Tas2R activation relaxes airway smooth muscle by release of Gα targeting on AChR signaling.

Both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are severe respiratory diseases. Bitter receptor-mediated bronchodilation is a potential therapy for asthma, but the mechanism underlying the agonistic relaxation of airway smooth muscle (ASM) is not well defined. By exploring the ASM relaxation mechanism of bitter substances, we observed that pretreatment with the bitter substances nearly abolished the methacholine (MCh)-induced increase in the ASM cell (ASMC) calcium concentration, thereby suppressing the calcium-induced contraction release.

High-speed and efficient removal of uranium (VI) from aqueous solution by hydroxyapatite-modified ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-3).

In recent years, the synthesis and application of green, cost-effective, and sustainable materials for uranium (VI) removal was significant to environmental protection. The ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-3) supported different mass of hydroxyapatite materials (HAP@CMK-3) were facilely synthesized via hydrothermal method. The resultant materials were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, BET, SEM, TEM mapping, and XPS, and implemented for immobilizing U(VI).

PLIN2 promotes HCC cells proliferation by inhibiting the degradation of HIF1α.

PLIN2 has been found to be dysregulated in several human malignancies, which influences cancer progression. However, the roles of PLIN2 in regulating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression are still unclear. Here, we revealed that PLIN2 was frequently upregulated in HCC cells and tissues, and increased PLIN2 expression was associated with poor prognosis outcomes in HCC.

Phosphorus sorption capacity of various iron-organic matter associations in peat soils.

This study was carried out to evaluate the contribution of different types of iron-organic matter associations (Fe-OM) to the phosphorus sorption capacity of peatland. Humic substance (HS) and particulate organic matter (POM) were isolated from peat soils, and different types of iron-organic matter associations (Fe-HS and Fe-POM) were prepared. Then, isothermal adsorption experiments were carried out on the synthesized Fe-OM and iron-contained peat soils.

A Novel Trajectory for a Transpedicular Approach in the Treatment of a Highly Downward-Migrated Lumbar Herniation with a Full Endoscopic Technique.

Background: To evaluate the clinical outcome of full endoscopic discectomy using a novel trajectory a transpedicular approach.

Method: Thirty-five patients were enrolled in this retrospective study between July 2014 and October 2019 in the Beijing Haidian Hospital. All patients were treated with full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy a transpedicular approach with an oblique trajectory.

One-Chip Isolation of Drug-Resistant Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells with CXCR4-Targeted Magnetic Fluorescent Nanoprobes.

Drug resistance and relapse lead to high mortality in acute myeloid leukemia, and studies have shown that CXCR4 overexpression is highly correlated with poor prognosis and drug resistance in leukemia cells. Isolation and detection of AML cells with CXCR4 overexpression will be crucial to the treatment of AML. In this paper, magnetic nanoparticles were firstly prepared successfully by high-temperature thermal decomposition method, and then characterized by TEM, VSM and DLS.

Fluorinated PEG-PEI Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles for siRNA Delivery and CXCR4 Knockdown.

CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is a promising therapeutic target. Previous studies have shown that intracellular delivery of siRNA to knockdown CXCR4 expression in cancer cells is an effective therapeutic strategy. To prepare efficient magnetic nucleic acid carriers, it is now necessary to improve the endocytosis efficiency of PEGylated magnetic nanoparticles.

Morphological characteristics of amino acids in wet deposition of Danjiangkou Reservoir in China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

Amino acids are an important constituent in organic nitrogen deposition, and changes in the content of their components have a direct impact on the nitrogen input to the ecosystem. From December 2018 to November 2019, 176 precipitation samples were collected at Danjiangkou Reservoir, the source of the middle line of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and the variation characteristics of dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) and dissolved combined amino acids (DCAA) were analyzed. The volume-weighted value concentration ranges of DFAA and DCAA were 0.

Anthropogenic and natural drivers of seesaw-like spatial patterns in precipitation mercury over western China.

Investigation of mercury (Hg) from atmospheric precipitation is important for evaluating its ecological impacts and developing mitigation strategies. Western China, which includes the Tibetan Plateau and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is one of the most remote region in the world and is understudied in regards to Hg precipitation. Here we report seesaw-like patterns in spatial variations of precipitation Hg in Western China, based on Hg speciation measurements at nine stations over this remote region.

Selective adsorption of triterpene acids on cerium oxide nanoparticles.

Researches on the adsorption for triterpene acids by cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO NPs) as adsorbent were carried out. The results demonstrated that CeO NPs could selectively adsorb triterpene acids. Using triterpene acid standards as model compounds, the adsorption and desorption conditions were optimized.

Differentiable Network Pruning via Polarization of Probabilistic Channelwise Soft Masks.

Channel pruning has been demonstrated as a highly effective approach to compress large convolutional neural networks. Existing differentiable channel pruning methods usually use deterministic soft masks to scale the channelwise outputs and explore an appropriate threshold on the masks to remove unimportant channels, which sometimes causes unexpected damage to the network accuracy when there are no sweet spots that clearly separate important channels from redundant ones. In this article, we introduce a new differentiable channel pruning method based on polarization of probabilistic channelwise soft masks (PPSMs).

Chromatographic Determination of the Mycotoxin Patulin in 219 Chinese Tea Samples and Implications for Human Health.

Patulin (PAT) is a mycotoxin, with several acute, chronic, and cellular level toxic effects, produced by various fungi. A limit for PAT in food of has been set by authorities to guarantee food safety. Research on PAT in tea has been very limited although tea is the second largest beverage in the world.

Preliminary study on the role of the C5orf46 gene in renal cancer.

Background: C5orf46 has been found to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects via sequencing and microarray technologies, but its effects on cancer are unclear.

Methods: C5orf46 expression in renal cancer patients and cell lines was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). RNA sequencing data and clinicopathological information from renal cancer patients extracted from The Tumor Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed to evaluate the prognostic value of C5orf46.

Cascade of C(sp)-H Addition to Carbonyl and C(sp)-CN/C(sp)-H Coupling Enabled by Brønsted Acid: Construction of Benzo[]carbazole Frameworks.

Herein, we report an unprecedented cascade reaction of C(sp)-H addition to carbonyl and the C(sp)-CN/C(sp)-H coupling of 2-(2-oxo-2-arylethyl)benzonitriles with indoles enabled by commercially available TsOH·HO. The protocol represents the first metal-free C(sp)-CN/C(sp)-H coupling, affording a new route for the synthesis of various benzo[]carbazole derivatives with a broad substrate scope, high yields, and simple conditions.

Area-level deprivation and adverse childhood experiences among high school students in Maryland.

Background: Nearly one-half of Americans have been exposed to at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) before turning 18, contributing to a broad array of problems spanning physical health, mental and behavioral health, and psychosocial functioning.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, survey research study, using 2018 data from a state adolescent health surveillance system, i.e.

Is Household Unemployment Associated With Increased Verbal and Physical Child Abuse During the COVID Pandemic?

Purpose: The economic downturn due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic initially led to a large increase in the US unemployment rate. Being laid-off or losing a job could cause financial stress and have an impact on the relationship between parents or other adults in the home and children. We aimed to assess the effect of household unemployment on child physical and emotional abuse during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an older population of children.

A biomimetic nanocomposite with enzyme-like activities and CXCR4 antagonism efficiently enhances the therapeutic efficacy of acute myeloid leukemia.

Despite the progress made to improve therapeutic outcomes for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), many unmet clinical needs remain to be resolved. Unlike existing anti-AML strategies, here we developed a biomimetic nanocomposite to efficiently eliminate the leukemia cells in the bone marrow and prevent the homing of AML. To fulfill our design, the ultra-small nanozyme was conjugated onto the surface of an oxygen-carrying nanoparticle, which was further coated with bone marrow stromal cell membrane.

MuLHiTA: A Novel Multiclass Classification Framework With Multibranch LSTM and Hierarchical Temporal Attention for Early Detection of Mental Stress.

Mental stress is an increasingly common psychological issue leading to diseases such as depression, addiction, and heart attack. In this study, an early detection framework based on electroencephalogram (EEG) data is developed for reducing the risk of these diseases. In existing frameworks, signals are often segmented into smaller sections prior to being input to a deep neural network.

To Create a Safe and Healthy Place for Children: The Associations of Green Open Space Characteristics With Children's Use.

Green open space (GOS) is an important outdoor resource for the well-being of children by providing places for physical activity (PA), especially in the highly urbanized environment. The COVID-19 lockdowns have made children have more sedentary time than before due to less access to public places. This article aims to examine the associations of GOS characteristics (environmental and surrounding) and children's use (visitation and PA pattern) to provide evidence for promoting their PA during the pandemic.

Biochar application improves karstic lime soil physicochemical properties and enzymes activity and enhances sweet tea seedlings physiological performance.

Karst lime soil, commonly found in rocky desert ecosystems of Southwest China, exhibits high pH, poor water retention, and intense erosion. To prevent further soil erosion and soil losses from these ecosystems, stabilization measures based on improved green infrastructure are needed. The present study aimed at elucidating the performance of sweet tea (Lithocarpus polystachyus) seedlings grown on this soil type upon biochar application.

Rosiglitazone ameliorates acute hepatic injury via activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and inhibiting activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Acute hepatic injury is a common liver disease in clinical practice. Drugs with antioxidant activity exhibit a great potential for alleviating liver injury. The present study aimed to explore the role of rosiglitazone (RSG), a previously reported compound with anti-inflammatory properties, in hepatic injury.

Comprehensive identification of molecular profiles related to sensory and nutritional changes in Mongolian cheese during storage by untargeted metabolomics coupled with quantification of free amino acids.

Non-targeted metabolomics was used to study metabolites with low molecular weight which may contribute to quality deterioration of Mongolian cheese during storage. Microbiological analysis, pH, FAAs (free amino acids), volatile compounds, and sensory evaluation of the cheese during storage were also studied. A total of 278 metabolites were identified in Mongolian cheese, of which 51 metabolites were used as differential metabolites, including amino acids, peptides, organic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates.

Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy with versus without Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection for Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD) is an effective treatment for patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) with failure of conservative treatment. However, defects in the annulus fibrosus after TELD usually lead to a recurrence of LDH. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection has shown promising potential for the repair of injured tissues.

An Investigation of SPC24 as a Putative Biomarker of Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma and Kidney Renal Papillary Cell Carcinoma for Predicting Prognosis and/or Immune Infiltration.

Background And Objective: SPC24 was reported to be correlated with the development of many cancers. However, its role in renal cancer was unclear. Our aim was to explore the role of SPC24 in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP) in types of renal cancer.