Transcriptional activation of CBFβ by CDK11p110 is necessary to promote osteosarcoma cell proliferation.

BACKGROUND:Aberrant expression of cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDK) is a hallmark of cancer. CDK11 plays a crucial role in cancer cell growth and proliferation. However, the molecular mechanisms of CDK11 and CDK11 transcriptionally regulated genes are largely unknown. METHODS:In this study, we performed a global transcriptional analysis using gene array technology to investigate the transcriptional role of CDK11 in osteosarcoma. The promoter luciferase assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, and Gel Shift assay were used to identify direct transcriptional targets of CDK11. Clinical relevance and function of core-binding factor subunit beta (CBFβ) were further accessed in osteosarcoma. RESULTS:We identified a transcriptional role of protein-DNA interaction for CDK11p110, but not CDK11p58, in the regulation of CBFβ expression in osteosarcoma cells. The CBFβ promoter luciferase assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, and Gel Shift assay confirmed that CBFβ is a direct transcriptional target of CDK11. High expression of CBFβ is associated with poor outcome in osteosarcoma patients. Expression of CBFβ contributes to the proliferation and metastatic behavior of osteosarcoma cells. CONCLUSIONS:These data establish CBFβ as a mediator of CDK11p110 dependent oncogenesis and suggest that targeting the CDK11- CBFβ pathway may be a promising therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma treatment

Water, rather than temperature, dominantly impacts how soil fauna affect dissolved carbon and nitrogen release from fresh litter during early litter decomposition

Longstanding observations suggest that dissolved materials are lost from fresh litter through leaching, but the role of soil fauna in controlling this process has been poorly documented. In this study, a litterbag experiment employing litterbags with different mesh sizes (3 mm to permit soil fauna access and 0.04 mm to exclude fauna access) was conducted in three habitats (arid valley, ecotone and subalpine forest) with changes in climate and vegetation types to evaluate the effects of soil fauna on the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) during the first year of decomposition. The results showed that the individual density and community abundance of soil fauna greatly varied among these habitats, but Prostigmata, Isotomidae and Oribatida were the dominant soil invertebrates. At the end of the experiment, the mass remaining of foliar litter ranged from 58% for shrub litter to 77% for birch litter, and the DOC and TDN concentrations decreased to 54%-85% and increased to 34%-269%, respectively, when soil fauna were not present. The effects of soil fauna on the concentrations of both DOC and TDN in foliar litter were greater in the subalpine forest (wetter but colder) during the winter and in the arid valley (warmer but drier) during the growing season, and this effect was positively correlated with water content. Moreover, the effects of fauna on DOC and TDN concentrations were greater for high-quality litter and were related to the C/N ratio. These results suggest that water, rather than temperature, dominates how fauna affect the release of dissolved substances from fresh litter

Correction to: Transcriptional activation of CBFβ by CDK11p110 is necessary to promote osteosarcoma cell proliferation.

Following publication of the original article [1], it was reported that Figs. 4 and 5 were not updated during the production process

Formation of forest gaps accelerates C, N and P release from foliar litter during 4 years of decomposition in an alpine forest

Relative to areas under canopy, the soils in forest gaps receive more irradiance and rainfall (snowfall); this change in microclimate induced by forest gaps may influence the release of carbon (C) and nutrients during litter decomposition. However, great uncertainty remains about the effects of forest gaps on litter decomposition. In this study, we incubated foliar litters from six tree and shrub species in forest gaps and canopy plots and measured the release of C, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in different snow cover periods in an alpine forest from 2012 to 2016. We found that N was retained by 24-46% but that P was immediately released during an early stage of decomposition. However, forest gaps decreased litter N retention, resulting in more N and P being released from decomposing litters for certain species (i.e., larch, birch and willow litters). Moreover, the release of C and nutrients during litter decomposition stimulated by forest gaps was primarily driven by warmer soil temperature in this high-altitude forest. We conclude that gap formation during forest regeneration may accelerate C turnover and nutrient cycling and that this stimulation might be regulated by the litter species in this seasonally snow-covered forest.Peer reviewe

Subsurface Engineering Induced Fermi Level De-pinning in Metal Oxide Semiconductors for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a promising approach for renewable solar light conversion. However, surface Fermi level pinning (FLP), caused by surface trap states, severely restricts the PEC activities. Theoretical calculations indicate subsurface oxygen vacancy (sub-O-v) could release the FLP and retain the active structure. A series of metal oxide semiconductors with sub-O-v were prepared through precisely regulated spin-coating and calcination. Etching X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and electron energy loss spectra (EELS) demonstrated O-v located at sub similar to 2-5 nm region. Mott-Schottky and open circuit photovoltage results confirmed the surface trap states elimination and Fermi level de-pinning. Thus, superior PEC performances of 5.1, 3.4, and 2.1 mA cm(-2) at 1.23 V vs. RHE were achieved on BiVO4, Bi2O3, TiO2 with outstanding stability for 72 h, outperforming most reported works under the identical conditions

Evaluation of spatial-temporal variations and trends in surface water quality across a rural-suburban-urban interface

Water quality degradation is often a severe consequence of rapid economic expansion in developing countries. Methods to assess spatial-temporal patterns and trends in water quality are essential for guiding adaptive management efforts aimed at water quality remediation. Temporal and spatial patterns of surface water quality were investigated for 54 monitoring sites in the Wen-Rui Tang River watershed of eastern China to identify such patterns in water quality occurring across a rural-suburban-urban interface. Twenty physical and chemical water quality parameters were analyzed in surface waters collected once every 4-8 weeks from 2000 to 2010. Temporal and spatial variations among water quality parameters were assessed between seasons (wet/dry) and among major land use zones (urban/suburban/rural). Factor analysis was used to identify parameters that were important in assessing seasonal and spatial variations in water quality. Results revealed that parameters related to organic pollutants (dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (manganese) (COD(Mn)), and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅)), nutrients (ammonia nitrogen (NH₄ ⁺-N), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP)), and salt concentration (electrical conductivity (EC)) were the most important parameters contributing to water quality variation. Collectively, they explained 70.9 % of the total variance. A trend study using the seasonal Kendall test revealed reductions in COD(Mn), BOD₅, NH₄ ⁺-N, petrol, V-phen, and EC concentrations over the 11-year study period. Cluster analysis was employed to evaluate variation among 14 sampling sites representative of dominant land use categories and indicated three, three, and four clusters based on organic, nutrient, and salt water quality characteristics, respectively. Factors that are typically responsible for water quality degradation (including population, topography, and land use) showed no strong correlation with water quality trends implying considerable point source inputs in the watershed. The results of this study help inform ongoing water quality remediation efforts by documenting trends in water quality across various land use zones

The roles and therapeutic potential of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) in sarcoma

Uncontrolled proliferation and cell growth is the hallmark of many different malignant diseases, including sarcomas. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are members of the serine/threonine protein kinase family and play crucial roles in tumor cell proliferation and growth by controlling cell cycle, transcription, and RNA splicing. In addition, several CDKs influence multiple targets and phosphorylate transcription factors involved in tumorigenesis. There are many examples linking dysregulated activation and expression of CDKs to tumors, and targeting CDKs in tumor cells has become a promising therapeutic strategy. More recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib for treating metastatic breast cancer. In sarcomas, high levels of CDK mRNA and protein expression have been found in most human sarcoma cells and patient tissues. Many studies have demonstrated consistent results in which inhibition of different CDKs decrease sarcoma cell growth and induce apoptosis. Therefore, CDKs comprise an attractive set of targets for novel anti-sarcoma drug development. In this review, we discuss the roles of different members of CDKs in various sarcomas and provide a pre-clinical overview of promising therapeutic potentials of targeting CDKs with a special emphasis on sarcoma

Research on the Method of Absolute Stress Measurement for Steel Structures via Laser Ultrasonic

Accurate measurement of the stress in steel structures is crucial for structural health monitoring. To achieve this goal, a novel technique, the laser ultrasonic technique, was used in absolute stress measurement in this study. The feasibility of this technique has been verified through theoretical analysis and finite element (FE) analysis. A stress measurement experiment in steel specimens was conducted and the relationship between ultrasonic relative wave velocity and stress was explored. The results revealed that there is a similar linear correlation between the ultrasonic relative wave velocity and absolute stress. The stress can be obtained based on ultrasonic relative wave velocity. According to the stress measurement results, it was found that the absolute error between the measured stress and theoretical stress was largest when the stress level was low, and that the measured error of stress gradually decreased with increases in the applied stress. The relative error between the measured stress and the theoretical stress was within 10% when the stress was higher than 100 MPa. This further verifies the reliability of the laser ultrasonic technique under high-stress conditions. Additionally, the impact of temperature and surface roughness on stress measurement was analyzed. The stress error in stress measurement increased similarly linearly with the increase in temperature and increased non-linearly with the increase in roughness. The corresponding compensation methods were proposed to effectively improve the accuracy of measurement

Dummy Template-Based Molecularly Imprinted Membrane Coating for Rapid Analysis of Malachite Green and Its Metabolic Intermediates in Shrimp and Fish

A novel malachite green molecularly imprinted membrane (MG-MIM) with specific selectivity for malachite green (MG) and leucomalachite green (LMG) was prepared using a hydrophobic glass fiber membrane as the polymer substrate, methyl violet as a template analog, 4-vinyl benzoic acid as the functional monomer, and ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate as the crosslinking agent. MG-MIM and non-imprinted membrane (NIM) were structurally characterized using scanning electron microscopy, surface area analyzer, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer and synchronous thermal analyzer. The results showed that MG-MIM possessed a fluffier surface, porous and looser structure, and had good thermal stability. Adsorption properties of MG-MIM were investigated under optimal conditions, and adsorption equilibrium was reached in 20 min. The saturated adsorption capacities for MG and LMG were 24.25 ng·cm−2 and 13.40 ng·cm−2, and the maximum imprinting factors were 2.41 and 3.20, respectively. Issues such as “template leakage” and “embedding” were resolved. The specific recognition ability for the targets was good and the adsorption capacity was stable even after five cycles. The proposed method was successfully applied for the detection of MG and LMG in real samples, and it showed good linear correlation in the range of 0 to 10.0 μg·L−1 (R2 = 0.9991 and 0.9982), and high detection sensitivity (detection limits of MG and LMG of 0.005 μg/kg and 0.02 μg·kg−1 in shrimp, and 0.005 μg/kg and 0.02 μg/kg in fish sample). The recoveries and relative standard deviations were in the range of 76.31–93.26% and 0.73–3.72%, respectively. The proposed method provides a simple, efficient and promising alternative for monitoring MG and LMG in aquatic products