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| 2. |
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| 3. |
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- 2019
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 4. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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| 5. |
- Klionsky, Daniel J., et al.
(author)
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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
- 2012
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In: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
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| 6. |
- Kristanl, Matej, et al.
(author)
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The Seventh Visual Object Tracking VOT2019 Challenge Results
- 2019
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In: 2019 IEEE/CVF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMPUTER VISION WORKSHOPS (ICCVW). - : IEEE COMPUTER SOC. - 9781728150239 ; , s. 2206-2241
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Visual Object Tracking challenge VOT2019 is the seventh annual tracker benchmarking activity organized by the VOT initiative. Results of 81 trackers are presented; many are state-of-the-art trackers published at major computer vision conferences or in journals in the recent years. The evaluation included the standard VOT and other popular methodologies for short-term tracking analysis as well as the standard VOT methodology for long-term tracking analysis. The VOT2019 challenge was composed of five challenges focusing on different tracking domains: (i) VOT-ST2019 challenge focused on short-term tracking in RGB, (ii) VOT-RT2019 challenge focused on "real-time" short-term tracking in RGB, (iii) VOT-LT2019 focused on long-term tracking namely coping with target disappearance and reappearance. Two new challenges have been introduced: (iv) VOT-RGBT2019 challenge focused on short-term tracking in RGB and thermal imagery and (v) VOT-RGBD2019 challenge focused on long-term tracking in RGB and depth imagery. The VOT-ST2019, VOT-RT2019 and VOT-LT2019 datasets were refreshed while new datasets were introduced for VOT-RGBT2019 and VOT-RGBD2019. The VOT toolkit has been updated to support both standard short-term, long-term tracking and tracking with multi-channel imagery. Performance of the tested trackers typically by far exceeds standard baselines. The source code for most of the trackers is publicly available from the VOT page. The dataset, the evaluation kit and the results are publicly available at the challenge website(1).
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| 7. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(author)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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In: eLIFE. - 2050-084X. ; 5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.522.7) and 16.5 cm (13.319.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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| 8. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(author)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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In: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5–22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3– 19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8– 144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Fu, Pan, et al.
(author)
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Metasurface Enabled On-Chip Generation and Manipulation of Vector Beams from Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers
- 2023
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In: Advanced Materials. - : Wiley. - 0935-9648 .- 1521-4095. ; In Press
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Metasurface polarization optics that consist of 2D array of birefringent nano-antennas have proven remarkable capabilities to generate and manipulate vectorial fields with subwavelength resolution and high efficiency. Integrating this new type of metasurface with the standard vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) platform enables an ultracompact and powerful solution to control both phase and polarization properties of the laser on a chip, which allows to structure a VCSEL into vector beams with on-demand wavefronts. Here, this concept is demonstrated by directly generating versatile vector beams from commercially available VCSELs through on-chip integration of high-index dielectric metasurfaces. Experimentally, the versatility of the approach for the development of vectorial VCSELs are validated by implementing a variety of functionalities, including directional emission of multibeam with specified polarizations, vectorial holographic display, and vector vortex beams generations. Notably, the proposed vectorial VCSELs integrated with a single layer of beam shaping metasurface bypass the requirements of multiple cascaded optical components, and thus have the potential to promote the advancements of ultracompact, lightweight, and scalable vector beams sources, enriching and expanding the applications of VCSELs in optical communications, laser manipulation and processing, information encryption, and quantum optics.
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| 12. |
- Gu, Jian, et al.
(author)
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TGF-beta-Induced CD4(+) Foxp3(+) T Cells Attenuate Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease by Suppressing Expansion and Killing of Effector CD8(+) Cells
- 2014
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In: Journal of Immunology. - : The American Association of Immunologists. - 0022-1767 .- 1550-6606. ; 193:7, s. 3388-3397
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The use of TGF-beta-induced CD4(+) Foxp3(+) T cells (induced regulatory T cells [iTregs]) is an important prevention and treatment strategy in autoimmune diseases and other disorders. However, the potential use of iTregs as a treatment modality for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) has not been realized because they may be unstable and less suppressive in this disease. We restudied the ability of iTregs to prevent and treat aGVHD in two mouse models. Our results showed that, as long as an appropriate iTreg-generation protocol is used, these iTregs consistently displayed a potent ability to control aGVHD development and reduce mortality in the aGVHD animal models. iTreg infusion markedly suppressed the engraftment of donor CD8(+) cells and CD4(+) cells, the expression of granzyme A and B, the cytotoxic effect of donor CD8(+) cells, and the production of T cell cytokines in aGVHD. Therefore, we conclude that as long as the correct methods for generating iTregs are used, they can prevent and even treat aGVHD.
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| 13. |
- Kristan, Matej, et al.
(author)
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The Sixth Visual Object Tracking VOT2018 Challenge Results
- 2019
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In: Computer Vision – ECCV 2018 Workshops. - Cham : Springer Publishing Company. - 9783030110086 - 9783030110093 ; , s. 3-53
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Visual Object Tracking challenge VOT2018 is the sixth annual tracker benchmarking activity organized by the VOT initiative. Results of over eighty trackers are presented; many are state-of-the-art trackers published at major computer vision conferences or in journals in the recent years. The evaluation included the standard VOT and other popular methodologies for short-term tracking analysis and a “real-time” experiment simulating a situation where a tracker processes images as if provided by a continuously running sensor. A long-term tracking subchallenge has been introduced to the set of standard VOT sub-challenges. The new subchallenge focuses on long-term tracking properties, namely coping with target disappearance and reappearance. A new dataset has been compiled and a performance evaluation methodology that focuses on long-term tracking capabilities has been adopted. The VOT toolkit has been updated to support both standard short-term and the new long-term tracking subchallenges. Performance of the tested trackers typically by far exceeds standard baselines. The source code for most of the trackers is publicly available from the VOT page. The dataset, the evaluation kit and the results are publicly available at the challenge website (http://votchallenge.net).
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| 14. |
- Liu, Wei, et al.
(author)
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Coherent dynamics of multi-spin V-B(-) center in hexagonal boron nitride
- 2022
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In: Nature Communications. - : Nature Portfolio. - 2041-1723. ; 13:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has recently been demonstrated to contain optically polarized and detected electron spins that can be utilized for implementing qubits and quantum sensors in nanolayered-devices. Understanding the coherent dynamics ofmicrowave driven spins in hBN is of crucial importance for advancing these emerging new technologies. Here, we demonstrate and study the Rabi oscillation and related phenomena of a negatively charged boron vacancy (V-B(-)) spin ensemble in hBN. We report on different dynamics of the V-B(-) spins at weak and strong magnetic fields. In the former case the defect behaves like a single electron spin system, while in the latter case it behaves like a multi-spin system exhibiting multiple-frequency dynamical oscillation as beat in the Ramsey fringes. We also carry out theoretical simulations for the spin dynamics of V-B(-) and reveal that the nuclear spins can be driven via the strong electron nuclear coupling existing in V-B(-) center, which can be modulated by the magnetic field and microwave field.
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| 15. |
- Zhang, Lixiu, et al.
(author)
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Advances in the Application of Perovskite Materials
- 2023
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In: NANO-MICRO LETTERS. - : SHANGHAI JIAO TONG UNIV PRESS. - 2311-6706. ; 15:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nowadays, the soar of photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells has set off a fever in the study of metal halide perovskite materials. The excellent optoelectronic properties and defect tolerance feature allow metal halide perovskite to be employed in a wide variety of applications. This article provides a holistic review over the current progress and future prospects of metal halide perovskite materials in representative promising applications, including traditional optoelectronic devices (solar cells, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, lasers), and cutting-edge technologies in terms of neuromorphic devices (artificial synapses and memristors) and pressure-induced emission. This review highlights the fundamentals, the current progress and the remaining challenges for each application, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the development status and a navigation of future research for metal halide perovskite materials and devices.
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| 16. |
- Bai, Licheng, et al.
(author)
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Explaining the Size Dependence in Platinum-Nanoparticle-Catalyzed Hydrogenation Reactions
- 2016
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In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. - : Wiley. - 1433-7851 .- 1521-3773. ; 55:50, s. 15656-15661
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hydrogenation reactions are industrially important reactions that typically require unfavorably high H-2 pressure and temperature for many functional groups. Herein we reveal surprisingly strong size-dependent activity of Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) in catalyzing this reaction. Based on unambiguous spectral analyses, the size effect has been rationalized by the size-dependent d-band electron structure of the PtNPs. This understanding enables production of a catalyst with size of 1.2 nm, which shows a sixfold increase in turnover frequency and 28-fold increase in mass activity in the regioselective hydrogenation of quinoline, compared with PtNPs of 5.3 nm, allowing the reaction to proceed under ambient conditions with unprecedentedly high reaction rates. The size effect and the synthesis strategy developed herein may provide a general methodology in the design of metal-nanoparticle-based catalysts for a broad range of organic syntheses.
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| 17. |
- Chen, Guo-Qiang, et al.
(author)
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Polyhydroxyalkanoates and Other Biopolymers
- 2019
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In: Biomacromolecules. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 1525-7797 .- 1526-4602. ; 20:9, s. 3211-3212
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)
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| 18. |
- Duan, Chen, et al.
(author)
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Comparative analysis of gene expression profiles between primary knee osteoarthritis and an osteoarthritis endemic to Northwestern China, Kashin-Beck disease.
- 2010
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In: Arthritis and Rheumatism. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0004-3591 .- 1529-0131. ; 62:3, s. 771-780
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differences in gene expression profiles of adult articular cartilage from patients with Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) versus those with primary knee osteoarthritis (OA).METHODS: The messenger RNA expression profiles of articular cartilage from patients with KBD, diagnosed according to the clinical criteria for KBD in China, were compared with those of cartilage from patients with OA, diagnosed according to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index. Total RNA was isolated separately from 4 pairs of the KBD and OA cartilage samples, and the expression profiles were evaluated by Agilent 4x44k Whole Human Genome density oligonucleotide microarray analysis. The microarray data for selected transcripts were confirmed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification.RESULTS: For 1.2 x 10(4) transcripts, corresponding to 58.4% of the expressed transcripts, 2-fold changes in differential expression were revealed. Expression levels higher in KBD than in OA samples were observed in a mean + or - SD 6,439 + or - 1,041 (14.6 + or - 2.4%) of the transcripts, and expression levels were lower in KBD than in OA samples in 6,147 + or - 1,222 (14.2 + or - 2.8%) of the transcripts. After application of the selection criteria, 1.85% of the differentially expressed genes (P < 0.001 between groups) were detected. These included 233 genes, of which 195 (0.4%) were expressed at higher levels and 38 (0.08%) were expressed at lower levels in KBD than in OA cartilage. Comparisons of the quantitative RT-PCR data supported the validity of our microarray data.CONCLUSION: Differences between KBD and OA cartilage exhibited a similar pattern among all 4 of the pairs examined, indicating the presence of disease mechanisms, mainly chondrocyte matrix metabolism, cartilage degeneration, and apoptosis induction pathways, which contribute to cartilage destruction in KBD.
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| 19. |
- Guo, Xiao-Hua, et al.
(author)
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Advanced glycation end products induce actin rearrangement and subsequent hyperpermeability of endothelial cells
- 2006
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In: APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica. - : Wiley. - 1600-0463 .- 0903-4641. ; 114:12, s. 874-883
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study aimed to determine the effects of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on endothelial cytoskeleton morphology and permeability, and to detect the underlying signaling mechanisms involved in these responses. Cultured endothelial cells (ECs) were exposed to AGE-modified human serum albumin (AGE-HSA), and EC cytoskeletal changes were evaluated by observing fluorescence of F-actin following ligation with labeled antibodies. Endothelial permeability was detected by measuring the flux of TRITC-albumin across the EC monolayers. To explore the signaling pathways behind AGE-induced EC alteration, ECs were treated with either soluble anti-AGE receptor (RAGE) IgG, or the MAPK inhibitors PD98059 and SB203580 before AGE-HSA administration. To further elucidate possible involvement of the ERK and p38 pathways in AGE-induced EC changes, adenovirus-carried recombinant constitutive dominant-negative forms of upstream ERK and p38 kinases, namely MEK1(A) and MKK6b(A), were pre-infected into ECs 24 h prior to AGE-HSA exposure. AGE-HSA induced actin cytoskeleton rearrangement, as well as EC hyperpermeability, in a dose and time-dependent manner. The effects were attenuated in cells pretreated with anti-RAGE IgG, PD98059 or SB203580, respectively. EC pre-infection with MEK1(A) and MKK6b(A) also alleviated the effect of AGEs. Furthermore, adenovirus-mediated administration of activated forms of either MEK1 or MKK6b alone induced rearrangement of F-actin and hyperpermeability. The results indicate that ERK and p38 MAPK play important roles in the mediation of AGE-induced EC barrier dysfunction associated with morphological changes of the F-actin.
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| 20. |
- Hou, Jianshen, et al.
(author)
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Rewiring carbon flux in Escherichia coli using a bifunctional molecular switch
- 2020
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In: Metabolic Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 1096-7176 .- 1096-7184. ; 61, s. 47-57
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The unbalanced distribution of carbon flux in microbial cell factories can lead to inefficient production and poor cell growth. Uncoupling cell growth and chemical synthesis can therefore improve microbial cell factory efficiency. Such uncoupling, which requires precise manipulation of carbon fluxes, can be achieved by up-regulating or down-regulating the expression of enzymes of various pathways. In this study, a dynamic turn-off switch (dTFS) and a dynamic turn-on switch (dTNS) were constructed using growth phase-dependent promoters and degrons. By combining the dTFS and dTNS, a bifunctional molecular switch that could orthogonally regulate two target proteins was introduced. This bifunctional molecular switch was used to uncouple cell growth from shikimic acid and D-glucaric acid synthesis, resulting in the production of 14.33 g/L shikimic acid and the highest reported productivity of D-glucaric acid (0.0325 g/L/h) in Escherichia coli MG1655. This proved that the bifunctional molecular switch could rewire carbon fluxes by controlling target protein abundance.
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| 21. |
- Huang, Hongyun, et al.
(author)
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Clinical Cell Therapy Guidelines for Neurorestoration (IANR/CANR 2017)
- 2018
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In: Cell Transplantation. - : SAGE Publications. - 0963-6897 .- 1555-3892. ; 27:2, s. 310-324
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cell therapy has been shown to be a key clinical therapeutic option for central nervous system diseases or damage. Standardization of clinical cell therapy procedures is an important task for professional associations devoted to cell therapy. The Chinese Branch of the International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR) completed the first set of guidelines governing the clinical application of neurorestoration in 2011. The IANR and the Chinese Association of Neurorestoratology (CANR) collaborated to propose the current version "Clinical Cell Therapy Guidelines for Neurorestoration (IANR/CANR 2017)". The IANR council board members and CANR committee members approved this proposal on September 1, 2016, and recommend it to clinical practitioners of cellular therapy. These guidelines include items of cell type nomenclature, cell quality control, minimal suggested cell doses, patient-informed consent, indications for undergoing cell therapy, contraindications for undergoing cell therapy, documentation of procedure and therapy, safety evaluation, efficacy evaluation, policy of repeated treatments, do not charge patients for unproven therapies, basic principles of cell therapy, and publishing responsibility.
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| 22. |
- Wu, Lele, et al.
(author)
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Organic matter composition and stability in estuarine wetlands depending on soil salinity
- 2024
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In: Science of the Total Environment. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 945
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Coastal wetlands are key players in mitigating global climate change by sequestering soil organic matter. Soil organic matter consists of less stable particulate organic matter (POM) and more stable mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). The distribution and drivers of MAOM and POM in coastal wetlands have received little attention, despite the processes and mechanisms differ from that in the upland soils. We explored the distribution of POM and MAOM, their contributions to SOM, and the controlling factors along a salinity gradient in an estuarine wetland. In the estuarine wetland, POM C and N were influenced by soil depth and vegetation type, whereas MAOM C and N were influenced only by vegetation type. In the estuarine wetland, SOM was predominantly in the form of MAOM (> 70 %) and increased with salinity (70 %–76 %), leading to long-term C sequestration. Both POM and MAOM increased with SOM, and the increase rate of POM was higher than that of MAOM. Aboveground plant biomass decreased with increasing salinity, resulted in a decrease in POM C (46 %–81 %) and N (52 %–82 %) pools. As the mineral amount and activity, and microbial biomass decreased, the MAOM C (2.5 %–64 %) and N pool (8.6 %–59 %) decreased with salinity. When evaluating POM, the most influential factors were microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Key parameters, including MBC, DOC, soil salinity, soil water content, aboveground plant biomass, mineral content and activity, and bulk density, were identified as influencing factors for both MAOM abundance. Soil water content not only directly controlled MAOM, but together with salinity also indirectly regulated POM and MAOM by controlling microbial biomass and aboveground plant biomass. Our findings have important implications for improving the accumulation and increased stability of soil organic matter in coastal wetlands, considering the global sea level rise and increased frequency of inundation.
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| 23. |
- Xia, Shaopan, et al.
(author)
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Distribution, sources, and decomposition of soil organic matter along a salinity gradient in estuarine wetlands characterized by C:N ratio, δ13C-δ15N, and lignin biomarker
- 2021
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In: Global Change Biology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 27:2, s. 417-434
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite increasing recognition of the critical role of coastal wetlands in mitigating climate change, sea‐level rise, and salinity increase, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration mechanisms in estuarine wetlands remain poorly understood. Here, we present new results on the source, decomposition, and storage of SOC in estuarine wetlands with four vegetation types, including single Phragmites australis (P, habitat I), a mixture of P. australis and Suaeda salsa (P + S, habitat II), single S. salsa (S, habitat III), and tidal flat (TF, habitat IV) across a salinity gradient. Values of δ13C increased with depth in aerobic soil layers (0–40 cm) but slightly decreased in anaerobic soil layers (40–100 cm). The δ15N was significantly enriched in soil organic matter at all depths than in the living plant tissues, indicating a preferential decomposition of 14N‐enriched organic components. Thus, the kinetic isotope fractionation during microbial degradation and the preferential substrate utilization are the dominant mechanisms in regulating isotopic compositions in aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. Stable isotopic (δ13C and δ15N), elemental (C and N), and lignin composition (inherited (Ad/Al)s and C/V) were not completely consistent in reflecting the differences in SOC decomposition or accumulation among four vegetation types, possibly due to differences in litter inputs, root distributions, substrate quality, water‐table level, salinity, and microbial community composition/activity. Organic C contents and storage decreased from upstream to downstream, likely due to primarily changes in autochthonous sources (e.g., decreased onsite plant biomass input) and allochthonous materials (e.g., decreased fluvially transported upland river inputs, and increased tidally induced marine algae and phytoplankton). Our results revealed that multiple indicators are essential to unravel the degree of SOC decomposition and accumulation, and a combination of C:N ratios, δ13C, δ15N, and lignin biomarker provides a robust approach to decipher the decomposition and source of sedimentary organic matter along the river‐estuary‐ocean continuum.
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| 24. |
- Zhang, Guo-Qiang, et al.
(author)
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Menopausal hormone therapy and women's health: An umbrella review
- 2021
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In: PLoS Medicine. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1549-1277 .- 1549-1676. ; 18:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Author summary Why was this study done? By 2050, it is estimated that worldwide more than 1.6 billion women will have reached menopause or be postmenopausal, up from 1 billion in 2020. Up to 75% of menopausal women are affected by bothersome menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is the most effective treatment for alleviating menopausal symptoms, but its effects on numerous health outcomes remain uncertain. What did the researchers do and find? We included 60 published systematic reviews of MHT use in menopausal women, involving 102 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials and 38 of observational studies, and synthesized the evidence on 102 health outcomes. Overall, MHT had a complex balance of benefits and harms; for example, beyond alleviation of menopausal symptoms, it was associated with decreased risks of bone fracture, diabetes mellitus, and esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancer, but increased risks of stroke, venous thromboembolism, gallbladder disease, and breast and ovarian cancer. The available clinical data in support of MHT reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality in women aged <60 years or within 10 years from menopause (known as the "timing hypothesis") were only suggestive. The overall quality of included systematic reviews was moderate to poor. What do these findings mean? This overview of the evidence landscape could help guideline developers and decision-makers better appreciate the trade-offs between the benefits and harms associated with MHT use in menopausal women. More data are needed to evaluate the timing hypothesis for coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality. Clinicians should evaluate the scientific strength of systematic reviews prior to considering applying their results in clinical practice. Background There remains uncertainty about the impact of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) on women's health. A systematic, comprehensive assessment of the effects on multiple outcomes is lacking. We conducted an umbrella review to comprehensively summarize evidence on the benefits and harms of MHT across diverse health outcomes. Methods and findings We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and 10 other databases from inception to November 26, 2017, updated on December 17, 2020, to identify systematic reviews or meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies investigating effects of MHT, including estrogen-alone therapy (ET) and estrogen plus progestin therapy (EPT), in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women in all countries and settings. All health outcomes in previous systematic reviews were included, including menopausal symptoms, surrogate endpoints, biomarkers, various morbidity outcomes, and mortality. Two investigators independently extracted data and assessed methodological quality of systematic reviews using the updated 16-item AMSTAR 2 instrument. Random-effects robust variance estimation was used to combine effect estimates, and 95% prediction intervals (PIs) were calculated whenever possible. We used the term MHT to encompass ET and EPT, and results are presented for MHT for each outcome, unless otherwise indicated. Sixty systematic reviews were included, involving 102 meta-analyses of RCTs and 38 of observational studies, with 102 unique outcomes. The overall quality of included systematic reviews was moderate to poor. In meta-analyses of RCTs, MHT was beneficial for vasomotor symptoms (frequency: 9 trials, 1,104 women, risk ratio [RR] 0.43, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.57, p < 0.001; severity: 7 trials, 503 women, RR 0.29, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.50, p = 0.002) and all fracture (30 trials, 43,188 women, RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.84, p = 0.002, 95% PI 0.58 to 0.87), as well as vaginal atrophy (intravaginal ET), sexual function, vertebral and nonvertebral fracture, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular mortality (ET), and colorectal cancer (EPT), but harmful for stroke (17 trials, 37,272 women, RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.29, p = 0.027) and venous thromboembolism (23 trials, 42,292 women, RR 1.60, 95% CI 0.99 to 2.58, p = 0.052, 95% PI 1.03 to 2.99), as well as cardiovascular disease incidence and recurrence, cerebrovascular disease, nonfatal stroke, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder disease requiring surgery, and lung cancer mortality (EPT). In meta-analyses of observational studies, MHT was associated with decreased risks of cataract, glioma, and esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancer, but increased risks of pulmonary embolism, cholelithiasis, asthma, meningioma, and thyroid, breast, and ovarian cancer. ET and EPT had opposite effects for endometrial cancer, endometrial hyperplasia, and Alzheimer disease. The major limitations include the inability to address the varying effects of MHT by type, dose, formulation, duration of use, route of administration, and age of initiation and to take into account the quality of individual studies included in the systematic reviews. The study protocol is publicly available on PROSPERO (CRD42017083412). Conclusions MHT has a complex balance of benefits and harms on multiple health outcomes. Some effects differ qualitatively between ET and EPT. The quality of available evidence is only moderate to poor.
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| 25. |
- Zhang, Kaiyou, et al.
(author)
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Synthesis and structure determination of potassium copper selenide nanowires and solid-state supercapacitor application
- 2014
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In: Journal of Power Sources. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-7753 .- 1873-2755. ; 268, s. 522-532
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The new ternary alkali metal copper chalcogenide KCu4Se8 nanowires with average length of 30 mu m are synthesized using a modified composite-hydroxide mediated (M-CHM) approach. The prepared KCu4Se8 is characterized by XRD, EDS, FESEM and TEM analysis. The structure is determined by the newly developed Rotation Electron Diffraction technique. It is identified to be a body center tetragonal phase. The prepared KCu4Se8 is used to fabricate solid-state supercapacitors in which the thin film of the electrodes are made with pressure of 0 MPa, 5 MPa and 10 MPa, and their electrochemical properties are tested. It is found that 0 MPa supercapacitor displays best electrochemical performance and the specific capacitance of 25.3 F g(-1) is obtained at the scan rate of 5 mV s(-1). It also shows good long-term cycle property by recording 5000 cycles of galvanostatic charge/discharge operation. The specific capacitance can be enhanced to 93.7 F g(-1) at the scan rate of 5 mV s(-1) by coating 0.1 mg V2O5 nanowire on 0 MPa KCu4Se8 electrode.
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| 26. |
- Zhang, Wei, et al.
(author)
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Surgical treatment of low-grade brain tumors associated with epilepsy
- 2020
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In: NOVEL THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN GLIOBLASTOMA. - LONDON ENGLAND : Elsevier. - 9780128211144 ; , s. 171-183
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To explore the strategy of surgical treatment of low-grade brain tumors associated with epilepsy. Methods: Clinical data of 158 patients with low-grade brain tumors were collected from January 2011 to December 2017 in Guangdong Sanjiu brain hospital. All patients received Preoperative evaluation. Lesion site: 18 cases were located in multiple cerebral lobes, 10 cases were in the functional zones, 130 cases were in the non-functional zones (including 74 cases were in the medial of temporal lobe). The surgical strategy included subtotal resection, gross-total resection and enlarged resection. Postoperative effects were evaluated by Engel classification. Results: A total of 158 patients underwent surgical treatment, among these patients, only 1 patient underwent intracranial electrode implantation. Surgical methods: 34 cases of subtotal resection, 3 cases of gross-total resection, 119 cases of enlarged resection (including Anterior temporal lobectomy in 74 cases) and 2 case of Selective hippocampal amygdalectomy. The final pathology suggested that there are 74 cases of ganglionglioma, 25 cases of dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors, 9 cases of pilocytic astrocytoma, 16 cases of oligodendroglioma, 10 cases of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, 4 case of diffuse astrocytoma, 9 cases of unclassified astrocytoma, 11 case of oligoastrocytoma. The follow-up time was between 1 and 7 years, with an average of 3.44 +/- 1.77 years. Postoperative recovery: 147 patients had an Engel Class I outcome, 10 patients were in Engel Class II, 1 patient was in Class IV. Conclusion: The strategy of surgical treatment of low-grade brain tumors associated with epilepsy should pay more attention to the preoperative assessment of the epileptogenic zone. The tumor is not exactly the same as the epileptogenic zone, and the strategy of surgical treatment depends on the tumor feature as well as whether it was located in temporal lobe or involved in functional areas.
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