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Objective: This study examines the current status and variations in creativity between migrant and urban children, exploring the influencing factors affecting creativity. Methods: We selected children from local households in Hangzhou City and non-local migrant households as participants. Their basic demographic information and creative tendencies were assessed using the Children's Basic Situation Questionnaire and Williams' Creativity Tendency Measurement Scale, respectively. A multi-model regression analysis was conducted to analyze factors influencing creativity. Results: This study included 1047 children. Significant differences were observed between urban and migrant children regarding age, family type, number of siblings, parental education, parental presence at home, parental guidance in learning, experience of changing schools, having their own room, and academic performance. In addition, migrant children exhibited significantly lower creativity levels compared to urban children. The multi-model regression analysis showed that migrant status, a good parent-child relationship, having parents who often guide learning, having their own room, and excellent academic performance significantly influenced children's creativity. Conclusions: Migrant children display lower levels of creativity than their urban counterparts, with notable differences across several factors.

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The low-resolution structure of casein (CN) clusters in sodium caseinate (NaCas) solution and its conformational dynamics were obtained by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and native PAGE revealed that the casein clusters consisted predominantly of α- and ß-CN complexes, and a trace amount of κ-CN. The AUC analysis indicated that the casein clusters were composed of 34.6% of casein monomers, 19.2%, 20.4%, and 25.8% of complexes with molar weight (Mw) of ~50.3, ~70.6, and ~133 kDa, respectively. The volume fractions of components in casein clusters were quantified as 64.3% of αs1-ß-αs2-CN, 22.3% of αs1-CN, 8.5% of αs2-CN, and 4.4% of αs1-αs2-CN, respectively. The ensemble optimization method (EOM) gave a fitting result where αs1-ß-αs2-CN species coexisted in ~35.3% under compact conformation and ~64.7% in elongated conformation in solution. The three-dimensional structures of αs1-ß-αs2-CN from EOM showed a good overlay on the casein clusters ab initio model obtained from DAMMIN and DAMMIX program. MD simulations revealed that αs1-ß-αs2-CN underwent a conformational change from the elongated state into the compact state within the initial 200 ns of simulations. The addition of nonionic surfactants affected little the backbone-to-backbone interactions in the formation of the casein clusters. We propose that αs1-CN, ß-CN, αs2-CN, and κ-CN associated in consecutive steps into casein clusters, and a trace of κ-CN may be located at the surface of the assemblies limiting the growth of casein aggregates.

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BACKGROUND: Novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed for patients with a delayed diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in order to improve their chances of survival. Recent studies have shown potent anti-neoplastic effects of curcumin and its analogues. In addition, the role of histone methyltransferases on cancer therapeutics has also been elucidated. However, the relationship between these two factors in the treatment of pancreatic cancer remains unknown. Our working hypothesis was that L48H37, a novel curcumin analog, has better efficacy in pancreatic cancer cell growth inhibition in the absence of histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D). AIM: To determine the anti-cancer effects of L48H37 in PDAC, and the role of KMT2D on its therapeutic efficacy. METHODS: The viability and proliferation of primary (PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2) and metastatic (SW1990 and ASPC-1) PDAC cell lines treated with L48H37 was determined by CCK8 and colony formation assay. Apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and cell cycle profile were determined by staining the cells with Annexin-V/7-AAD, JC-1, DCFH-DA, and PI respectively, as well as flow cytometric acquisition. In vitro migration was assessed by the wound healing assay. The protein and mRNA levels of relevant factors were analyzed using Western blotting, immunofluorescence and real time-quantitative PCR. The in situ expression of KMT2D in both human PDAC and paired adjacent normal tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry. In vivo tumor xenografts were established by injecting nude mice with PDAC cells. Bioinformatics analyses were also conducted using gene expression databases and TCGA. RESULTS: L48H37 inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis in SW1990 and ASPC-1 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, while also reducing MMP, increasing ROS levels, arresting cell cycle at the G2/M stages and activating the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase/eukaryotic initiation factor 2α/activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)/CHOP signaling pathway. Knocking down ATF4 significantly upregulated KMT2D in PDAC cells, and also decreased L48H37-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, silencing KMT2D in L48H37-treated cells significantly augmented apoptosis and the ER stress pathway, indicating that KMT2D depletion is essential for the anti-neoplastic effects of L48H37. Administering L48H37 to mice bearing tumors derived from control or KMT2D-knockdown PDAC cells significantly decreased the tumor burden. We also identified several differentially expressed genes in PDAC cell lines expressing very low levels of KMT2D that were functionally categorized into the extrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway. The KMT2D high- and low-expressing PDAC patients from the TCGA database showed similar survival rates,but higher KMT2D expression was associated with poor tumor grade in clinical and pathological analyses. CONCLUSION: L48H37 exerts a potent anti-cancer effect in PDAC, which is augmented by KMT2D deficiency.

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The severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) is greatly attributed to the pancreatic acinar cell (PAC) death response. It has been established that the apoptosis-inducing therapy can protect against experimental pancreatitis and have great clinical therapeutic potential. However, current pharmacologic agents that target apoptosis during AP largely lack specificity. Thus, it remains imperative to reveal the specific mechanisms governing acinar cell death. Death responses of PAC are manifested by the progressive necrosis accompanied by apoptosis silencing during AP in mice. In this study, we found that the transcriptional activity of p53 was impaired and the expressions of its proapoptotic targets Puma and CD95 were significantly decreased, which explains the apoptosis silencing during AP. Furthermore, we found that the functional depression of p53 was resulted from histone deacetylase (HDAC)-mediated deacetylation of p53 C-terminal in PAC during AP. Treatment of the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin-A restored p53 apoptosis pathway, resulted in a necrosis/apoptosis switch and protected mice from cerulein- or l-Arg-induced AP. Our research identified the HDAC-dependent regulation of p53 activity as a critical mechanism underlying acinar cell death response, which represents a specific target for the treatment of AP.

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To acquire microbial consortia with effectively precedent degradation of lignin, samples obtained from rotten trunks, rotten stumps and soil near it were screened and isolated after generations of subculture. The dynamic change illustrated that their community structures were affected by pH and tended to be stable after 6 days' cultivation. The desired one, named DM-1, was gained through successive cultivation for over 5 generations, whose high selectivity in lignin degradation was observed within 16 days' cultivation (SV = 2.78). Meanwhile, a remarkable reduction in the fiber crystallinity of tree trimmings (10.35%) resulted from the bio-degradation of DM-1, displayed a greater exposure of cellulose by selective removal of lignin. The diversity analysis of DM-1 was investigated by PCR amplification and 16S rDNA sequencing, indicated that mesorhizobium, cellulosimicrobium, pandoraea, achromobacter and stenotrophomones were the predominant genera. Furthermore, fungi (3 strains), bacteria (4 strains) and actinomycetes (5 strains) constituted 12 strains in total were gained by plate isolation from DM-1.

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Rural sewage treatment is now paid more and more attention in China. Vermifiltration technology could be one of the practical options under the review of previous studies. It showed good removal rates of contaminants on small to pilot scales for short-term tests. However, the impacts of season, temperature or other unknown factors are usually not taken into account. In this study, a larger vermifilter was designed to treat the sewage on village scale for long-term operation. Filter material composition was optimized by a half year experimentation. The treatment effects of vermifiltration were also compared with traditional activated sludge process for the same influent sewage. The results showed that the designed vermifiltration system could continuously treat the sewage produced by more than 100 inhabitants per day. COD, BOD5 and SS concentration in outflow were rather stable despite the fluctuation of hydraulic loading rate and organic input during one year test. It can also remove N and P to some extent. A suspending design of vermifilter bed cause adequate oxygen content in outflow of vermifilter. The comparative test showed that the treatment efficacy of vermifiltration was similar as activated sludge process. Generally, this vermifiltration system has practical application value for village sewage treatment.

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