Pulp health and calcific healing of a complicated crown–root fracture with additional root fracture in a maxillary incisor: A case report

BACKGROUND Complicated crown–root fracture (CRF) involves severe injury to the crown, root,and pulp, and may be accompanied by multiple root fractures. The loss of a toothhas lifelong consequences for children and teenagers, but the maintenance of pulphealth and the calcific healing of multiple root fractures are rarely reported in theliterature.CASE SUMMARY This case reports healing of a permanent tooth with complicated crown–root andadditional root fractures, in which pulp health was maintained. A 10-year-old girlfell and fractured the root of her maxillary left central incisor at the cervical level.After the coronal fragment was repositioned, the tooth was splinted until thetooth was no longer mobile, 2 years later. Eight years after treatment, the toothhas remained asymptomatic with vital pulp and localized gingival overgrowth.Cone-beam computed tomography revealed not only calcified healing of the CRFbut also spontaneous healing in an additional undiagnosed root fracture. Thefracture line on the enamel could not be healed by hard tissue and formed agroove in the cervical crown. It was speculated that the groove was related to thelocalized gingival overgrowth.CONCLUSION This case provides a clinical perspective of the treatment of a tooth with acomplicated CRF and an additional root fracture.

Progress of Clinical Research on the Treatment of Spinal Disorders by the Tongdu Method

Spinal disorders are diseases caused by congenital, degenerative, postural errors, trauma, and external evils that result in lesions of bones, discs, ligaments, and muscles, thus compressing the nerves. Spine-related diseases include scoliosis, intervertebral disc herniation, intervertebral stenosis, spinal fracture, ankylosing spondylitis, spinal cord injury, spinal tumour, etc., which seriously affect people’s daily life. This paper summarises the relevant studies on the treatment of spinal diseases by Tongzhu therapy. The mechanism of action of Tongzhu therapy in treating spinal diseases is closely related to the control of inflammatory factors, the improvement of local microcirculation, analgesia, and the promotion of nerve repair. This paper describes the application and modern mechanism of Tongzhu therapy in the treatment of spinal diseases, which will provide a direction for future research on Tongzhu therapy.

Resilience and response:Unveiling the impacts of extreme droughts on forests through integrated dendrochronological and remote sensing analyses

Extreme droughts are anticipated to have detrimental impacts on forest ecosystems,especially in water-limited regions,due to the influence of climate change.However,considerable uncertainty remains regarding the patterns in species-specific responses to extreme droughts.Here,we conducted a study integrating dendrochronology and remote sensing methods to investigate the mosaic-distributed maple-oak(native)natural forests and poplar plantations(introduced)in the Horqin Sandy Land,Northeast China.We assessed the impacts of extreme droughts on tree performances by measuring interannual variations in radial growth and vegetation index.The results showed that precipitation and self-calibrated palmer drought severity index(scPDSI)are the major factors influencing tree-ring width index(RWI)and normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI).The severe droughts between 2000 and 2004 resulted in reduced RWI in the three studied tree species as well as led to NDVI reductions in both the maple-oak natural forests and the poplar plantations.The RWI reached the nadir during the2000-2004 severe droughts and remained at low levels two years after the severe drought,creating a legacy effect.In contrast to the lack of significant correlation between RWI and scPDSI,NDVI exhibited a significant positive correlation with scPDSI indicating the greater sensitivity of canopy performance to droughts than radial growth.Furthermore,interspecific differences in RWI and NDVI responses were observed,with the fast-growing poplar species experiencing a more significant RWI decrease and more negative NDVI anomaly during severe droughts than native species,highlighting the species-specific trade-offs between drought resilience and growth rate.This study emphasizes the importance of combining tree-level radial growth with landscape-scale canopy remote sensing to understand forest resilience and response.Our study improves our understanding of forest responses to extreme drought and highlights species differences in climate responses,offering crucial insights for optimizing species selection in sustainable afforestation and forest management in water-limited regions under the influence of climate change.

Bifunctional functionalized two-dimensional transition metal borides for fast reaction redox kinetics in lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries are regarded as one of the most promising next-generation energy storage systems due to their high theoretical specific energy density and low cost.However,serious shuttle effect and sluggish lithium polysulfides(LiPSs)redox kinetics severely impede the practical application of Li-S batteries.Employing polar sulfur hosts is an effective strategy to alleviate the above problems.Herein,the potential of two-dimensional(2D)Ti_(2)B-based sulfur hosts for Li-S batteries was comprehensively explored using first-principles calculations.The results show that functional groups of Ti_(2)B can significantly modulate its structural properties,thus affecting its interaction with sulfurcontaining species.Among S,Se,F,Cl,and Br elements,Ti_(2)B terminated with S and Se atoms possess stronger adsorption capability towards soluble Li_(2)S_(8),Li_(2)S_(6),and Li_(2)S_(4),obviously stronger than organic electrolytes,which indicates that they can completely suppress the shuttle effect.Besides,Ti_(2)BS_(2)and Ti_(2)BSe_(2)can powerfully expedite the electrochemical conversion of LiPSs.Moreover,the decomposition energy barrier of Li_(2)S and diffusion energy barrier of single Li ion on them are also fairly low,manifesting their excellent catalytic performance towards the oxidation of Li_(2)S.Finally,Ti_(2)BS_(2)and Ti_(2)BSe_(2)always keep metallic conductivity during the whole charge/discharge process.Taking all this into account,Ti_(2)BS_(2)and Ti_(2)BSe_(2)are proposed as promising bifunctional sulfur hosts for Li-S batteries.Our results suggest that increasing the proportion of S and Se groups during the synthesis of Ti_(2)B monolayers is greatly helpful for obtaining high-performance Li-S batteries.Besides,our work not only reveals the huge potential of 2D transition metal borides in Li-S batteries,but also provides insightful guidance for the design and screening of new efficient sulfur cathodes.

Synergistic enhancement of cathode/anode interfaces with high water-retentive organohydrogel enabling highly stable zinc ion batteries

Current aqueous battery electrolytes,including conve ntional hydrogel electrolytes,exhibit unsatisfactory water retention capabilities.The sustained water loss will lead to subsequent polarization and increased internal resistance,ultimately resulting in battery failure.Herein,a double network(DN) orga no hydrogel electrolyte based on dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)/H_(2)O binary solvent was proposed.Through directionally reconstructing hydrogen bonds and reducing active H_(2)O molecules,the water retention ability and cathode/anode interfaces were synergistic enhanced.As a result,the synthesized DN organohydrogel demonstrates exceptional water retention capabilities,retaining approximately 75% of its original weight even after the exposure to air for 20 days.The Zn MnO_(2) battery delivers an outstanding specific capacity of275 mA h g^(-1) at 1 C,impressive rate performance with 85 mA h g^(-1) at 30 C,and excellent cyclic stability(95% retention after 6000 cycles at 5 C).Zn‖Zn symmetric battery can cycle more than 5000 h at 1 mA cm^(-2) and 1 mA h cm^(-2) without short circuiting.This study will encourage the further development of functional organohydrogel electrolytes for advanced energy storage devices.

Cognitive impairment in patients with bipolar disorder alone versus those with bipolar disorder comorbid with borderline personality disorder

BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder(BD)is a severe mental illness.BD often coexists with borderline personality disorders,making the condition more complex.AIM To explore the differences in cognitive impairment between patients with BD and those with BD comorbid with borderline personality disorder.METHODS Eighty patients with BD and comorbid borderline personality disorder and 80 patients with BD alone were included in groups A and B,respectively,and 80 healthy volunteers were included as controls.Cognitive function in each group was evaluated using the Chinese version of the repeatable battery for the assess-ment of neuropsychological status(RBANS),the Stroop color-word test,and the Wechsler intelligence scale-revised(WAIS-RC).RESULTS The indices of the RBANS,Stroop color-word test,and WAIS-RC in groups A and B were significantly lower than those of the control group(P<0.05).Group A had significantly longer Stroop color-word test times for single-character,single-color,double-character,and double-color,lower scores of immediate memory,visual breadth,verbal function dimensions and total score of the RBANS,as well as lower scores of verbal IQ,performance IQ,and overall IQ of the WAIS-RC compared with group B(P<0.05).Compared to group B,group A exhibited significantly longer single-character time,single-color time,double-character time,and double-color time in the Stroop color-word test(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The cognitive function of patients with BD complicated with borderline personality disorder is lower than that of patients with BD.

Associations between blood glucose and early- and late-onset colorectal cancer: evidence from two prospective cohorts and Mendelian randomization analyses

Background: The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC), which exhibits differential clinical, patho- logical, and molecular features compared to late-onset CRC (LOCRC), is rising globally. The potential differential effects of blood glucose on EOCRC compared to LOCRC have not been investigated. Methods: This study analyzed 374,568 participants from the UK Biobank cohort and 172,809 participants from the Kailuan cohort. The linear associations between blood glucose and EOCRC/LOCRC were estimated using Cox regression models. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis and non-linear Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using a 70-SNPs genetic instrument for fasting glucose were used to explore the potential non-linear associations. Results: Participants in the highest quintile of blood glucose had higher overall CRC risk compared to the lowest quintile (HR = 1.10 in the UK Biobank cohort, 95% CI: 1.01-1.21, P -trend = 0.012;HR = 1.23 in the Kailuan cohort, 95% CI: 1.01-1.51, P -trend = 0.036). Elevated glucose ( > 7.0 mmol/L) was more strongly associated with increased risk of EOCRC (HR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.07-2.44) than with LOCRC (HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.02-1.27) in the UK Biobank cohort ( P- heterogeneity = 0.014). Elevated glucose ( > 7.0 mmol/L) was associated with increased risk of LOCRC (HR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.04-1.65) in the Kailuan cohort as well. There was no evidence for non-linear associations between blood glucose and risks of EOCRC/LOCRC. Conclusions: This study showed a positive association between blood glucose and CRC risk in a dose-response manner, particularly for EOCRC, suggesting that tighter glucose control should be a priority for younger age groups.

The Role of Body Composition Analyzer in the Preoperative Assessment of Breast Cancer Patients

Background: The segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (SMF-BIA) is a useful method for evaluating physical health and nutritional status in various clinical settings. But less is known about its role in the preoperative assessment of breast cancer patients. Herein, we try to monitor the changes in body composition of preoperative patients by SMF-BIA and figure out its association with clinical features. Methods: The changes in body composition were monitored by SMF-BIA in 563 female patients with breast cancer. Monitor body moisture and collect relevant data on the day before surgery as a prospective study. Retrospective analysis will be conducted based on preoperative data and pathological results after lymph node resection, Spearman’s correlation coefficients were calculated to investigate the correlation among parameters. Results: We found that the body water, extracellular water ratio, and bioelectrical impedance of the affected upper limbs of patients with different tumor stages or different numbers of lymph node metastases were significantly different from those of their healthy upper limbs (P P P P P Conclusion: SMF-BIA can help monitor the changes in body composition of breast cancer patients and provide detailed information for making a personalized treatment plan and individual nursing schedule. However, the value of SMF-BIA in preoperative assessment still needs to be validated in large prospective clinical trials.

Preprocessing and Efficacy Analysis of Comprehensive Anti-Inflammatory Treatment for Lymphedema in Patients with Irritating Contact Dermatitis

Objective: To explore the pre-treatment and efficacy analysis of comprehensive anti-inflammatory treatment for lymphedema in patients with irritating contact dermatitis. Method: Convenience sampling method was used to observe the skin of 160 patients with upper limb lymphedema admitted to the lymphedema outpatient department of our hospital. They were divided into an observation group (80 cases) and a control group (80 cases), and both groups received a course of comprehensive anti-inflammatory treatment (20 treatments). The control group received routine skin care;On the basis of the control group, the observation group received pre-treatment of the affected limb skin: Laofuzi herbal ointment was applied externally to the prone areas of irritating contact dermatitis (such as the upper arm, inner forearm, and cubital fossa). Result: The incidence of irritating contact dermatitis in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P 0.05). Patients in the observation group felt significantly better in terms of comfort, skin moisture, and itching relief after being wrapped with low elasticity bandages than those in the control group (P Conclusion: Preventive treatment can effectively reduce the incidence of irritating contact dermatitis, prolong the time of stress treatment, thereby increasing efficacy and improving patient compliance.

Prediction of landslide displacement with dynamic features using intelligent approaches

Landslide displacement prediction can enhance the efficacy of landslide monitoring system,and the prediction of the periodic displacement is particularly challenging.In the previous studies,static regression models(e.g.,support vector machine(SVM))were mostly used for predicting the periodic displacement.These models may have bad performances,when the dynamic features of landslide triggers are incorporated.This paper proposes a method for predicting the landslide displacement in a dynamic manner,based on the gated recurrent unit(GRU)neural network and complete ensemble empirical decomposition with adaptive noise(CEEMDAN).The CEEMDAN is used to decompose the training data,and the GRU is subsequently used for predicting the periodic displacement.Implementation procedures of the proposed method were illustrated by a case study in the Caojiatuo landslide area,and SVM was also adopted for the periodic displacement prediction.This case study shows that the predictors obtained by SVM are inaccurate,as the landslide displacement is in a pronouncedly step-wise manner.By contrast,the accuracy can be significantly improved using the dynamic predictive method.This paper reveals the significance of capturing the dynamic features of the inputs in the training process,when the machine learning models are adopted to predict the landslide displacement.

The SOLIDS 6G Mobile Network Architecture:Driving Forces,Features,and Functional Topology

With the large-scale commercial launch of fifth generation(5G)mobile network,the development of new services and applications catering to the year 2030,along with the deep convergence of information,communication,and data technologies(ICDT),and the lessons and experiences from 5G practice will drive the evolution of the next generation of mobile networks.This article surveys the history and driving forces of the evolution of the mobile network architecture and proposes a logical function architecture for sixth generation(6G)mobile network.The proposed 6G network architecture is termed SOLIDS(related to the following basic features:soft,on-demand fulfillment,lite,native intelligence,digital twin,and native security),which can support self-generation,self-healing,self-evolution,and self-immunity without human involvement and address the primary issues in the legacy 5G network(e.g.,high cost,high power consumption,and highly complicated operation and maintenance),significantly well.

Ecosystem carbon storage and sink/source of temperate forested wetlands in Xiaoxing’anling, northeast China

Wetlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle, but there are still considerable uncertainties in the estimation of wetland carbon storage and a dispute on whether wetlands are carbon sources or carbon sinks. Xiaoxing’anling are one of several concentrated distribution areas of forested wetland in China, but the carbon storage and carbon sink/source of forested wetlands in this area is unclear. We measured the ecosystem carbon storage (vegetation and soil), annual net carbon sequestration of vegetation and annual carbon emissions of soil heterotrophic respiration of five typical forested wetland types (alder swamp, white birch swamp, larch swamp, larch fen, and larch bog) distributed along a moisture gradient in this area in order to reveal the spatial variations of their carbon storage and quantitatively evaluate their position as carbon sink or source according to the net carbon balance of the ecosystems. The results show that the larch fen had high carbon storage (448.8 t ha^(−1)) (6.8% higher than the larch bog and 10.5–30.1% significantly higher than other three wetlands (P < 0.05), the white birch swamp and larch bog were medium carbon storage ecosystems (406.3 and 420.1 t ha^(−1)) (12.4–21.8% significantly higher than the other two types (P < 0.0 5), while the alder swamp and larch swamp were low in carbon storage (345.0 and 361.5 t ha^(−1), respectively). The carbon pools of the five wetlands were dominated by their soil carbon pools (88.5–94.5%), and the vegetation carbon pool was secondary (5.5–11.5%). At the same time, their ecosystem net carbon balances were positive (0.1–0.6 t ha^(−1) a^(−1)) because the annual net carbon sequestration of vegetation (4.0–4.5 t ha^(−1) a^(−1)) were higher than the annual carbon emissions of soil heterotrophic respiration (CO_(2) and CH_(4)) (3.8–4.4 t ha^(−1) a^(−1)) in four wetlands, (the alder swamp being the exception), so all four were carbon sinks while only the alder swamp was a source of carbon emissions (− 2.1 t ha^(−1) a^(−1)) due to a degraded tree layer. Our results demonstrate that these forested wetlands were generally carbon sinks in the Xiaoxing’anling, and there was obvious spatial variation in carbon storage of ecosystems along the moisture gradient.

Dmrt1 regulates the immune response by repressing the TLR4 signaling pathway in goat male germline stem cells

Double sex and mab-3-related transcription factor 1(Dmrt1),which is expressed in goat male germline stem cells(mGSCs)and Sertoli cells,is one of the most conserved transcription factors involved in sex determination.In this study,we highlighted the role of Dmrt1 in balancing the innate immune response in goat mGSCs.Dmrt1 recruited promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger(Plzf),also known as zinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 16(Zbtb16),to repress the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)-dependent inflammatory signaling pathway and nuclear factor(NF)-κB.Knockdown of Dmrt1 in seminiferous tubules resulted in widespread degeneration of germ and somatic cells,while the expression of proinflammatory factors were significantly enhanced.We also demonstrated that Dmrt1 stimulated proliferation of mGSCs,but repressed apoptosis caused by the immune response.Thus,Dmrt1 is sufficient to reduce inflammation in the testes,thereby establishing the stability of spermatogenesis and the testicular microenvironment.

lncRNACNN3-206 activates intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis and invasion by sponging miR-212, an implication for Crohn’s disease

BACKGROUND Statistics indicate that the incidence of Crohn’s disease(CD)is rising in many countries.The poor understanding on the pathological mechanism has limited the development of effective therapy against this disease.Previous studies showed that long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)could be involved in autoimmune diseases including CD,but the detailed molecular mechanisms remain unclear.AIM To identify the differentially expressed lncRNAs in the intestinal mucosa associated with CD,and to characterize their pathogenic role(s)and related mechanisms.METHODS The differential expression of lncRNAs was screened by high-throughput RNA sequencing,and the top candidate genes were validated in an expanded cohort by real-time PCR.The regulatory network was predicted by bioinformatic software and competitive endogenous RNA analysis,and was characterized in Caco-2 and HT-29 cell culture using methods of cell transfection,real-time PCR,Western blotting analysis,flow cytometry,and cell migration and invasion assays.Finally,these findings were confirmed in vivo using a CD animal model.RESULTS The 3'end of lncRNACNN3-206 and the 3’UTR of Caspase10 contain highaffinity miR212 binding sites.lncRNACNN3-206 expression was found to be significantly increased in intestinal lesions of CD patients.Activation of the lncRNACNN3-206-miR-212-Caspase10 regulatory network led to increased apoptosis,migration and invasion in intestinal epithelial cells.Knockdown of lncRNACNN3-206 expression alleviated intestinal mucosal inflammation and tissue damage in the CD mouse model.CONCLUSION lncRNACNN3-206 may play a key role in CD pathogenesis.lncRNACNN3-206 could be a therapeutic target for CD treatment.

Transcriptomic and physiological analyses identifying Lanzhou lily(Lilium davidii var.unicolor)drought adaptation strategies

Drought stress is the main limiting plant growth factor in arid and semiarid regions.The Lanzhou lily(Lilium davidii var.unicolor)is the only sweet-tasting lily grown in these regions of China that offers highly edible,medicinal,health,and ornamental value.The Tresor lily is an ornamental flower known for its strong resistance.Plants were grown under three different drought intensity treatments,namely,being watered at intervals of 5,15,and 25 d(either throughout the study or during specific growth stages).We measured the biomass,leaf area,photosynthetic response,chlorophyll content(SPAD value),and osmoregulation of both the Lanzhou lily and the Tresor lily(Lilium‘Tresor’).Additionally,we employed RNA sequencing(RNA-Seq)and qRT-PCR to investigate transcriptomic changes of the Lanzhou lily in response to drought stress.Results showed that under drought stress,the decreasing rate in the Lanzhou lily bulb weight was lower than the corresponding Tresor lily bulb rate;the net photosynthetic rate,transpiration rate,and stomatal conductance of the Lanzhou lily were all higher compared to the Tresor lily;osmoregulation constituents,such as glucose,fructose,sucrose,trehalose,and soluble sugar,in the Lanzhou lily were comparatively higher;PYL,NCED,and ERS genes were significantly expressed in the Lanzhou lily.Under moderate drought,the biosynthesis of flavonoids,circadian rhythms,and the tryptophan metabolism pathway of the Lanzhou lily were all significant.Under severe drought stress,fatty acid elongation,photosynthetic antenna protein,plant hormone signal transduction,flavone and flavonol biosynthesis,and the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway were all significant.The Lanzhou lily adapted to drought stress by coordinating its organs and the unique role of its bulb,regulating photosynthesis,increasing osmolyte content,activating circadian rhythms,signal transduction,fatty acid elongation metabolism,and phenylalanine and flavonoid metabolic pathways,which may collectively be the main adaptation strategy and mechanisms used by the Lanzhou lily under drought stress.

LIN28A inhibits DUSP family phosphatases and activates MAPK signaling pathway to maintain pluripotency in porcine induced pluripotent stem cells

LIN28A,an RNA-binding protein,plays an important role in porcine induced pluripotent stem cells(piPSCs).However,the molecular mechanism underlying the function of LIN28A in the maintenance of pluripotency in piPSCs remains unclear.Here,we explored the function of LIN28A in piPSCs based on its overexpression and knockdown.We performed total RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)of piPSCs and detected the expression levels of relevant genes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR),western blot analysis,and immunofluorescence staining.Results indicated that piPSC proliferation ability decreased following LIN28A knockdown.Furthermore,when LIN28A expression in the shLIN28A2 group was lower(by 20%)than that in the negative control knockdown group(shNC),the pluripotency of piPSCs disappeared and they differentiated into neuroectoderm cells.Results also showed that LIN28A overexpression inhibited the expression of DUSP(dual-specificity phosphatases)family phosphatases and activated the mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway.Thus,LIN28A appears to activate the MAPK signaling pathway to maintain the pluripotency and proliferation ability of piPSCs.Our study provides a new resource for exploring the functions of LIN28A in piPSCs.

Scoparone inhibits pancreatic cancer through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal system whose emerging resistance to chemotherapy has necessitated the development of novel antitumor treatments.Scoparone,a traditional Chinese medicine monomer with a wide range of pharmacological properties,has attracted considerable attention for its antitumor activity.AIM To explore the potential antitumor effect of scoparone on pancreatic cancer and the possible molecular mechanism of action.METHODS The target genes of scoparone were determined using both the bioinformatics and multiplatform analyses.The effect of scoparone on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation,migration,invasion,cell cycle,and apoptosis was detected in vitro.The expression of hub genes was tested using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR),and the molecular mechanism was analyzed using Western blot.The in vivo effect of scoparone on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation was detected using a xenograft tumor model in nude mice as well as immunohistochemistry.RESULTS The hub genes involved in the suppression of pancreatic cancer by scoparone were obtained by network bioinformatics analyses using publicly available databases and platforms,including SwissTargetPrediction,STITCH,GeneCards,CTD,STRING,WebGestalt,Cytoscape,and Gepia;AKT1 was confirmed using qRT-PCR to be the hub gene.Cell Counting Kit-8 assay revealed that the viability of Capan-2 and SW1990 cells was significantly reduced by scoparone treatment exhibiting IC50 values of 225.2μmol/L and 209.1μmol/L,respectively.Wound healing and transwell assays showed that scoparone inhibited the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells.Additionally,flow cytometry confirmed that scoparone caused cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis.Scoparone also increased the expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3,decreased the levels of MMP9 and Bcl-2,and suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt without affecting total PI3K and Akt.Moreover,compared with the control group,xenograft tumors,in the 200μmol/L scoparone treatment group,were smaller in volume and lighter in weight,and the percentages of Ki65-and PCNA-positive cells were decreased.CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that scoparone inhibits pancreatic cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo,inhibits migration and invasion,and induces cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Dynamic changes of postprandial plasma metabolites after intake of corn-soybean meal or casein-starch diets in growing pigs

Background: Postprandial nutrients utilization and metabolism of a certain diet is a complicated process. The metabolic feature of pigs after intake of corn-soybean meal or casein-starch diets are largely unknown. Therefore,this study was conducted to investigate the dynamic postprandial changes of plasma metabolic profile using growing pigs using metabolomics.Methods: Twenty-four growing pigs with average initial body weight(BW) about 30 kg were placed in metabolic cages and then fitted with precaval vein catheters. Pigs were fed daily 4% of initial body weight. Two experimental diets were included:(i) a starch-casein based purified diet(PD) and(ii) a common corn-soybean meal diet(CD).Plasma was collected before feeding and 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h after feeding.Results: In both diets, compared to prior to feeding, the concentrations of glucose, most amino acids, metabolites such as 5-aminopentanoic acid, pipecolic acid, ornithine and 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan were significantly increased in plasma during the first hour, whereas the concentrations of plasma triglycerides, glutamate, glycine, palmitelaidic acid, 13-HODE and oleic acid were decreased in the first hour. Compared with PD group, concentration of plasma leucine and isoleucine declined at 30 min in CD group. Plasma linoleic acid, sphingosine and many dipeptides were significantly higher in pigs fed CD.Conclusion: Most significant metabolic changes occurred during the first hour after feeding and then became relatively stable after 2 h in both diets. These results show a broad scope picture of postprandial changes in plasma metabolites after intake of PD and CD and could be a reference for further nutrition intervention as well as the design of nutritional studies.

Preparation of sol-gel derived microcrystalline corundum abrasives with hexagonal platelets

The effects of different additives on the mechanical properties, microstructures, and wear behavior of corundum abra- sives were investigated. When the number of additive phases increases, the sintering temperature and wear rate decrease, while the densification and mechanical properties increase. The additive SiO2 is responsible for the development of equiaxed grains, whereas both CaO and MgO promote the development of platelike grains. By controlling the molar ratio of additives, it is pos- sible to obtain different microstructures. With SiO2-MgO-CaO （molar ratio, 2：1：1） as the additives and nano a-Al203 powders as the seed, microcrystalline corundum abrasives with hexagonal platelets were obtained using sol-gel process by sintering at 1300℃ for 0.5 h. The average diameter and thickness of hexagonal platelets are 1.38 μm and 360 nm respectively, the sin- gle-particle compressive strength is 26.44 N, and the wear rate is （3.06±=0.21）× 10^-7 mm^3/（N.m）.

Impacts of Carbon Tax Policy on CO_2 Mitigation and Economic Growth in China

In this paper we examine the impacts of carbon tax policy on CO2 mitigation effects and economic growth in China by using a dynamic energy-environment-economy computable general equilibrium （CGE） model. The results show that 30, 60, and 90 RMB per ton CO2 of carbon tax rate will lead to a reduction of CO2 emissions by 4.52%, 8.59%, and 12.26%, as well as a decline in the GDP by 0.11%, 0.25%, and 0.39% in 2020, respectively, if carbon tax revenues are collected by the government. Moreover, with energy efficiency improvements the CO2 emission per unit of GDP will equally drop by 34.79%, 37.49%, and 39.92% in 2020, respectively. Negative impacts on sectors and households will be alleviated if carbon tax revenues are returned to these sectors and households.