Mantle Flow Underneath the South China Sea Revealed by Seismic Anisotropy

It Has Long Been Established that Plastic Flow in the Asthenosphere Interacts Constantly with the overlying Lithosphere and Plays a Pivotal Role in Controlling the Occurrence of Geohazards Such as Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions. Unfortunately, Accurately Characterizing the Direction and Lateral Extents of the Mantle Flow Field is Notoriously Difficult, Especially in Oceanic Areas Where Deployment of Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBSs) is Expensive and Thus Rare. in This Study, by Applying Shear Wave Splitting Analyses to a Dataset Recorded by an OBS Array that We Deployed between Mid-2019 and Mid-2020 in the South China Sea (SCS), We Show that the Dominant Mantle Flow Field Has a NNW-SSE Orientation, Which Can Be Attributed to Mantle Flow Extruded from the Tibetan Plateau by the Ongoing Indian-Eurasian Collision. in Addition, the Results Suggest that E-W Oriented Flow Fields Observed in South China and the Indochina Peninsula Do Not Extend to the Central SCS

Interaction Between Prediabetes and the ABO Blood Types in Predicting Postsurgical Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma-Specific Mortality: The FIESTA Study

Background: We aimed to investigate the interaction between prediabetes and the ABO blood types in predicting esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)-specific mortality by analysing data from the FIESTA study on normal/prediabetic patients with ESCC.Methods: Total 1,857 normal/prediabetic patients with ESCC who underwent three-field lymphadenectomy between January 2000 and December 2010 and survived hospitalization were analyzable, with follow-up beginning in 2000 and ending in 2015.Results: At the end of the follow-up, there were 1,161 survivors and 696 non-survivors. The follow-up time ranged from 0.5 to 180 months. The cumulative survival rates in normal patients were obviously better than in prediabetic patients. The cumulative survival rates were significantly higher in normal patients than in prediabetic patients for the blood types O and A (Log-rank test P < 0.05), while no significance was detected for the blood types B and AB. Adjusted risk estimates for ESCC-specific mortality for prediabetic patients relative to normal patients were statistically significant in the blood type B− group (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33–2.20; P < 0.001), but not in the blood type B+ group (HR: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.77–1.64; P = 0.5544).Conclusions: Our findings indicate that prediabetes can predict the significant risk of ESCC-specific mortality in Chinese Han patients with the blood types O and A

Automatic finite element modeling of wind turbines blade based on MATLAB

The blade which can extract energy from wind plays a key role in a wind turbine system. Recently, finite element technology has been widely used in modern wind turbine blade design and analysis. However, due to the extremely complicated geometry shape and structure lay-out of the blade, finite element modeling of the blade becomes a quite challenge task and consumes a lot of time. In order to improve the efficiency of wind turbine blade design and analysis, this paper integrates Matlab language and APDL (Ansys Parametric Design Language) to develop a Matlab GUI (Graphic User Interface),which can generate the APDL commands used for building up the finite element model of blade while complete the blade geometry design. A 10kW fixed-pitch stall-regulated wind turbine blade is chosen as a case study to demonstrate the efficiency, accuracy and practicality of this method

Fabrication and physicochemical characterization of copper oxide–pyrrhotite nanocomposites for the cytotoxic effects on HepG2 cells and the mechanism

Novel CuO–FeS nanocomposites were synthesized to exert anticancer effects on HepG2 cells. The formation was initially demonstrated using UV–Visible spectrophotometry analysis, which indicated two peaks at 335 and 370 nm. Characteristic Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy peaks for Cu–O and Fe–S bonds were observed at 516, 577 and 619 cm−1 in addition to other notable peaks. The Miller indices correspond to the lattice spacing of monoclinic CuO and FeS as observed by selected area diffraction rings concurrent with the X-ray diffraction observations. The morphology was interpreted by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, indicating a particle size of 110 nm. As per energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis, strong peaks for Cu (0.9, 8 and 9 keV), Fe (6–7 keV), O (0.5 keV) and S (2.5 keV) indicated the formation of CuO–FeS blend with no impurities. A mean particle size of 121.9 nm and polydispersity index of 0.150 were displayed by dynamic light scattering analysis and the zeta potential was −29.2 mV. The composites were not toxic to normal 3T3-L1 cells and were not haemolytic even at higher doses. In addition, the stable composites exerted cytotoxic effects on HepG2 cells (IC50 = 250 ± 5.7 μg/mL) and induced cell death by creating a loss in mitochondrial membrane potential and induction of mitochondrial apoptosis in a ROS-independent manner

Geft is dispensable for the development of the second heart field

Geft is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, which can specificallyactivate Rho family of small GTPase by catalyzing theexchange of bound GDP for GTP. Geft is highly expressed inthe excitable tissue as heart and skeletal muscle and plays importantroles in many cellular processes, such as cell proliferation,migration, and cell fate decision. However, the invivo role of Geft remains unknown. Here, we generated a Geftconditional knockout mouse by flanking exons 5-17 of Geftwith loxP sites. Cre-mediated deletion of the Geft gene in heartusing Mef2c-Cre transgenic mice resulted in a dramatic decreaseof Geft expression. Geft knockout mice develop normallyand exhibit no discernable phenotype, suggesting Geft isdispensable for the development of the second heart field inmouse. The Geft conditional knockout mouse will be a valuablegenetic tool for uncovering the in vivo roles of Geft duringdevelopment and in adult homeostasis. (BMB reports2012; 45(3): 153-158

Miro1 Deficiency in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Proper transportation of mitochondria to sites with high energy demands is critical for neuronal function and survival. Impaired mitochondrial movement has been repeatedly reported in motor neurons of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and indicated as an important mechanism contributing to motor neuron degeneration in ALS. Miro1, a RhoGTPase also referred to as Rhot1, is a key regulator of mitochondrial movement linking mitochondria and motor proteins. In this study, we investigated whether the expression of Miro1 was altered in ALS patients and ALS animal models. Immunoblot analysis revealed that Miro1 was significantly reduced in the spinal cord tissue of ALS patients. Consistently, the decreased expression of Miro1 was also noted only in the spinal cord, and not in the brain tissue of transgenic mice expressing ALS-associated SOD1 G93A or TDP-43 M337V. Glutamate excitotoxicity is one of the major pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of ALS, and we found that excessive glutamate challenge lead to significant reduction of Miro1 expression in spinal cord motor neurons both in vitro and in mice. Taken together, these findings show Miro1 deficiency in ALS patients and ALS animal models and suggest glutamate excitotoxicity as a likely cause of Miro1 deficiency