Radiotherapy for Lowly Malignant Cranial Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor Accompanied with Intracranial Invasion:Case Report and Literature Review

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor(IMT) is rare in clinical practice.As its treatment mainly involves surgery,radiotherapy alone is seldom reported in literature.Here we report a case of lowly malignant cranial IMT with intracranial invasion in a female patient. As surgery was not suitable,intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) was administered.After radiotherapy,the cranial lesions tended to show efficacy.

Exploration of the active phase of the hydrotalcite-derived cobalt catalyst for HCHO oxidation

A series of Co-based oxide catalysts were prepared by calcining hydrotalcite precursors in different atmospheres and studied for HCHO catalytic oxidation. The N2-calcined catalyst exhibits enhanced HCHO oxidation and superior stability. On the basis of H2-TPR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman characterizations, this can be ascribed to better redox ability, octahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions derived from the CoO phase, and other surface oxygen species, such as O2– or O–. The extra octahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions may reside in a more open framework site than the inactive tetrahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions. This species of Co2+ can easily make contact with oxygen and oxidize. The surface oxygen species, along with the octahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions, and a part of the Co3+ species constitute the Co2+-oxygen species-Co3+ sites, which enhance the catalytic activities. According to DRIFTS, Co2+-oxygen species-Co3+ makes oxidation of HCHO and conversion of DOM to formate easier.

The N-Terminal Kinase Suppressor of Ras (KSR1) Complex Exhibits Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase (NDPK) Activity

Background and objective Lung cancer has not only become the most frequent malignant cancer which is increasing fastest among all the tumors, but also become the rst killer

Effects of <i>Streptococcus salivarius</i>K12 on Experimental Periodontitis and Oral Microbiota in Mice

Background: Periodontal diseases comprise a wide range of inflammatory conditions that affect the supporting structures of the teeth, and may lead to severe periodontal destruction and even tooth loss.?Streptococcus salivarius K12 (S. salivarius K12), one of oral probiotics, has been reported to be able to inhibit various potentially deleterious bacteria. This study was the first time to investigate the effects of S. salivarius K12 on ligature-induced periodontitis in mice. Methods: A silk ligature was tied around the second left maxillary molar to establish the model of periodontitis, and then, mice in group S. salivarius K12 were administered with S. salivarius K12 (2 x 109 CFU) twice daily for 30 d, the others were treated with isopyknic water. Results: Administration with S. salivarius K12 markedly decreased the anaerobic bacteria accumulation on the teeth, and it also considerably alleviated periodontitis-induced alveolar bone resorption and attachment loss. Moreover, S. salivarius K12 administration increased the relative species abundance of Gram-positive bacterium in oral cavity while decreased Gram-negative bacterium, as well as the diversity of the bacterial community. Conclusion: Oral administration of the probiotic S. salivarius K12 may mitigate the alveolar bone resorption and attachment loss of periodontitis by modulating the oral microbiota.

荒漠草原植物多样性和微生物多样性对降水变化的响应

降水和生物多样性是维持干旱区荒漠草原生态系统平衡和稳定的关键因素,研究降水变化背景下荒漠草原植物多样性、微生物多样性以及二者相互关系具有重要的理论和实践意义。本文以宁夏盐池荒漠草原为研究对象,采用遮雨棚和滴灌技术模拟了5个降水梯度,分别为正常降雨量的33%、66%、100%(CK)、133%和166%(记为R33,R66,RCK,R133,R166),全面分析了降水变化对荒漠草原植物多样性和微生物多样性的影响。结果表明:(1)降水减少(R66)会显著降低植物群落的多样性和均匀度,降水增加(R133)会使植物群落丰富度显著增加(P<0.05);(2)细菌群落的Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数、Ace指数以及真菌群落的Ace指数随降雨量的增加显著增加,降水变化对真菌群落的Shannon-Wiener指数和Simpson指数影响显著(P<0.05);(3)增水处理对土壤微生物群落β多样性有显著影响;(4)细菌与土壤碳氮比、碳磷比之间存在显著正相关关系(P<0.05),真菌与土壤碳氮比、碳磷比及氮磷比之间均存在极显著正相关关系(P<0.01);(5)植物群落多样性与细菌Shannon-Wiener指数显著正相关,与细菌Simpson指数、Ace指数及真菌Ace指数显著负相关(P<0.05)。因此,降水变化对荒漠草原植物多样性和微生物多样性产生了显著影响,且二者之间存在紧密关联,这不仅为模拟和预测荒漠草原生态系统对气候变化的响应和反馈提供借鉴,也为该地区的生态保护和恢复提供了科学依据。

Zokor activity promotes soil water infiltration in the Mu Us sandy land of northern Shaanxi,China

Zokors are common subterranean rodents that inhabit agricultural fields, shrublands, and grasslands in the arid and semi-arid regions of China. Zokor burrowing activities can alter soil structure and affect soil hydrological processes;however, there are few studies regarding their effects on soil preferential flow in the Mu Us sandy land. An evaluation of the effects of zokor disturbance on their habitat and soil water is important for understanding the ecological role of zokors in the soil ecosystem of the Mu Us sandy land. A field dye-tracing experiment was conducted in the Gechougou watershed on the southeastern edge of the Mu Us sandy land to investigate the effect of zokor burrowing activity on soil preferential flow characteristics. Our results showed that the density of zokor tunnels was the highest(0.40–0.46 m m^(-2)) under 30%–50% vegetation coverage and that the tunnels were approximately 3 cm from the surface.Both stained area ratio and stained path number were higher at sites with zokors than without zokors. Stained path widths were 10–80 and > 80 mm at zokor-harboring sites exhibiting homogeneous flow and heterogeneous finger flow, respectively. In the absence of zokors, homogeneous flow and highly interacted macropore flow were predominant. Soil water content below the zokor tunnels was higher than that above the tunnels. Moderate disturbance of soil structure by zokor activity facilitated soil water infiltration. These results enabled a better understanding of the effect of soil fauna on soil structure and hydrological processes and provided recommendations for ecological construction and renovation in arid and semi-arid regions.

Simultaneously improving the EMI shielding performances and mechanical properties of CF/PEKK composites via MXene interfacial modification

In this study, two-dimensional MXene (Ti3 C2 Tx ) was employed to modify the interface of carbon fiber-reinforced polyetherketoneketone (CF/PEKK) composites, in order to simultaneously improve the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performances and mechanical properties. The obtained CF/PEKK composites possessed outstanding EMI and mechanical performances, as anticipated. Specifically, the CF/PEKK composites modified with MXene at 1 mg mL–1 exhibited an excellent EMI shielding effectiveness of 65.2 dB in the X-band, a 103.1% enhancement compared with the unmodified CF/PEKK composites. The attractive EMI shielding performances of CF/PEKK composites originated from enhanced ohmic losses and multiple reflections of electromagnetic waves with the help of the MXene and CF layers. In addition, CF/PEKK composites achieved the best mechanical properties by optimizing the dispersion concentration of MXene to 0.1 mg mL–1 . The flexural strength, flexural modulus, and interlaminar shear strength of CF/PEKK composites reached 1127 MPa, 81 GPa, and 89 MPa, which were 28.5%, 9.5%, and 29.7% higher than that of the unmodified CF/PEKK composites, respectively. Such improvement in mechanical properties could be ascribed to the comprehensive effect of mechanical interlocking, hydrogen bonds, and Van der Waals forces between the introduced MXene and CF, PEKK, respectively.

Environmental selection and evolutionary process jointly shape genomic and functional profiles of mangrove rhizosphere microbiomes

Mangrove reforestation with introduced species has been an important strategy to restore mangrove ecosystem functioning.However,how such activities affect microbially driven methane(CH4),nitrogen(N),and sulfur(S)cycling of rhizosphere microbiomes remains unclear.To understand the effect of environmental selection and the evolutionary process on microbially driven biogeochemical cycles in native and introduced mangrove rhizospheres,we analyzed key genomic and functional profiles of rhizosphere microbiomes from native and introduced mangrove species by metagenome sequencing technologies.Compared with the native mangrove(Kandelia obovata,KO),the introduced mangrove(Sonneratia apetala,SA)rhizosphere microbiome had significantly(p<0.05)higher average genome size(AGS)(5.8 vs.5.5 Mb),average 16S ribosomal RNA gene copy number(3.5 vs.3.1),relative abundances of mobile genetic elements,and functional diversity in terms of the Shannon index(7.88 vs.7.84)but lower functional potentials involved in CH4 cycling(e.g.,mcrABCDG and pmoABC),N2 fixation(nifHDK),and inorganic S cycling(dsrAB,dsrC,dsrMKJOP,soxB,sqr,and fccAB).Similar results were also observed from the recovered Proteobacterial metagenome-assembled genomes with a higher AGS and distinct functions in the introduced mangrove rhizosphere.Additionally,salinity and ammonium were identified as the main environmental drivers of functional profiles of mangrove rhizosphere microbiomes through deterministic processes.This study advances our understanding of microbially mediated biogeochemical cycling of CH_(4),N,and S in the mangrove rhizosphere and provides novel insights into the influence of environmental selection and evolutionary processes on ecosystem functions,which has important implications for future mangrove reforestation.

TMEM181:a key mediator of cytolethal distending toxin required for Wnt signaling activity

Wnt signaling pathway plays critical roles in a variety of embryonic developmental processes and also controls homeostatic selfrenewal in a number of adult tissues(Flaherty and Dawn,2008;Nusse and Clevers,2017).At the cell membrane,Wnt ligands bind to the seven transmembrane receptors of Frizzled family and the co-receptors to activate intracellular signaling pathway,including theβ-catenin-dependent canonical Wnt signaling pathway,the noncanonical planar cell polarity(PCP)pathway and the Wnt/calcium pathway(Flaherty and Dawn,2008).In mammals,WNT4,WNT5A.

Metal-free multicomponent polymerization of activated diyne,electrophilic styrene and isocyanide towards highly substituted and functional poly(cyclopentadiene)

The development of a facile and efficient polymerization to prepare cyclopentadiene-containing polymers is of vital importance and highly desired. In this work, a metal-free multicomponent polymerization of activated diyne, electrophilic styrene and isocyanide for the preparation of highly substituted poly(cyclopentadiene) was established. Soluble and thermally stable polymers with high molecular weights are obtained in high yields under mild conditions. By introducing the tetraphenylethene or triphenylamine moiety into polymer backbones, the resultant polymers show unique aggregation-induced emission(AIE)characteristics. Interestingly, AIE polymers can also be generated in situ from non-AIE monomers. Moreover, the prepared polymers can generate photopatterns to function as photoresists and can also serve as visualizing agents to selectively stain the lipid droplets in live cells. This efficient polymerization will open up enormous opportunities for preparing functional cyclopentadiene-containing polymers applicable in diverse areas.

Probiotics modulate the microbiota-gut-brain axis and improve memory deficits in aged SAMP8 mice

ProBiotic-4 is a probiotic preparation composed of Bifidobacterium lactis,Lactobacillus casei,Bifidobacterium bifidum,and Lactobacillus acidophilus.This study aims to investigate the effects of ProBiotic-4 on the microbiota-gut-brain axis and cognitive deficits,and to explore the underlying molecular mechanism using senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8(SAMP8)mice.ProBiotic-4 was orally administered to 9-month-old SAMP8 mice for 12 weeks.We observed that ProBiotic-4 significantly improved the memory deficits,cerebral neuronal and synaptic injuries,glial activation,and microbiota composition in the feces and brains of aged SAMP8 mice.ProBiotic-4 substantially attenuated aging-related disruption of the intestinal barrier and blood-brain barrier,decreased interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-αat both mRNA and protein levels,reduced plasma and cerebral lipopolysaccharide(LPS)concentration,toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)expression,and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)nuclear translocation in the brain.In addition,not only did ProBiotic-4 significantly decreased the levels ofγ-H2 AX,8-hydroxydesoxyguanosine,and retinoic-acid-inducible gene-I(RIG-I),it also abrogated RIG-I multimerization in the brain.These findings suggest that targeting gut microbiota with probiotics may have a therapeutic potential for the deficits of the microbiota-gut-brain axis and cognitive function in aging,and that its mechanism is associated with inhibition of both TLR4-and RIG-I-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway and inflammatory responses.

Confining shell-sandwiched Ag clusters in MnO_(2)-CeO_(2)hollow spheres to boost activity and stability of toluene combustion

Supported noble metal catalysts have the promising application in volatile organic compounds(VOCs)catalytic combustion but suffer from the deactivation due to noble metal sintering at high temperatures.Herein,we report the construction of shellsandwiched MnO_(2)-Ag-CeO_(2)hollow spheres with remarkable sintering resistance and high activity in toluene combustion.Ag clusters were sandwiched between outer MnO_(2)and inner CeO_(2)shell to enlarge and stabilize metal–support active interface.The unique hollow structure could alter the electronic states of catalysts sites and increase the adsorbed site of reactant molecules.Meanwhile,Mn–Ag–Ce multi-interfaces in MnO_(2)-Ag-CeO_(2)could facilitate the sustainable activation and the stable release of oxygen species via a tandem transfer.The oxygen species at Ag–Mn interface perimeter were instantly replenished by Ag–Ce interface to accelerate a deep oxidation of intermediates,guaranteeing the opening of benzene ring to generate maleic anhydride.This investigation provides a promising method for constructing efficient and sintering-resistant cluster catalysts for VOCs oxidation.

Essential role of Msx1 in regulating anterior-posterior patterning of the secondary palate in mice

Development of the secondary palate displays molecular heterogeneity along the anterior-posterior axis;however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. MSX1 is an anteriorly expressed transcription repressor required for palate development. Here, we investigate the role of Msx1 in regional patterning of the secondary palate. The Wnt1-Cre-mediated expression of Msx1(Rosa Msx1^(Wnt1-Cre))throughout the palatal mesenchyme leads to cleft palate in mice, associated with aberrant cell proliferation and cell death. Osteogenic patterning of the hard palate in Rosa Msx1^(Wnt1-Cre)mice is severely impaired, as revealed by a marked reduction in palatine bone formation and decreased expression of the osteogenic regulator Sp7. Overexpression and knockout of Msx1 in mice show that the transcription repressor promotes the expression of the anterior palate-specific Alx1 but represses the expression of the medialposterior palate genes Barx1, Meox2, and Tbx22. Furthermore, Tbx22 constitutes a direct Msx1 target gene in the secondary palate, suggesting that Msx1 can directly repress the expression of medial-posterior specific genes. Finally, we determine that Sp7 is downstream of Tbx22 in palatal mesenchymal cells,suggesting that a Msx1/Tbx22/Sp7 axis participates in the regulation of palate development. Our findings unveil a novel role for Msx1 in regulating the anterior-posterior growth and patterning of the secondary palate.

Litterfall seasonality and adaptive strategies of tropical and subtropical evergreen forests in China

Tropical and subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests(EBFs)and needle-leaved forests(ENFs)in China exhibit complex leaf shedding strategies in responses to soil water availability,vapor pressure deficits(VPDs)and sunlight availability.However,the seasonal variations and triggers of litterfall differ significantly in tropical/subtropical forests,and there are still many uncertainties.Herein,we aim to explore the distinct climatic factors of seasonal litterfall in a climate–phenology correlation framework.We collected seasonal litterfall data from 85 sites across tropical/subtropical China and used linear correlation coefficients between sunlight and rainfall to partition synchronous/asynchronous climates.Additional phase analysis and structural equation model analysis were conducted to model the climatic triggers of tropical phenology.Results indicated two types of tropical litterfall phenology under two types of climates.In synchronous climates,where seasonal sunlight and rainfall are positively correlated,the litterfall peak of the unimodal phenology and the first litterfall peak of the bimodal phenology both happen at the end of dry season.The second litterfall peak of the bimodal phenology occurs at the end of rainy season due to water stress.In asynchronous climates,where seasonal sunlight and rainfall are negatively correlated,VPD shows consistent seasonal variations with incoming sunlight.The leaf senescence is accelerated at the end of dry season by higher VPD;while soil water deficit is in anti-phase with sunlight and mainly controls the second litterfall peak of the bimodal phenology in EBF.Our findings provide an important reference for modeling tropical phenology in Earth system models.

Metagenomic insights into the effects of submerged plants on functional potential of microbial communities in wetland sediments

Submerged plants in wetlands play important roles as ecosystem engineers to improve self-purification and promote elemental cycling.However,their effects on the functional capacity of microbial communities in wetland sediments remain poorly understood.Here,we provide detailed metagenomic insights into the biogeochemical potential of microbial communities in wetland sediments with and without submerged plants(i.e.,Vallisneria natans).A large number of functional genes involved in carbon(C),nitrogen(N)and sulfur(S)cycling were detected in the wetland sediments.However,most functional genes showed higher abundance in sediments with submerged plants than in those without plants.Based on the comparison of annotated functional genes in the N and S cycling databases(i.e.,NCycDB and SCycDB),we found that genes involved in nitrogen fixation(e.g.,nifD/H/K/W),assimilatory nitrate reduction(e.g.,nasA and nirA),denitrification(e.g.,nirK/S and nosZ),assimilatory sulfate reduction(e.g.,cysD/H/J/N/Q and sir),and sulfur oxidation(e.g.,glpE,soeA,sqr and sseA)were significantly higher(correctedp<0.05)in vegetated vs.unvegetated sediments.This could be mainly driven by environmental factors including total phosphorus,total nitrogen,and C:N ratio.The binning of metagenomes further revealed that some archaeal taxa could have the potential of methane metabolism including hydrogenotrophic,acetoclastic,and methylotrophic methanogenesis,which are crucial to the wetland methane budget and carbon cycling.This study opens a new avenue for linking submerged plants with microbial functions,and has further implications for understanding global carbon,nitrogen and sulfur cycling in wetland ecosystems.

A comprehensive framework for seasonal controls of leaf abscission and productivity in evergreen broadleaved tropical and subtropical forests

Relationships among productivity,leaf phenology,and seasonal variation in moisture and light availability are poorly understood for evergreen broadleaved tropical/subtropical forests,which contribute 25% of terrestrial productivity.On the one hand,as moisture availability declines,trees shed leaves to reduce transpiration and the risk of hydraulic failure.On the other hand,increases in light availability promote the replacement of senescent leaves to increase productivity.Here,we provide a comprehensive framework that relates the seasonality of climate,leaf abscission,and leaf productivity across the evergreen broadleaved tropical/subtropical forest biome.The seasonal correlation between rainfall and light availability varies from strongly negative to strongly positive across the tropics and maps onto the seasonal correlation between litterfall mass and productivity for 68 forests.Where rainfall and light covary positively,litterfall and productivity also covary positively and are always greater in the wetter sunnier season.Where rainfall and light covary negatively,litterfall and productivity are always greater in the drier and sunnier season if moisture supplies remain adequate;otherwise productivity is smaller in the drier sunnier season.This framework will improve the representation of tropical/subtropical forests in Earth system models and suggests how phenology and productivity will change as climate change alters the seasonality of cloud cover and rainfall across tropical/subtropical forests.