, apoptosis, self-renewal, and tumorigenic potential of HCC cells. Mechanismly, c-Myc regulates hnRNPU expression at the transcriptional level, and meanwhile, hnRNPU stabilizes the mRNA of c-MYC. We found that the hnRNPU and c-Myc regulatory loop exerts a synergistic effect on the proliferation and self-renewal of HCC, and promotes the HCC progression. Taken together, hnRNPU functions as a novel transcriptional target of c-Myc and promotes HCC progression, which may become a promising target for the treatment of c-Myc-driven HCC.

Surface Defects Detection of Stamping and Grinding Flat Parts Based on Machine Vision.

Currently, surface defect detection of stamping grinding flat parts is mainly undertaken through observation by the naked eye. In order to improve the automatic degree of surface defects detection in stamping grinding flat parts, a real-time detection system based on machine vision is designed. Under plane illumination mode, the whole region of the parts is clear and the outline is obvious, but the tiny defects are difficult to find; Under multi-angle illumination mode, the tiny defects of the parts can be highlighted. In view of the above situation, a lighting method combining plane illumination mode with multi-angle illumination mode is designed, and five kinds of defects are automatically detected by different detection methods. Firstly, the parts are located and segmented according to the plane light source image, and the defects are detected according to the gray anomaly. Secondly, according to the surface of the parts reflective characteristics, the influence of the reflection on the image is minimized by adjusting the exposure time of the camera, and the position and direction of the edge line of the gray anomaly region of the multi-angle light source image are used to determine whether the anomaly region is a defect. The experimental results demonstrate that the system has a high detection success rate, which can meet the real-time detection rEquation uirements of a factory.

A new protocol for long-term culture of a specific subpopulation of liver cancer stem cells enriched by cell surface markers.

Liver cancer stem cells (L-CSCs) are considered to be an important therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study provides a new in vitro long-term culture model for a specific subpopulation of L-CSCs enriched by cell surface markers. We combined CD13, CD133 and EpCAM to selectively enrich L-CSCs, which we then cultured in modified chemically defined medium. The enriched L-CSCs exhibited enhanced proliferation, self-renewal and long-term clonal maintenance ability as compared with non-CSCs. Compared with wild-type hepatocellular carcinoma, the expression of stemness surface markers, oncogenes, drug resistance and tumorigenicity in enriched L-CSCs was significantly increased. In summary, the subpopulation of L-CSCs still maintains cancer stem cell-related phenotypes after 14 days of culture.

An Adaptive Shrinking Grid Search Chaotic Wolf Optimization Algorithm Using Standard Deviation Updating Amount.

To improve the optimization quality, stability, and speed of convergence of wolf pack algorithm, an adaptive shrinking grid search chaotic wolf optimization algorithm using standard deviation updating amount (ASGS-CWOA) was proposed. First of all, a strategy of adaptive shrinking grid search (ASGS) was designed for wolf pack algorithm to enhance its searching capability through which all wolves in the pack are allowed to compete as the leader wolf in order to improve the probability of finding the global optimization. Furthermore, opposite-middle raid method (OMR) is used in the wolf pack algorithm to accelerate its convergence rate. Finally, "Standard Deviation Updating Amount" (SDUA) is adopted for the process of population regeneration, aimed at enhancing biodiversity of the population. The experimental results indicate that compared with traditional genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), leading wolf pack algorithm (LWPS), and chaos wolf optimization algorithm (CWOA), ASGS-CWOA has a faster convergence speed, better global search accuracy, and high robustness under the same conditions.