Enhancing Leaf Area Index Estimation for Maize with Tower-Based Multi-Angular Spectral Observations.

The leaf area index (LAI) played a crucial role in ecological, hydrological, and climate models. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) has been a widely used tool for LAI estimation. However, the NDVI quickly saturates in dense vegetation and is susceptible to soil background interference in sparse vegetation.

Risk factors of disturbed sleep phases to posterior circulation cerebral infarctions: A single-center retrospective study.

Posterior circulation stroke differs from anterior circulation stroke in terms of etiological, clinical, and prognostic properties. Sleep architecture is impaired in patients with acute stroke, which may correlate with disease severity and outcome, and the correlation between the location of cerebral infarction (CI) and sleep phase disturbance remains unknown. This study aimed to assess the correlation between disturbed sleep phases in CI and posterior circulation cerebral infarction (PCCI).

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) using PacBio sequencing and Hi-C technology.

The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is the only fox species occurring in the Arctic and has adapted to its extreme climatic conditions. Currently, the molecular basis of its adaptation to the extreme climate has not been characterized. Here, we applied PacBio sequencing and chromosome structure capture technique to assemble the first V.

Ligand-based design of GLUT inhibitors as potential antitumor agents.

Glucose transporters (GLUTs) regulate glucose uptake and are often overexpressed in several human tumors. To identify new chemotypes targeting GLUT1, we built a pharmacophore model and searched against a NCI compound database. Sixteen hit molecules with good docking scores were screened for GLUT1 inhibition and antiproliferative activities.

Carbon fluxes across alpine, oasis, and desert ecosystems in northwestern China: The importance of water availability.

Dryland regions cover >40% of the Earth's land surface, making these ecosystems the largest biome in the world. Ecosystems in these areas play an important role in determining the interannual variability of the global terrestrial carbon sink. Examining carbon fluxes of various types of dryland ecosystems and their responses to climatic variability is essential for improving projections of the carbon cycle in these regions.

Genome-wide differential expression of long noncoding RNAs and mRNAs in ovarian follicles of two different chicken breeds.

Bashang long-tail chickens are an indigenous breed with dual purpose in China (meat and eggs) but have low egg laying performance. To improve the low egg laying performance, a genome-wide analysis of mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) from Bashang long-tail chickens and Hy-Line brown layers was performed. A total of 16,354 mRNAs and 8691 lncRNAs were obtained from ovarian follicles.

R-Spondin1/LGR5 Activates TGFβ Signaling and Suppresses Colon Cancer Metastasis.

Leucine-rich repeat containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5), an intestinal stem cell marker, is known to exhibit tumor suppressor activity in colon cancer, the mechanism of which is not understood. Here we show that R-spondin 1 (RSPO1)/LGR5 directly activates TGFβ signaling cooperatively with TGFβ type II receptor in colon cancer cells, enhancing TGFβ-mediated growth inhibition and stress-induced apoptosis. Knockdown of LGR5 attenuated downstream TGFβ signaling and increased cell proliferation, survival, and metastasis in an orthotopic model of colon cancer Upon RSPO1 stimulation, LGR5 formed complexes with TGFβ receptors.

Transforming Growth Factor β Mediates Drug Resistance by Regulating the Expression of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase 4 in Colorectal Cancer.

Drug resistance is one of the main causes of colon cancer recurrence. However, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and availability of therapeutic options remains limited. Here we show that expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) is positively correlated with drug resistance of colon cancer cells and induced by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment in drug-resistant but not drug-sensitive cells.

MicroRNA-520g confers drug resistance by regulating p21 expression in colorectal cancer.

Development of drug resistance is one of the major causes of colorectal cancer recurrence, yet mechanistic understanding and therapeutic options remain limited. Here, we show that expression of microRNA (miR)-520g is correlated with drug resistance of colon cancer cells. Ectopic expression of miR-520g conferred resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)- or oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis in vitro and reduced the effectiveness of 5-FU in the inhibition of tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model in vivo.

Functional proteomic analysis reveals the involvement of KIAA1199 in breast cancer growth, motility and invasiveness.

Background: KIAA1199 is a recently identified novel gene that is up-regulated in human cancer with poor survival. Our proteomic study on signaling polarity in chemotactic cells revealed KIAA1199 as a novel protein target that may be involved in cellular chemotaxis and motility. In the present study, we examined the functional significance of KIAA1199 expression in breast cancer growth, motility and invasiveness.

TGF-Beta suppresses VEGFA-mediated angiogenesis in colon cancer metastasis.

The FET cell line, derived from an early stage colon carcinoma, is non-tumorigenic in athymic nude mice. Engineered FET cells that express TGF-α (FETα) display constitutively active EGFR/ErbB signaling. These cells readily formed xenograft tumors in athymic nude mice.

Inhibition of phosphorylated c-Met in rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines by a small molecule inhibitor SU11274.

Background: c-Met is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) that is over-expressed in a variety of cancers and involved in cell growth, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. In this study, we investigated the role of c-Met in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) using its small molecule inhibitor SU11274, which has been hypothesized to be a potential therapeutic target for RMS.

Methods: The expression level of phosphorylated c-Met in RMS cell lines (RD, CW9019 and RH30) and tumor tissues was assessed by phospho-RTK array and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

WITHDRAWN: Restoration of transforming growth factor-beta receptor II expression in colon cancer cells with microsatellite instability increases metastatic potential in vivo.

Microsatellite instability (MSI), which occurs in 15% of colorectal cancer, has been shown to have a lower incidence of metastasis and better patient survival rates compared with microsatellite stable colorectal cancer. However, a mechanistic understanding of the basis for this difference is very limited. Here, we show that restoration of TGFβ signaling by re-expression of TGFβ receptor II in MSI colon cancer cells increased PI3K/AKT activation, conferred resistance to growth factor deprivation stress-induced apoptosis, and promoted cell motility in vitro.

Phosphatase PRL-3 is a direct regulatory target of TGFbeta in colon cancer metastasis.

Metastasis causes most deaths from cancer yet mechanistic understanding and therapeutic options remain limited. Overexpression of the phosphatase PRL-3 (phosphatase of regenerating liver) is associated with metastasis of colon cancer. Here, we show that PRL-3 is a direct target of signaling by TGFβ, which is broadly implicated in progression and metastasis.

Mycorrhizal synthesis of Tuber indicum with two indigenous hosts, Castanea mollissima and Pinus armandii.

Tuber indicum is one of the most renowned commercialized fungi in China. Mycorrhizal investigations, however, have been carried out mainly with exotic trees. Up to now there is no detailed description of morphology of the mycorrhizae formed with the indigenous hosts of T.

[Identification of SNPs located in putative microRNA tar-get region of six functional genes in chickens through bioinformatic analysis].

GDF-8, IGF-I, IGF-III, IGF2R, IGFBP2, and GHR are candidate genes affecting important economic trait in chicken. The putative microRNA target sites of 3' untranslated region of these genes were identified by means of specialized algorithms (miRanda and TargetScan), and the candidate SNPs located in the microRNA target region were also identified. Approximately 125 candidate SNPs were found throughout the 26 putative microRNA target regions in six gene 3'-UTR.

Effect of overexpression of inhibin alpha (1-32) fragment on bovine granulosa cell proliferation, apoptosis, steroidogenesis, and development of co-cultured oocytes.

The objective was to determine the effects of an inhibin alpha (1-32) fragment gene on proliferation, apoptosis, and steroidogenesis of bovine granulosa cells (GC) isolated from medium and small follicles (diameter >4-8 and 1-4mm, respectively), and the effect of GC, previously transfected with pEGISI, on oocyte maturation and in vitro embryo development. To enhance expression of the inhibin alpha (1-32) fragment, GC were transfected with pEGISI. Transfection inhibited (P<0.

Effects of iron and copper in culture medium on bovine oocyte maturation, preimplantation embryo development, and apoptosis of blastocysts in vitro.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of iron and copper on bovine oocyte maturation, preimplantation embryo development and apoptosis of blastocysts. The concentrations of iron in the culture media were 0 (control), 0.45, 0.