The stellar halo of isolated central galaxies in the Hyper Suprime-Cam imaging survey

We study the faint stellar halo of isolated central galaxies, by stacking galaxy images in the HSC survey and accounting for the residual sky background sampled with random points. The surface brightness profiles in HSC $r$-band are measured for a wide range of galaxy stellar masses ($9.2<\log_{10}M_\ast/M_\odot<11.4$) and out to 120 kpc. Failing to account for the stellar halo below the noise level of individual images will lead to underestimates of the total luminosity by $\leq 15\%$. Splitting galaxies according to the concentration parameter of their light distributions, we find that the surface brightness profiles of low concentration galaxies drop faster between 20 and 100 kpc than those of high concentration galaxies. Albeit the large galaxy-to-galaxy scatter, we find a strong self-similarity of the stellar halo profiles. They show unified forms once the projected distance is scaled by the halo virial radius. The colour of galaxies is redder in the centre and bluer outside, with high concentration galaxies having redder and more flattened colour profiles. There are indications of a colour minimum, beyond which the colour of the outer stellar halo turns red again. This colour minimum, however, is very sensitive to the completeness in masking satellite galaxies. We also examine the effect of the extended PSF in the measurement of the stellar halo, which is particularly important for low mass or low concentration galaxies. The PSF-corrected surface brightness profile can be measured down to $\sim$31 $\mathrm{mag}/\mathrm{arcsec}^2$ at 3-$\sigma$ significance. PSF also slightly flattens the measured colour profiles.Comment: accepted by MNRAS - Significant changes have been made compared with the first version, including discussions on the extended PSF wings, robustness of our results to source detection and masking thresholds and more detailed investigations on the indications of positive colour gradient

Effect of night shift work on metabolic syndrome in adults who suffered from earthquake stress in early life

ObjectiveTo examine the role of night shift work on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults suffered from earthquakes prenatally or as infants and to analyse the effect of stress on factors that influence MetS in this population.MethodsWe included 870 subjects from 2014 to 2015. All subjects work as miners for the Kailuan Mining Group and were born were living in Tangshan. Participants were classified into two groups on basis of their work schedules: day shift and night shift. They were further classified into the prenatal exposure group, the infancy exposure group, and the control group based on their age during the Tangshan earthquake. This study was conducted 38 years after the earthquake. Participants’ general demographic data, smoking and drinking habits, as well as work schedules were collected. All participants’ sleep status was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The measurement of all subjects’ waist circumference and blood pressure was made, and triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, high-density lipoproteins, and low-density lipoproteins were measured by collecting blood samples. The definition of MetS was made after the guidelines for preventing and controlling type 2 diabetes in China (2017 Edition).ResultsA total of 187 (21.5%) workers were determined to have MetS. The incidence of MetS was greatly higher in night shift workers who were exposed to an earthquake during infancy than in day shift workers (χ2 = 8.053, p = 0.005). A multivariate logistic regression analysis displayed male participants had a higher risk develop MetS than female participants (p = 0.042, OR = 0.368, 95% CI = 0.140, 0.965). Current smokers (p = 0.030, OR = 1.520, 95%CI = 1.042, 2.218) and participants who sleep fewer than 7 h per night (p = 0.015, OR = 1.638, 95%CI = 1.101, 2.437) had a higher risk of MetS. Prenatal earthquake stress was also a risk element for MetS (p = 0.012, OR = 1.644, 95%CI = 1.115, 2.423).ConclusionThe risk of MetS is significantly higher in night shift workers exposed to earthquake stress during infancy than day shift workers. Earthquake exposure during pregnancy is an independent risk factor for MetS. Smoking and sleeping less than 7 h have a higher risk of MetS than the control group

The interaction between the soluble programmed death ligand-1 (sPD-L1) and PD-1+ regulator B cells mediates immunosuppression in triple-negative breast cancer

Accumulating evidence suggests that regulatory B cells (Bregs) play important roles in inhibiting the immune response in tumors. Programmed death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) are important molecules that maintain the balance of the immune response and immune tolerance. This study aims to evaluate the soluble form of PD-L1 and its function in inducing the differentiation of B lymphocytes, investigate the relationship between soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) and B-cell subsets, and explore the antitumor activity of T lymphocytes after PD-L1 blockade in coculture systems. In an effort to explore the role of sPD-L1 in human breast cancer etiology, we examined the levels of sPD-L1 and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the serum of breast tumor patients and the proportions of B cells, PD-1+ B cells, Bregs, and PD-1+ Bregs in the peripheral blood of patients with breast tumors and assessed their relationship among sPD-L1, IL-10, and B-cell subsets. The levels of sPD-L1 and IL-10 in serum were found to be significantly higher in invasive breast cancer (IBCa) patients than in breast fibroadenoma (FIBma) patients. Meanwhile, the proportions and absolute numbers of Bregs and PD-1+ Bregs in the peripheral blood of IBCa patients were significantly higher than those of FIBma patients. Notably, they were the highest in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) among other subtypes of IBCa. Positive correlations of sPD-L1 and IL-10, IL-10 and PD-1+ Bregs, and also sPD-L1 and PD-1+ Bregs were observed in IBCa. We further demonstrated that sPD-L1 could induce Breg differentiation, IL-10 secretion, and IL-10 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Finally, the induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs) by Bregs was further shown to suppress the antitumor response and that PD-L1 blockade therapies could promote the apoptosis of tumor cells. Together, these results indicated that sPD-L1 could mediate the differentiation of Bregs, expand CD4+ Tregs and weaken the antitumor activity of CD4+ T cells. PD-L1/PD-1 blockade therapies might be a powerful therapeutic strategy for IBCa patients, particularly for TNBC patients with high level of PD-1+ Bregs

Histone demethylase KDM5D drives sex-specific differences in colorectal cancer

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Analysis of Cytokine Levels in Meibum and Clinical Correlations with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Objectives. This study is aimed at investigating the difference of meibum chemokines in MGD subjects with different degrees of MGD and the correlations of meibum chemokines with ocular surface parameters. Methods. Twenty MGD subjects (MQ score>8) and twenty MGD subjects (MQ score≤8) were enrolled to examine ocular surface parameters, including meibomian gland function (MGE, MQ meibograde, and lid margin), tear stability (NIKBUT, FBUT, and LLT), tear secretion (SIT and TMH), OSDI questionnaire, and CFS. These subjects also obtained meibum samples, and then meibum chemokines (MIG, IFN-γ, IL-8, IP-10, and MCP-1) were examined and analyzed the correlations with ocular surface parameters. Results. MIG, IP-10, and MCP-1 were found clearly elevated in MGD subjects with higher MQ score than that in MGD subjects with low MQ score (MIG: p=0.038, IP-10: p=0.019, MCP-1: p=0.040). The meibomian function was found mostly positively correlated with level of MIG (MGE: r=0.600, p<0.001; MQ: r=0.579, p<0.001) and IP-10 (MGE: r=0.719, p<0.001; MQ: r=0.601, p<0.001). The tear stability was found negatively correlated with the level of MIG (NIKBUT: r=−0.438, p=0.005; LLT: r=−0.464, p=0.003) and MCP-1 (NIKBUT: r=−0.425, p=0.006; LLT: r=−0.761, p<0.001). The OSDI was positively correlated with IL-8, IFN-γ, and MIG. Conclusion. Chemokines in meibum were significantly evaluated in MGD subjects suffering from severe meibomian gland quality. These findings indicate that chemokines play roles in the pathogenesis of MGD, and molecules targeted by chemokines may develop as novel agents for MGD therapy, perhaps through inhibiting inflammation in meibomian glands and microvascular in the eyelid margin

Preparation and Properties of Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Sodium Alginate/Chitosan Composite Film

A sodium alginate/chitosan solution was prepared by dissolving sodium alginate, chitosan, and glycerol in an acetic acid solution. This solution was then combined with a sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution and the mixture was cast onto a glass plate and dried at a constant temperature of 60 &deg;C. Then, a carboxymethyl cellulose/sodium alginate/chitosan composite film was obtained by immersing the film in a solution of a cross-linking agent, CaCl2, and air-drying the resulting material. First, the most advantageous contents of the three precursors in the casting solution were determined by a completely random design test method. Thereafter, a comprehensive orthogonal experimental design was applied to select the optimal mass ratio of the three precursors. The composite film obtained with sodium alginate, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and chitosan contents of 1.5%, 0.5%, and 1.5%, respectively, in the casting solution displayed excellent tensile strength, water vapor transmission rate, and elongation after fracture. Moreover, the presence of chitosan successfully inhibited the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. The composite film exhibited antibacterial rates of 95.7% &plusmn; 5.4% and 93.4% &plusmn; 4.7% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Therefore, the composite film is promising for antibacterial food packaging applications

Electrospun Polyvinyl Alcohol/d-Limonene Fibers Prepared by Ultrasonic Processing for Antibacterial Active Packaging Material

Novel fibers containing different ratios of PVA and D-limonene were fabricated using electrospinning for antibacterial active packaging applications. The PVA/D-limonene fibers were thoroughly characterized using a scanning electron microscope, fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, thermal gravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, tensile tests, and oxygen permeability tests. The results of these analyses showed that the highest tensile strength and elongation at break values of 3.87 + 0.25 MPa and 55.62 + 2.93%, respectively, were achieved for a PVA/D-limonene ratio of 7:3 (v/v) and an ultrasonication time of 15 min during processing. This material also showed the lowest oxygen permeation and the best degradability and bacteriostatic properties of all samples

Fabrication and Testing of PVA/Chitosan Bilayer Films for Strawberry Packaging

Strawberry packaging based on four different chitosan–poly(vinylalcohol) blend films with chitosan contents of 0 wt %, 20 wt %, 25 wt %, and 30 wt % was tested. The samples were stored at 18 ± 2 °C and 60% ± 5% relative humidity for six days. Strawberry quality was evaluated during and after storage. Strawberries packaged using these films showed significant differences in weight loss and firmness, decay percentage, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, and ascorbic acid content when compared to non-packaged strawberries. The 25 wt % bilayer film showed the best performance in terms of delaying changes in strawberries. The findings suggest that these 25 wt % chitosan films can used to extend strawberry shelf lives while maintaining quality levels

Revealing the antibacterial mechanism of copper surfaces with controllable microstructures

Although extensive experiments confirm the ability of copper for biofouling protection, its further utilization is still limited in virtue of unclear relationship between the surface topography and antibacterial performance. In this study, the hydrophobic copper surfaces with different morphologies, including nanowire, nanowire/microflower, and nanosheet/microflower hierarchical structures, were prepared through the one-step chemically etched method and in-situ self-assembly strategy. According to the four-time cyclic antibacterial assays for E. coli and B. subtilis, the copper with nanowire structure displayed a better antibacterial performance than others. Bacteriostasis rate of nanowire structure copper was over 90% in the first cycle, and reached 100% in the final test. In addition, the morphologies of copper surfaces after antibacterial test suggested that nanowire and microflower structures could significantly suppress the adhesion of bacteria. Besides, nanowire structure exerted an outstanding function in inhibiting bacterial adhesion under a lower concentration of inorganic salt