Effect of the ACAA1 Gene on Preadipocyte Differentiation in Sheep

Acetyl-CoA acyltransferase 1 (ACAA1) functions as a key regulator of fatty acid β-oxidation in peroxisomes by catalyzing the cleavage of 3-ketoacyl-CoA to acetyl-CoA and acyl-CoA, which participate in the extension and degradation of fatty acids. Thus, ACAA1 is an important regulator of lipid metabolism and plays an essential role in fatty acid oxidation and lipid metabolism. Our previous study findings revealed that ACAA1 is closely associated with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling and fatty acid metabolism pathways, which are involved in fat deposition in sheep, leading to our hypothesis that ACAA1 may be involved in fat deposition by regulating lipid metabolism. However, the associated molecular mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, to assess the potential function of ACAA1 in sheep preadipocyte differentiation, we knocked down and overexpressed ACAA1 in sheep preadipocytes and evaluated the pattern of ACAA1 gene expression during preadipocyte differentiation by qRT-PCR. ACAA1 was significantly expressed in the early stage of adipocyte differentiation, and then its expression decreased. ACAA1 deficiency increased lipid accumulation and the triglyceride content and promoted sheep preadipocyte differentiation, whereas ACAA1 overexpression inhibited adipogenesis and decreased lipid accumulation and the triglyceride content. Simultaneously, we demonstrated that ACAA1 deficiency upregulated the expressions of the adipogenic marker genes PPARγ and C/EBPα in sheep preadipocytes, but ACAA1 overexpression inhibited the expressions of these markers, indicating that ACAA1 affects lipid metabolism by regulating adipogenic marker genes. Our results may promote a better understanding of the regulation of adipogenesis by ACAA1

Limb development genes underlie variation in human fingerprint patterns

Fingerprints are of long-standing practical and cultural interest, but little is known about the mechanisms that underlie their variation. Using genome-wide scans in Han Chinese cohorts, we identified 18 loci associated with fingerprint type across the digits, including a genetic basis for the long-recognized “pattern-block” correlations among the middle three digits. In particular, we identified a variant near EVI1 that alters regulatory activity and established a role for EVI1 in dermatoglyph patterning in mice. Dynamic EVI1 expression during human development supports its role in shaping the limbs and digits, rather than influencing skin patterning directly. Trans-ethnic meta-analysis identified 43 fingerprint-associated loci, with nearby genes being strongly enriched for general limb development pathways. We also found that fingerprint patterns were genetically correlated with hand proportions. Taken together, these findings support the key role of limb development genes in influencing the outcome of fingerprint patterning

Modeling and Emulation of a Synchronous Generator Considering Unbalanced Load Conditions

Power electronics converters can be applied as emulators to mimic different grid components used for system behavior analyses and control validation. Synchronous generators (SGs) are the major sources of electric grids. Converter-based SG emulators have been developed for system stability analysis, fault analysis, and frequency support. However, existing SG emulators have not considered the impacts of load unbalance, which is a common phenomenon in distribution grids and will lead to system-level issues. In this article, a SG emulator considering an actual SG's negative sequence (NS) performance is developed for system analyses under unbalanced load conditions. With different simplifications, a SG can have different orders of electrical models. By deriving the NS performances of different SG electrical models, an appropriate SG electrical model in unbalanced load conditions is selected. Then a novel control diagram is proposed to ensure that the NS performances of the selected model can be fully realized. The derived NS models and the proposed control diagram are verified through simulation first and then validated with a converter-based hardware testbed

RNA-Seq Analysis Reveals a Positive Role of HTR2A in Adipogenesis in Yan Yellow Cattle

In this study, we performed high throughput RNA sequencing at the primary bovine preadipocyte (Day-0), mid-differentiation (Day-4), and differentiated adipocyte (Day-9) stages in order to characterize the transcriptional events regulating differentiation and function. The preadipocytes were isolated from subcutaneous fetal bovine adipose tissues and were differentiated into mature adipocytes. The adipogenic characteristics of the adipocytes were detected during various stages of adipogenesis (Day-0, Day-4, and Day-9). We used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate a comprehensive transcriptome information of adipocytic differentiation. Compared to the pre-differentiation stage (Day-0), 2510 genes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at the mid-differentiation stage (Day-4). We found 2446 DEGs in the mature adipocytic stage relative to the mid-differentiation stage. Some adipogenesis-related transcription factors, CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) were differentially expressed at Day-0, Day-4, and Day-9. We further investigated the adipogenic function of 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A (HTR2A) in adipogenesis. Overexpression of HTR2A stimulated the differentiation of preadipocytes, and knockdown of HTR2A had opposite effects. Furthermore, functional enrichment analysis of DEGs revealed that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway was the significantly enriched pathway, and HTR2A regulated adipogenesis by activating or inhibiting phosphorylation of phospho-AKT (Ser473). In summary, the present study provides the first comparative transcription of various periods of adipocytes in cattle, which presents a solid foundation for further study into the molecular mechanism of fat deposition and the improvement of beef quality in cattle

Novel Predictive Scoring System for Intravenous Immunoglobulin Resistance Helps Timely Intervention in Kawasaki Disease: The Chinese Experience

Background. Approximately 10%–20% of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) are nonresponsive to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment, placing them at higher risk of developing coronary heart lesions. Early detection of nonresponsiveness is crucial to curtail this risk; however, the applicability of existing predictive scoring systems is limited to the Japanese population. Our study aimed to identify a predictive scoring system for IVIG resistance in KD specific to the Chinese population. We aimed to assess the utility of three commonly used risk-scoring systems in predicting IVIG resistance and compare them to the newly developed predictive scoring system. Methods. A total of 895 patients with KD were enrolled in this retrospective review and divided into two groups: IVIG responders and nonresponders. Clinical and laboratory variables were compared between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to construct a new scoring system. The utility of the existing and new scoring systems was assessed and compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results. Albumin levels, percentage of neutrophils, and hemoglobin were independent predictors of resistance by logistic regression analysis. The new predictive scoring system was derived with improved sensitivity (60.5%) and specificity (87.8%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.818. Conclusion. This study developed a novel risk-scoring system for predicting resistance to IVIG treatment in KD specific to the Chinese population. Although this new model requires further validation, it may be useful for improving prognostic outcomes and reducing the risk of complications associated with KD

Design, Development, and Testing of a Flexible Combined Heat and Power (F-CHP) System With 10-kV SiC MOSFET-Based Power Conditioning System (PCS) Converter

This paper discusses the design, development, and testing of a flexible combined heat and power (F-CHP) system. It includes two parts: the power conditioning system (PCS) converter, which connects the system to the grid and is the key component to provide grid support services, and the F-CHP central controller, which accommodates the control of local sources, local loads, and the PCS converter. The functions and structures of the central controller are discussed. The central controller’s system-level performances are verified with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests, and the mode transition and grid transient performances are validated with power electronic converter-based hardware testbed (HTB) tests. The PCS converter is designed with 10-kV SiC MOSFETs. The grid requirements are considered in the 13.8-kV/1-MW PCS converter design, and the impact of different requirements on the converter design is identified. Also, converter scalability is studied with the paralleling operation. Two 13.8-kV/100-kW converter prototypes are developed to verify the converter design and scalability. The second prototype is an improved design of the first one; the volume is reduced by 49% and the efficiency at the rated output power is increased from 96.4% to 98.4%. The test results of the converter performances, grid support functions, and parallel operation are also discussed

Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of Chronic Nonbacterial Osteomyelitis in Children: A Multicenter Study in China

Objective  To investigate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) from five tertiary pediatric rheumatology services in China and provide possible treatment options for clinicians.  Methods  In this multicenter, retrospective study, pediatric patients diagnosed with CNO in Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and the First Hospital of Jilin University from March 2014 to August 2022 were included. According to the treatment plan, the patients were divided into nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) group, traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD) group, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNF-i) group, bisphosphonate group, and bisphosphonate+TNF-i group, and physician global assessment score was used to evaluate the efficacy.  Results  Retrospective data analysis showed that the disease was more common in boy sthan girls(31 vs. 27), and the average age at onset of symptoms was 8.5±3.4 years, the mean age of diagnosis was 9.8±3.2 years, and the Median follow-up was 10.9(5.0, 30.1) months. A total of 46 cases (79.3%) were diagnosed in the last 3 years. Bone pain and / or arthralgia was the predominant symptom in 54(93.1%) patients followed by fever in 31(53.4%) patients. Raised inflammatory markers (ESR and CRP) were present in 87.9% and 77.6% of the patients. The most frequently affected bones were lower limb bones, including 42 cases of femur and 41 cases of tibia; 3 patients had compression fractures of the vertebrae at the time of diagnosis. Bone biopsy was conducted in 33 cases, and subacute or chronic osteomyelitis manifested with inflammatory cells infiltration were detected. The remission rate was not statistically different between treatment groups (P=0.562), with the remission rate at 11 months in the bisphosphonate+TNF-i group being 60.0%, 55.6% and 33.3% in the NSAID and DMARD groups respectively; 66.7% and 52.4% in the NSAID and TNF-i groups respectively at 12 months. A total of 40 patients were followed up for ≥6 months, with the remission rate of 81.3%.  Conclusions  Our multicenter study describes the features and outcomes of CNO patients in China. The characteristics of CNO children from multiple centers in China were lack of specificity. Bone pain and/or arthralgia were the main clinical symptoms, accompanied by fever, normal white blood cells, and raised inflammatory markers (CRP and/or ESR). Although anti-inflammatory treatment regimens were different, the efficacy of the treatment groups was similar. Anti-inflammatory therapy is currently the first choice

Repression of Interlayer Recombination by Graphene Generates a Sensitive Nanostructured 2D vdW Heterostructure Based Photodetector

Abstract Great success in 2D van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures based photodetectors is obtained owing to the unique electronic and optoelectronic properties of 2D materials. Performance of photodetectors based 2D vdW heterojunctions at atomic scale is more sensitive to the nanointerface of the heterojunction than conventional bulk heterojunction. Here, a nanoengineered heterostructure for the first‐time demonstration of a nanointerface using an inserted graphene layer between black phosphorus (BP) and InSe which inhibits interlayer recombination and greatly improves photodetection performances is presented. In addition, a transition of the transport characteristics of the device is induced by graphene, from diffusion motion of minority carriers to drift motion of majority carriers. These two reasons together with an internal photoemission effect make the BP/G/InSe‐based photodetector have ultrahigh specific detectivity at room temperature. The results demonstrate that high‐performance vdW heterostructure photodetectors can be achieved through simple structural manipulation of the heterojunction interface on nanoscale

Six sigma robust design optimization for thermal protection system of hypersonic vehicles based on successive response surface method

Lightweight design is important for the Thermal Protection System (TPS) of hypersonic vehicles in that it protects the inner structure from severe heating environment. However, due to the existence of uncertainties in material properties and geometry, it is imperative to incorporate uncertainty analysis into the design optimization to obtain reliable results. In this paper, a six sigma robust design optimization based on Successive Response Surface Method (SRSM) is established for the TPS to improve the reliability and robustness with considering the uncertainties. The uncertain parameters related to material properties and thicknesses of insulation layers are considered and characterized by random variables following normal distributions. By employing SRSM, the values of objective function and constraints are approximated by the response surfaces to reduce computational cost. The optimization is an iterative process with response surfaces updating to find the true optimal solution. The optimization of the nose cone of hypersonic vehicle cabin is provided as an example to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. (C) 2019 Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astrona Lilies. Production and hosting by Elsevier Ltd