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Objective To identify Parkinson’s disease (PD)-associated deregulated pathways and genes, to further elucidate the pathogenesis of PD. Methods Dataset GSE100054 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PD samples were identified. Functional enrichment analyses were conducted for the DEGs. The top 10 hub genes in the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network were screened out and used to construct a support vector machine (SVM) model. The expression of the top 10 genes was then validated in another dataset, GSE46129, and a clinical patient cohort. Results A total of 333 DEGs were identified. The DEGs were clustered into two gene sets that were significantly enriched in 12 pathways, of which 8 were significantly deregulated in PD, including cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, gap junction, and actin cytoskeleton regulation. The signature of the top 10 hub genes in the PPI network was used to construct the SVM model, which had high performance for predicting PD. Of the 10 genes, GP1BA, GP6, ITGB5, and P2RY12 were independent risk factors of PD. Conclusion Genes such as GP1BA, GP6, P2RY12, and ITGB5 play critical roles in PD pathology through pathways including cytokine−cytokine receptor interaction, gap junctions, and actin cytoskeleton regulation.

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common primary brain tumor and is highly lethal. This study aims to figure out signatures for predicting the survival time of patients with glioblastoma multiforme. Clinical information, messenger RNA expression, microRNA expression, and single-nucleotide polymorphism array data of patients with glioblastoma multiforme were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Patients were separated into two groups by using 1 year as a cutoff, and a logistic regression model was used to figure out any variables that can predict whether the patient was able to live longer than 1 year. Furthermore, Cox’s model was used to find out features that were correlated with the survival time. Finally, a Cox model integrated the significant clinical variables, messenger RNA expression, microRNA expression, and single-nucleotide polymorphism was built. Although the classification method failed, signatures of clinical features, messenger RNA expression levels, and microRNA expression levels were figured out by using Cox’s model. However, no single-nucleotide polymorphisms related to prognosis were found. The selected clinical features were age at initial diagnosis, Karnofsky score, and race, all of which had been suggested to correlate with survival time. Both of the two significant microRNAs, microRNA-221 and microRNA-222, were targeted to p27Kip1 protein, which implied the important role of p27Kip1 on the prognosis of glioblastoma multiforme patients. Our results suggested that survival modeling was more suitable than classification to figure out prognostic biomarkers for patients with glioblastoma multiforme. An integrated model containing clinical features, messenger RNA levels, and microRNA expression levels was built, which has the potential to be used in clinics and thus to improve the survival status of glioblastoma multiforme patients.

Background： High platelet reactivity （HPR） during clopidogrel treatment predicts postpercutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） ischemic events strongly and independently. Tongxinluo capsules （TCs） are a traditional Chinese medicine formulation used as antiplatelet treatment. However, its efficacy against HPR is not known. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of TCs in acute coronary syndrome （ACS） patients with HPR. Methods： This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study prospectively analyzed 136 ACS patients with HPR who underwent PCI. The patients were enrolled from November 2013 to May 2014 and randomized to receive placebo or TCs in addition to standard dual antiplatelet therapy （DAPT） with aspirin and clopidogrel. The primary end points were the prevalence of HPR at 30 days and the mean change in P2YIz reaction units （PRUs） between baseline and 30 days. Survival curves were constructed with Kaplan-Meier estimates and compared by log-rank tests between the two groups. Results： Both groups had a significantly reduced prevalence of HPR at 30 days versus baseline, but the TC group, compared with the placebo group, had greater reduction （ 15.8% vs. 24.8%, P = 0.013）, especially among patients with one cytochrome P450 2C 19 loss of function （LOF） allele （χ2 = 2.931, P = 0.047）. The TC group also had a lower prevalence of HPR （33.3% vs. 54.2%, t - 5.284, P 0.022） and superior performance in light transmittance aggregometry and higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （hsCRP）, but the composite prevalence ofischemic events did not differ significantly （χ2 = 1.587, P = 0.208）. Conclusions： In addition to standard DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel, TCs further reduce PRU and hsCRP levels, especially in patients carrying only one LOF allele. The data suggest that TCs could be used in combination therapy for ACS patients with HPR undergoing PCI.

To obtain high-quality dissimilar weld joints, the processes of metal inert gas （MIG） welding and tungsten inert gas （TIG） welding for duplex stainless steel （DSS） and low alloy steel were compared in this paper. The microstructure and corrosion morphology of dissimilar weld joints were observed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）; the chemical compositions in different zones were detected by en- ergy-dispersive spectroscopy （EDS）; the mechanical properties were measured by microhardness test, tensile test, and impact test; the corro- sion behavior was evaluated by polarization curves. Obvious concentration gradients of Ni and Cr exist between the fusion boundary and the type II boundary, where the hardness is much higher. The impact toughness of weld metal by MIG welding is higher than that by TIG weld- ing. The corrosion current density of TIG weld metal is higher than that of MIG weld metal in a 3.5wt% NaC1 solution. Galvanic corrosion happens between low alloy steel and weld metal, revealing the weakness of low alloy steel in industrial service. The quality of joints pro- duced by MIG welding is better than that by TIG welding in mechanical performance and corrosion resistance. MIG welding with the filler metal ER2009 is the suitable welding process for dissimilar metals jointing between UNS $31803 duplex stainless steel and low alloy steel in practical application.

Objective： There is no simple or feasible post-procedural intravascular ultrasound （IVUS） score to predict major adverse cardiac events （MACE） in patients undergoing drug-eluting stents （DES） implantation. The aim of this study is to validate a new IVUS score for predicting MACE. Methods： A total of 295 patients （with 322 lesions） were enrolled. IVUS score was calculated in each lesion based on five IVUS morphological characteristics： inflow/outflow disease, malapposition, underexpansion, tissue protrusion, and edge dissection （iMUTE score）. We assigned two points to an underexpansion and one point for each presence of other factors. Patients were divided into low score （iMUTE score〈2, n=137） and high score （iMUTE score〉2, n=158） groups. Results： At one year follow-up, a trend was seen in favor of the Low iMUTE score group in MACE （3.65% vs. 10.10%; P=0.052）, and there was more target vessel revascularization （TVR） in the high iMUTE score group compared with low score group （6.96% vs. 1.46%; P=0.044）. Low iMUTE score was an independent predictor of freedom from TVR at one year （adjusted hazard ratio （HR） 0.5, 95% confidence interval （CI） 0.1-0.8; P=0.02）. Conclusions： Post-procedural IVUS iMUTE scoring was simple and feasible in clinical practice, and can provide independent prognostic value for TVR in patients undergoing DES implantation.

Functional nanoprobes which detect specific food hazards quickly and simply are still in high demand in the field of food-safety inspection research. In the present work, a dual-emission metal-organic framework-based ratiometric fluorescence probe was integrated to detect Cu2+ and Pb2+ with rapidness and ease. Specifically, quantum dots (QDs) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were successfully embedded into zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) to function as a novel ratiometric fluorescent sensing composite. The ratiometric fluorescence signal of CQDs/QDs@ZIF-67 was significantly aligned with the concentration of metal ions to give an extremely low detection limit of 0.3324 nM. The highly sensitive and selective CQDs/QDs@ZIF-67 composite showed potential for the rapid and cost-effective detection of two metal ions.

The dual threats of energy depletion and global warming place the development of methods for harnessing renewable energy resources at the center of public interest. Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energy resources. Sun trackers can substantially improve the electricity production of a photovoltaic (PV) system. This paper proposes a novel design of a dual-axis solar tracking PV system which utilizes the feedback control theory along with a four-quadrant light dependent resistor (LDR) sensor and simple electronic circuits to provide robust system performance. The proposed system uses a unique dual-axis AC motor and a stand-alone PV inverter to accomplish solar tracking. The control implementation is a technical innovation that is a simple and effective design. In addition, a scaled-down laboratory prototype is constructed to verify the feasibility of the scheme. The effectiveness of the Sun tracker is confirmed experimentally. To conclude, the results of this study may serve as valuable references for future solar energy applications.

Photocatalysis‐based advanced oxidation technologies have been developed as an attractive strategy for degrading pollutants. However, the question of how to increase removal specificity without sacrificing the degradation effect remains a difficult one. In this work, a photocatalytic system for the simultaneous targeted elimination of nine heterocyclic amines (HCAs) is established using a green‐prepared photocatalyst (CN@Mn–FeOOH@MIP) that activates sodium persulfate (PS) under visible light. Mn–FeOOH clusters are in situ covered on laminar g‐C3N4 (CN) carrier to form a heterojunction, along with a molecularly imprinted layer self‐polymerized from dopamine, which is grown on the outer layer, resulting in both the desired photochemical activity and specific sites for recognition. The conditions of composite and photocatalysis are explored and optimized for efficient and selective degradation. Notably, CN@Mn–FeOOH@MIP is synthesized free of any organic reagents, and the biosafety is confirmed by cellular and in vivo toxicity evaluation. The developed CN@Mn–FeOOH@MIP/PS system with visible‐light‐driven is applied to the removal of HCAs in coffee samples with the recoveries over 70% and the reuse rates greater than 85%. It coupled the advantages of specific enrichment and rapid degradation, which furnishes a novel approach for the control of trace thermal processing pollutants. Targeted removal of nine heterocyclic amines was realized by a green‐integrated g‐C3N4@Mn–FeOOH@molecularly imprinted photocatalysis system. It demonstrates a promising visible light‐driven photocatalyst that shows considerable potential for specific elimination of trace hazardous chemicals.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia-hypercapnia (CIHH) exposure leads to learnning and memory deficits in rats. Overactivation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors(NMDARs) can lead to the death of neurons through a process termed excitotoxicity, which is involved in CIHH-induced cognitive deficits. Excessively activated NR2B (GluN2B)-containing NMDARs was reported as the main cause of excitotoxicity. The ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2) signaling cascade acts as a key component in NMDARs-dependent neuronal plasticity and survival. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), synapse-associated protein 102 (SAP102) and Ras GTPase-activating protein (SynGAP) have been shown to be involved in the regulation of NMDAR-ERK signalling cascade. Recent studies revealed statins (the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor) have effect on the expression of NMDARs. The present study intends to explore the potential effect of lovastatin on CIHH-induced cognitive deficits and the NR2B-ERK signaling pathway. Eighty male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups. Except for those in the control group, the rats were exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia-hypercapnia (CIHH) (9 ∼ 11%O2, 5.5 ∼ 6.5%CO2) for 4 weeks. After lovastatin administration, the rats performed better in the Morris water maze test. Electron microscopy showed alleviated hippocampal neuronal synaptic damage. Further observation suggested that either lovastatin or ifenprodil (a selective NR2B antagonist) administration similarly downregulated NR2B subunit expression leading to a suppression of CaMKII/SAP102/SynGAP signaling cascade, which in turn enhanced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. The phosphorylated ERK1/2 induced signaling cascade involving cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) activation, which is responsible for neuroprotection. These findings suggest that the ameliorative cognitive deficits caused by lovastatin are due to the downregulation of excessive NR2B expression accompanied by increased expression of ERK signaling cascade. The effect of NR2B in upregulating pERK1/2 maybe due, at least in part, to inactivation of CaMKII/SAP102/SynGAP signaling cascade.

Aflatoxin (AFT) contamination, commonly in foods and grains with extremely low content while high toxicity, has caused serious economic and health problems worldwide. Now researchers are making an effort to develop nanomaterials with remarkable adsorption capacity for the identification, determination and regulation of AFT. Herein, we constructed a novel hollow-structured microporous organic networks (HMONs) material. On the basis of Fe3O4@MOF@MON, hydrofluoric acid (HF) was introduced to remove the transferable metal organic framework (MOF) to give hollow MON structures. Compared to the original Fe3O4@MOF@MON, HMON showed improved surface area and typical hollow cavities, thus increasing the adsorption capacity. More importantly, AFT is a hydrophobic substance, and our constructed HMON had a higher water contact angle, greatly enhancing the adsorption affinity. From that, the solid phase extraction (SPE-HPLC) method developed based on HMONs was applied to analyze four kinds of actual samples, with satisfied recoveries of 85–98%. This work provided a specific and sensitive method for the identification and determination of AFT in the food matrix and demonstrated the great potential of HMONs in the field of the identification and control of mycotoxins.