The Influence of Ion Beam Bombardment on the Properties of High Laser-Induced Damage Threshold HfO₂ Thin Films

HfO2 thin films were deposited on BK-7 glass substrates using an electron beam evaporation deposition (EBD) technique and then post-treated with argon and oxygen ions at an ion energy ranging from 800 to 1200 eV. The optical properties, laser damage resistance, and surface morphology of the thin films exposed to Ar ions and O2 ions at various energies were studied. It was found that the two ion post-treatment methods after deposition were effective for improving the LIDT of HfO2 thin films, but the mechanism for the improvement differs. The dense thin films highly resistant to laser damage can be obtained through Ar ion post-treatment at a certain ion energy. The laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of thin films after O2 ion post-treatment was higher in comparison to those irradiated with Ar ion at the same ion energy

Gas Emissions and Environmental Benefits of Wheat Cultivated under Different Fertilization Managements in Mollisols

The NH3, N2O and CO2 emissions from farmland soil pose a great threat to the environment, and the application of organic fertilizer and other reasonable fertilization measures can reduce soil gas emissions. However, research into greenhouse gas emissions and environmental benefits under the combined measures of partial substitution of organic fertilizer and phased application of chemical fertilizer is limited. Herein, a field experiment involving soil gas emission monitoring was conducted to study the effects of chemical fertilizer application in stages on Mollisols’ gas emissions and environmental benefits based on the partial replacement of chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer. Five treatments were set up, including conventional nitrogen application (CF); no nitrogen application (N0); and one-stage (N1), two-stage (N2) and three-stage (N3) application of chemical nitrogen based on 25% of chemical nitrogen being replaced with organic fertilizer. The results showed that N1 had the best emission reduction. Compared with CF, N1 reduced NH3 volatilization and N2O and CO2 emission accumulation by 27.64%, 12.09% and 15.48%, respectively. Compared with N2 and N3, N1 could better reduce the soil urease, nitrate reductase, catalase and β-glucosidase activities, reduce the rate of the conversion of urea and organic carbon, increase the content of NH4+-N in the soil and reduce the NH3 volatilization rate and N2O and CO2 emission rates. A comprehensive analysis showed that N1 showed the best effects in reducing the soil gas emission rate, and environmental cost

Genetic analysis of a large Han Chinese family line with schizoaffective psychosis

To locate the specific susceptibility genes of a high incidence of schizoaffective disease (SAD) with autonomic dominant inheritance, we recruited a family group from Henan Province with a high incidence of SAD, including 19 individuals sampled from five generations.We used a genome-wide high-density SNP chip to perform genotype detection. The LINKAGE package and MENDEL programs were used for. The two-point and multipoint analyses were calculated by Merlin and SimWalk2 software to obtain the nonparametric linkage (NPL) value, corresponding P value, and parameter linkage limit of detection (LOD) value.Genome-wide linkage analysis yielded a significant linkage signal located on the short arm of chromosome 19. In the dominant genetic model, the LOD of the multipoint parametric analysis was 2.5, and the nonparametric analysis was 19.4 (P < 0.00001). Further haploid genotype analysis localized the candidate region in the 19p13.3–13.2 region, beginning at rs178414 and ending at rs11668751 with a physical length of approximately 4.9 Mb. We believe that the genes responsible for SAD are in this region

PLK1 maintains DNA methylation and cell viability by regulating phosphorylation-dependent UHRF1 protein stability

Abstract PLK1 is a key serine/threonine kinase as well as a master mitotic regulator, but it has never been reported that PLK1 regulates DNA methylation. In the present study, we for the first time found that PLK1 inhibition disrupted global DNA methylation and elevated the expression level of tumor suppressor genes. Mechanistically, we found that PLK1 interacts UHRF1 protein to induce its phosphorylation at serine 265. Phosphorylation is required for the maintenance of UHRF1 protein stability by recruiting a deubiquitinase USP7. Conversely, PLK1 inhibition decreases UHRF1 protein interaction with USP7 and activates the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, thereby accelerating UHRF1 protein degradation. UHRF1 degradation decreases the recruitment of DNMT1 to chromatin, and decreases the level of genome-wide DNA methylation, thereby elevating the expression of tumor suppressor genes and decreasing cell viability. We here presented the first report on the novel role of PLK1 in DNA methylation maintenance through UHRF1-DNMT1 pathway, and revealed a novel anticancer mechanism of PLK1 inhibitors

AR antagonists develop drug resistance through TOMM20 autophagic degradation-promoted transformation to neuroendocrine prostate cancer

Abstract Background Prostate cancer(PCa) is the most commonly occurring male cancer in the USA. Abiraterone or Enzalutamide have been approved for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, the treatment-emergent neuroendocrine PCa (t-NEPC) may develop, resulting in drug resistance in about 10–17% CRPC patients. The detailed mechanisms remain unclear.. Methods The expression correlation of TOMM20 and AR in PCa was determined by analyzing publicly available datasets, or by IHC staining in tumor specimens. The protein interaction of TOMM20 and AR was validated by co-immunoprecipitation or GST pull-down assay. The impact of TOMM20 depletion on drug sensitivity were elucidated by assays of cell proliferation, invasion, sphere formation, xenograft growth and intravenous metastasis. The intracellular ROS level was measured by flow cytometry, and the NEPC transdifferentiation and characteristics of cancer stem-like cells were validated by RNA-seq, RT-PCR and western blotting. Results The protein level of TOMM20 is positively correlated with AR in PCa cells and specimens. TOMM20 protein physically interacts with AR. AR antagonists induced the protein degradation of TOMM20 through autophagy-lysosomal pathway, thereby elevating the intracellular ROS level and activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. When TOMM20 was depleted, PCa cells underwent EMT, acquired the characteristics of cancer stem-like cells, and developed resistance to AR antagonists. The stable depletion of TOMM20 promoted the transdifferentiation of PCa adenocarcinoma into NEPC and metastasis. Conversely, the rescue of TOMM20 re-sensitized the resistant PCa cells to AR antagonists. Conclusions TOMM20 protein degradation induced by AR antagonists promoted the transdifferentiation of PCa to NEPC, thereby revealing a novel molecular mechanism by which AR antagonists develop drug resistance through mitochondrial outer membrane-mediated signaling pathway. These findings suggested that the decreasing or loss of TOMM20 expression in PCa tissues might become a useful predictor of PCa resistance to AR antagonists

A Water-Soluble, Green-Light Triggered, and Photo-Calibrated Nitric Oxide Donor for Biological Applications

Nitric oxide (NO) is a versatile endogenous molecule, involved in various physiological processes and implicated in the progression of many pathological conditions. Therefore, NO donors are valuable tools in NO related basic and applied applications. The traditional spontaneous NO donors are limited in scenarios where flux, localization, and dose of NO could be monitored. This has promoted the development of novel NO donors, whose NO release is not only under control, but also self-calibrated. Herein, we reported a phototriggered and photocalibrated NO donor (<b>NOD565</b>) with an N-nitroso group on a rhodamine dye. <b>NOD565</b> is nonfluorescent and could release NO efficiently upon irradiation by green light. A bright rhodamine dye is generated as a side-product and its fluorescence can be used to monitor the NO release. The potentials of <b>NOD565</b> in practical applications are showcased in in vitro studies, e.g., platelet aggregation inhibition and fungi growth suppression