A note on the Banaś modulus of smoothness in the Bynum space

AbstractRecently, the Banaś modulus of smoothness for the Bynum space b2,∞ was obtained by Zuo and Cui (Z. Zuo, Y. Cui, Some modulus and normal structure in Banach space, J. Inequal. Appl. 2009 (2009) 15. doi:10.1155/2009/676373. Article ID 676373). It is however not true in general. In this note, we will present the exact value for this modulus in the b2,∞ space

Characteristics of Growth and Metabolism of Thermoascus aurantiacus QH-1 Derived Hongxinqu

To explore the growth metabolic characteristics of Thermoascus aurantiacus, the optimal growth conditions, ethanol tolerance, growth curve, saccharifying power and liquefaction power of Thermoascus aurantiacus QH-1 were analyzed. The results showed that Thermoascus aurantiacus QH-1 grew rapidly and had pigment in PDA, MEA and SDA mediums with rich in nutrients, and colonies growing on synthetic medium and G25N medium grew slowly and almost no pigment. The optimal growth conditions of T.aurantiacus QH-1 strain was as follows: Temperature 45 ℃, pH4.0, inoculum concentration 3%, liquied loading volume 160 mL. The lowest and highest growth temperatures of Th. aurantiacus QH-1 were 26 and 60 ℃, respectively. Among the raw materials for brewing Daqu, sorghum rice was the best for its growth, and the concentration of 6% ethanol had no effect on the grwoth of T.aurantiacus QH-1. T.aurantiacus QH-1 grew slowly with lower saccharifying power in the early stage, and the growth rate accelerated with the higher saccharifying power at 6~8 days in solid state medium of barley and pea. The growth curve of T.aurantiacus QH-1 was similar to its change curve of saccharifying power. However, its liquefying power was detected on day 10. The results provided necessary information for the further development and utilization of T.aurantiacus QH-1

Induced pluripotent stem cells of patients with Tetralogy of Fallot reveal transcriptional alterations in cardiomyocyte differentiation

Patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (ps-iPSCs) and their differentiated cell types are a powerful model system to gain insight into mechanisms driving early developmental and disease-associated regulatory networks. In this study, we use ps-iPSCs to gain insights into Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), which represents the most common cyanotic heart defect in humans. iPSCs were generated and further differentiated to cardiomyocytes (CMs) using standard methods from two well-characterized TOF patients and their healthy relatives serving as controls. Patient-specific expression patterns and genetic variability were investigated using whole genome and transcriptome sequencing data. We first studied the clonal mutational burden of the derived iPSCs. In two out of three iPSC lines of patient TOF-01, we found a somatic mutation in the DNA-binding domain of tumor suppressor P53, which was not observed in the genomic DNA from blood. Further characterization of this mutation showed its functional impact. For patient TOF-02, potential disease-relevant differential gene expression between and across cardiac differentiation was shown. Here, clear differences at the later stages of differentiation could be observed between CMs of the patient and its controls. Overall, this study provides first insights into the complex molecular mechanisms underlying iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte differentiation and its transcriptional alterations in TOF

Coexistence of Histologically Confirmed Hashimoto's Thyroiditis with Different Stages of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in a Consecutive Chinese Cohort

Purpose. To determine the relationship between Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and all stages of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with or without local lymph node metastasis (LNM). Methods:. We conducted a retrospective study of thyroidectomies from 2008–2013 in First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. We categorized patients according to the presence of histopathologically proven HT. The prevalence of mPTC (maximum diameter ≤ 10 mm) and crPTC (clinical relevant PTC) and local LNM rates were compared. Results:. We evaluated 6,432 consecutive thyroidectomies. In total, 1,328 specimens were confirmed as HT. The prevalence of PTC in this HT cohort was 43.8%, significantly higher than non-HT group. After adjustment of gender and age, the prevalence of PTC was still higher in HT group. HT was a risk factor for PTC in multivariate analysis with odds ratio 2.725 (95% CI, 2.390–3.109) (P < 0.001). However, no correlation was found between HT and LNM of PTC. Conclusion:. HT was associated with an increased prevalence of all stages of PTC, independent of tumor size, gender, and age. In contrast, locally advanced disease defined by LNM was unrelated to HT. These data suggest an association of HT with low risk PTC and a potential protective immunologic effect from further disease progression

Effects of assisted reproductive technology on gene expression in heart and spleen tissues of adult offspring mouse

ObjectivesAssisted reproductive technology (ART) is an important part of reproductive medicine, whose possible effects on offspring’s health have drawn widespread attention in recent years. However, relevant studies are limited to postnatal short-term follow-up and lack of diverse sample sources analysis other than blood.MethodsIn this study, a mouse model was used to explore the effects of ART on fetal development and gene expression in the organs of offspring in the adulthood using next-generation sequencing. The sequencing results were then analyzed.ResultsThe results showed that it caused abnormal expression in 1060 genes and 179 genes in the heart and spleen, respectively. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the heart are mainly enriched in RNA synthesis and processing, and the cardiovascular system development also shows enrichment. STRING analysis identified Ccl2, Ptgs2, Rock1, Mapk14, Agt, and Wnt5a as the core interacting factors. DEGs in the spleen are significantly enriched in anti-infection and immune responses, which include the core factors Fos, Jun and Il1r2. Further exploration revealed the abnormal expression of 42 and 5 epigenetic modifiers in the heart and spleen, respectively. The expression of the imprinted genes Dhcr7, Igf2, Mest and Smoc1 decreased in the hearts of ART offspring, and the DNA methylation levels of Igf2- and Mest-imprinting control regions (ICRs) increased abnormally.ConclusionIn the mouse model, ART can interfere with the gene expression pattern in the heart and spleen of the adult offspring and that these changes are related to the aberrant expression of epigenetic regulators

Prion infection impairs cholesterol metabolism in neuronal cells

Conversion of prion protein (PrPC) into a pathological isoform (PrPSc) during prion infection occurs in lipid rafts and is dependent on cholesterol. Here, we show that prion infection increases the abundance of cholesterol transporter, ATP-binding cassette transporter type A1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter type A1), but reduces cholesterol efflux from neuronal cells leading to the accumulation of cellular cholesterol. Increased abundance of ABCA1 in prion disease was confirmed in prion-infected mice. Mechanistically, conversion of PrPC to the pathological isoform led to PrPSc accumulation in rafts, displacement of ABCA1 from rafts and the cell surface, and enhanced internalization of ABCA1. These effects were abolished with reversal of prion infection or by loading cells with cholesterol. Stimulation of ABCA1 expression with liver X receptor agonist or overexpression of heterologous ABCA1 reduced the conversion of prion protein into the pathological form upon infection. These findings demonstrate a reciprocal connection between prion infection and cellular cholesterol metabolism, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of prion infection in neuronal cells

Front Cover Picture: Light-Controlled Nanosystems: Light-Controlled Nanosystem with Size-Flexibility Improves Targeted Retention for Tumor Suppression (Adv. Funct. Mater. 27/2021)

In article number 2101262, Gang Chen, Hélder A. Santos, Wenguo Cui, and co-workers construct a light-controlled nanosystem with in situ modulated particle size by near-infrared irradiation with a synergistic effect using photochemotherapy for tumor suppression. The nanosystem at the tumor leads to rapid shedding of polye thylene glycol by near-infrared irradiation and enhanced cellular uptake. The versatile design of this light-controlled nanosystem with in situ size flexibility opens new avenues in cancer therapy.Peer reviewe