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Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides have emerged as promising quantum functional blocks benefitting from their unique combination of spin, valley, and layer degrees of freedom, particularly for the tremendous flexibility of moiré superlattices formed by van der Waals stacking. These degrees of freedom coupled with the enhanced Coulomb interaction in 2D structures allow excitons to serve as on-chip information carriers. However, excitons are spatially circumscribed due to their low mobility and limited lifetime. One way to overcome these limitations is through the coupling of excitons with surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), which facilitates an interaction between remote quantum states. Here, we showcase the successful coupling of SPPs with interlayer excitons in molybdenum diselenide/tungsten diselenide heterobilayers. Our results indicate that the valley polarization can be efficiently transferred to SPPs, enabling preservation of polarization information even after propagating tens of micrometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Conclusions Hip fracture (HF) has been described as the “last fracture of life” in the elderly, so the assessment of HF risk is extremely important. Currently, few studies have examined the relationship between imaging data from chest computed tomography (CT) and HF. This study demonstrated that pectoral muscle index (PMI) and vertebral body attenuation values could predict HF, aiming to opportunistically assess the risk of HF in patients without bone mineral density (BMD) based on chest CT for other diseases.In the retrospective study, 800 participants who had both BMD and chest CT were enrolled from January 2021 to January 2024. After exclusion, 472 patients were finally enrolled, divided into the healthy control (HC) group and the HF group. Clinical data were collected, and differences between the two groups were compared. A predictive model was constructed based on the PMI and CT value of the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4HU) by logistic regression analysis, and the predictive effect of the model was analyzed by using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Finally, the clinical utility of the model was analyzed using decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curves.Both PMI and T4HU were lower in the HF group than in the HC group (p < 0.05); low PMI and low T4HU were risk factors for HF. The predictive model incorporating PMI and T4HU on the basis of age and BMI had excellent diagnostic efficacy with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.865 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.830–0.894, p < 0.01), sensitivity and specificity of 0.820 and 0.754, respectively. The clinical utility of the model was validated using calibration curves and DCA. The AUC of the predictive model incorporating BMD based on age and BMI was 0.865 (95% CI: 0.831–0.895, p < 0.01), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.698 and 0.711, respectively. There was no significant difference in diagnostic efficacy between the two models (p = 0.967).PMI and T4HU are predictors of HF in patients. In the absence of dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA), the risk of HF can be assessed by measuring the PMI and T4HU on chest CT examination due to other diseases, and further treatment can be provided in time to reduce the incidence of HF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dung Beetle Optimization (DBO) algorithm, a well-established swarm intelligence technique, has shown considerable promise in solving complex engineering design challenges. However, it is hampered by limitations such as suboptimal population initialization, sluggish search speeds, and restricted global exploration capabilities. To overcome these shortcomings, we propose an enhanced version termed Adaptive Spiral Strategy Dung Beetle Optimization (ADBO). Key enhancements include the application of the Gaussian Chaos strategy for a more effective population initialization, the integration of the Whale Spiral Search Strategy inspired by the Whale Optimization Algorithm, and the introduction of an adaptive weight factor to improve search efficiency and enhance global exploration capabilities. These improvements collectively elevate the performance of the DBO algorithm, significantly enhancing its ability to address intricate real-world problems. We evaluate the ADBO algorithm against a suite of benchmark algorithms using the CEC2017 test functions, demonstrating its superiority. Furthermore, we validate its effectiveness through applications in diverse engineering domains such as robot manipulator design, triangular linkage problems, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) path planning, highlighting its impact on improving UAV safety and energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tibial avulsion fracture is a rare injury, which usually happens in adults with traffic accidents or sports injuries. Surgery interventions are common treatment methods, they can restore knee function and help to return to normal life. In this study, we described an arthroscopic modified suture bridge fixation technique for ACL tibial avulsion fractures and explored the feasibility and therapeutic effects. Materials and methods: This retrospective study reviewed data from January 2020 to May 2022. Data were collected on 18 patients (10 males and 8 females) with ACL tibial avulsion fractures and underwent arthroscopic modified suture bridge fixation technique. The study analyzed surgical data about intraoperative blood loss, operation time, hospital stay, fracture healing time, and visual analog scale (VAS). Functional evaluation of the knee joint was performed using the anterior drawer test, Lysholm knee scoring scale, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), and knee range of motion (ROM). Results: All 18 patients were followed up between 12 and 20 months, with an average of 15.22 ± 1.96 months. The intraoperative blood loss was approximately 15–40 mL, averaging 25.78 ± 6.19 mL. The operation time was 65–85 min, with a mean of 74.89 ± 4.86 min. The hospital stay of patients was 3–5 days, with a mean of 3.89 ± 0.76 days. The mean fracture healing time was 8–12 weeks after surgery, with a mean of 9.22 ± 1.7 weeks. All incisions healed grade I without infection. There were no internal fixation failures, neurovascular injuries, and lower extremity deep venous thrombosis. The anterior drawer test was negative in all patients. At the final follow-up, the mean VAS score was 0–3, averaging 1.56 ± 0.71. The Lysholm score of the injured knee was 89–96, with an average of 92.50 ± 2.50; the IKDC score was 88–93, with an average of 90.44 ± 1.89; the knee ROM was 110–126°, with an average of 120.67° ± 4.31°. Conclusion: Results demonstrated that the modified suture bridge fixation technique under arthroscope could provide reliable fixation and favorable clinical effects for ACL tibial avulsion fractures. This is a simple, minimally invasive, effective, and clinically applicable surgical method for ACL tibial avulsion fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal audit is an independent function that provides objective assurance and advisory services to business partners in the form of projects. As the skilled human resources, internal auditors play a significant role in ensuring audit quality and thus should be managed properly. However, there are only very few studies on auditor-project assignment problems at the operational level. Also, many studies on general team formation problems neglect the real-life implications of simplifying mathematical models to enable practitioners to understand and implement. To bridge these gaps, this study presents a new integrated two-phase approach to assign internal auditors to multiple projects. In the designed decision support model, a harmonious level index is firstly proposed, measuring the suitability between auditor capability and project characteristics using a simplified fuzzy filter ranking method. Then, Min–Max multi-choice goal programming (MMCGP) model provides the assignment solution that balances internal auditors' multi-dimensional fit to the projects and their preferences, and thus optimizes the productivity of internal audit projects and staff's job satisfaction. A real case study is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and its solution. The comparison results further show that the proposed model outperforms the manual operations and the exiting approaches in the literature. This research extends the existing literature on auditor assignment problem by developing a flexible decision support tool and a practical classification of auditor competency. The MMCGP approach also provides an ideal staff assignment solution by setting multiple aspiration levels for each goal and balancing the unwanted deviations among goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Existing studies have shown that computed tomography (CT) attenuation and skeletal muscle tissue are strongly associated with osteoporosis; however, few studies have examined whether vertebral HU values and the pectoral muscle index (PMI) measured at the level of the 4th thoracic vertebra (T4) are strongly associated with bone mineral density (BMD). In this study, we demonstrate that vertebral HU values and the PMI based on chest CT can be used to opportunistically screen for osteoporosis and reduce fracture risk through prompt treatment. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 1000 patients who underwent chest CT and DXA scans from August 2020–2022. The T4 HU value and PMI were obtained using manual chest CT measurements. The participants were classified into normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis groups based on the results of dual-energy X-ray (DXA) absorptiometry. We compared the clinical baseline data, T4 HU value, and PMI between the three groups of patients and analyzed the correlation between the T4 HU value, PMI, and BMD to further evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the T4 HU value and PMI for patients with low BMD and osteoporosis. Results: The study ultimately enrolled 469 participants. The T4 HU value and PMI had a high screening capacity for both low BMD and osteoporosis. The combined diagnostic model—incorporating sex, age, BMI, T4 HU value, and PMI—demonstrated the best diagnostic efficacy, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.887 and 0.892 for identifying low BMD and osteoporosis, respectively. Conclusions: The measurement of T4 HU value and PMI on chest CT can be used as an opportunistic screening tool for osteoporosis with excellent diagnostic efficacy. This approach allows the early prevention of osteoporotic fractures via the timely screening of individuals at high risk of osteoporosis without requiring additional radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Metabolic reprogramming serves as a distinctive feature of cancer, impacting proliferation and metastasis, with aberrant glycosphingolipid expression playing a crucial role in malignancy. Nevertheless, limited research has investigated the connection between glycosphingolipid metabolism and pancreatic cancer. Methods: This study utilized a single-cell sequencing dataset to analyze the cell composition in pancreatic cancer tissues and quantified single-cell metabolism using a newly developed computational pipeline called scMetabolism. A gene signature developed from the differential expressed genes (DEGs), related to epithelial cell glycosphingolipid metabolism, was established to forecast patient survival, immune response, mutation status, and reaction to chemotherapy with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). Results: The single-cell sequencing analysis revealed a significant increase in epithelial cell proportions in PAAD, with high glycosphingolipid metabolism occurring in the cancerous tissue. A six-gene signature prognostic model based on abnormal epithelial glycosphingolipid metabolism was created and confirmed using publicly available databases. Patients with PAAD were divided into high- and low-risk categories according to the median risk score, with those in the high-risk group demonstrating a more unfavorable survival outcome in all three cohorts, with higher rates of gene mutations (e.g., KRAS, CDKN2A), increased levels of immunosuppressive cells (macrophages, Th2 cells, regulatory T cells), and heightened sensitivity to Acetalax and Selumetinlb. Conclusions: Abnormal metabolism of glycosphingolipids in epithelial cells may promote the development of PAAD. A model utilizing a gene signature associated with epithelial glycosphingolipids metabolism has been established, serving as a valuable indicator for the prognostic stratification of patients with PAAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Achieving rapid capillary wetting is highly desirable in nature and industries. Previous endeavors have primarily concentrated on passive wetting strategies through surface engineering. However, these approaches are inadequate for high-viscosity fluids due to the significant viscous resistance, especially for non-Newtonian fluids. In contrast, forced wetting emerges as a promising method to address the challenges associated with achieving rapid wetting of non-Newtonian fluids in capillaries. To investigate the forced wetting behavior of viscoelastic fluids in capillaries, we employ Xanthan Gum (XG) aqueous solutions as target fluids with the storage modulus significantly exceeding the loss modulus. We utilize smooth glass capillaries connected to a syringe pump to achieve high moving speeds of up to 1 m/s. Our experiments reveal a significant distinction in the power-law exponent that governs the scaling relationship between the dynamic contact angle and velocity for viscoelastic fluids compared to Newtonian fluids. This exponent is considerably smaller and varies based on the concentration of viscoelastic fluids and the diameter of the capillaries. We suggest that the viscosity dominates the wetting dynamics of viscoelastic fluids, manifested by the contact line morphology-dependent behavior. This insight has significant implications for microfluidics and drug injectability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dung beetle optimization (DBO) algorithm, devised by Jiankai Xue in 2022, is known for its strong optimization capabilities and fast convergence. However, it does have certain limitations, including insufficiently random population initialization, slow search speed, and inadequate global search capabilities. Drawing inspiration from the mathematical properties of the Sinh and Cosh functions, we proposed a new metaheuristic algorithm, Sinh–Cosh Dung Beetle Optimization (SCDBO). By leveraging the Sinh and Cosh functions to disrupt the initial distribution of DBO and balance the development of rollerball dung beetles, SCDBO enhances the search efficiency and global exploration capabilities of DBO through nonlinear enhancements. These improvements collectively enhance the performance of the dung beetle optimization algorithm, making it more adept at solving complex real-world problems. To evaluate the performance of the SCDBO algorithm, we compared it with seven typical algorithms using the CEC2017 test functions. Additionally, by successfully applying it to three engineering problems, robot arm design, pressure vessel problem, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) path planning, we further demonstrate the superiority of the SCDBO algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green strategy was developed for recycling a thermosetting unsaturated polyester resin (TUPR) using phosphotungstic acid hydrate (HPWH) coupled with acetic acid under mild conditions. As an environmentally benign catalyst, HPWH greatly enhanced the swelling of TUPR in acetic acid and exhibited high catalytic activity for the selective catalytic degradation of TUPR. Acetic acid improved HPW–TUPR interfacial contact, which facilitated the HPW diffusion and transmission in the TUPR internal matrix. The obtained functional products can be controlled by adjusting the reaction condition and easily separated from the reaction system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term durability of polymer components produced by additive manufacturing (AM) in marine conditions is poorly understood. Here, fused filament fabrication (FFF) of Ultem 9085 was conducted and accelerated aging was performed. Two printing orientations (−45/45° and 0/90°) and two sample types (ASTM D638 Type 1 and Type 4) were produced and subjected to accelerated aging in either seawater or air. Results from tensile tests showed that the elastic modulus, yield strength and ultimate tensile strength increased after seawater aging, whereas the elongation to failure decreased. Results of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and derivative–TGA curves indicated that hydrolysis occurred after seawater exposure to the polycarbonate (PC) component and changes in structure or hydrogen bonds formed in the polyetherimide (PEI) component. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that physical aging occurred after short exposure periods and low temperature. Longer exposures and higher temperatures resulted in increasing plasticization by water and scission of the PC molecules. Results from Raman suggest that hydrolysis of the PC occurred, with a reduction in free volume produced by physical aging or hydrogen bonding with water molecules. These results highlight that Ultem 9085 is susceptible to degradation in marine environments, and there are two primary mechanisms, including physical and chemical aging. Their specific contribution is highly sensitive to the aging temperature and require careful selection in accelerated aging evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein kinase C substrate 80K-H (PRKCSH) plays a crucial role in the protein N-terminal glycosylation process, with emerging evidence implicating its involvement in tumorigenesis. To comprehensively assess PRKCSH's significance across cancers, we conducted a pan-cancer analysis using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE). We assessed aberrant PRKCSH mRNA and protein expression, examined its prognostic implications, and identified correlations with clinical features, tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and tumor immunity across cancer types. We explored PRKCSH gene alterations, DNA methylation, and their impact on patient prognosis. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and single-cell analysis revealed potential biological roles. Additionally, we investigated drug susceptibility and conducted Connectivity Map (Cmap) analysis. Key findings revealed that PRKCSH exhibited overexpression in most tumors, with a significant association with poor overall survival (OS) in six cancer types. Notably, PRKCSH expression demonstrated variations across disease stages, primarily increasing in advanced stages among eleven tumor types. Moreover, PRKCSH exhibited significant correlations with TMB in five cancer categories, MSI in eight, and displayed associations with immune cell populations in pan-cancer analysis. Genetic variations in PRKCSH were identified across 26 tumor types, suggesting favorable disease-free survival. Furthermore, PRKCSH methylation displayed a significant negative correlation with its expression in 27 tumor types, with a marked decrease compared to normal tissues in ten tumors. Cmap predicted 24 potential therapeutic small molecules in over four cancer types. This study highlights that PRKCSH, as a potential oncogene, may be a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target of immunotherapy for a range of malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pan-cancer analysis examines both the commonalities and heterogeneity among genomic and cellular alterations across numerous types of tumors. Pan-cancer analysis of gene expression, tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and methylation becomes available based on the multi-omics data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA). Some online tools provide analysis of gene and protein expression, mutation, methylation, and survival for TCGA data. However, these online tools were either Uni-functional or were not able to perform analysis of user-defined functions. Therefore, we created the TCGAplot R package to facilitate perform pan-cancer analysis and visualization of the built-in multi-omic TCGA data. Results: TCGAplot provides several functions to perform pan-cancer paired/unpaired differential gene expression analysis, pan-cancer correlation analysis between gene expression and TMB, MSI, TIME, and promoter methylation. Functions for visualization include paired/unpaired boxplot, survival plot, ROC curve, heatmap, scatter, radar chart, and forest plot. Moreover, gene set based pan-cancer and tumor specific analyses were also available. Finally, all these built-in multi-omic data could be extracted for implementation for user-defined functions, making the pan-cancer analysis much more convenient.\ Conclusions: We developed an R-package for integrative pan-cancer analysis and visualization of TCGA multi-omics data. The source code and pre-built package are available at GitHub (https://github.com/tjhwangxiong/TCGAplot). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Hypothesis Although extensive research has been conducted on the dynamic wetting of Newtonian fluids, limited insights have been gained for viscoelastic fluids, particularly on engineered surfaces. We hypothesize that differences in dynamic wetting on microstructured surfaces exist between such fluids, which may be attributed to variations in viscosity and elasticity as well as changes in the microscopic morphology of the moving contact line. Experiments To systematically investigate the wetting differences between Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids on microstructured surfaces, we conducted forced wetting experiments of glycerol-water and carboxymethyl cellulose aqueous solutions on microstructured polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces through a modified Wilhelmy plate method. Findings Results demonstrated an apparent difference in the relationship between the dynamic contact angle and moving velocity with different microstructured surfaces for Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids. The power-law exponent between the capillary number and cubic of the dynamic contact angle increases with the strengthening of shear thinning and elastic effects. In contrast, this exponent is rarely influenced by the scale of microstructured surfaces, particularly in highly viscous regions where viscous force dominates. In addition, viscosity affects the viscous bending and distance that liquid molecules jump at the contact line. These findings have potential applications in coating complex fluids on engineered surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) play an important role as endogenous cytoprotectants. However, studies on FABPs in invertebrates are scarce. Previously, we discovered Bombyx mori fatty acid binding protein 1 (BmFABP1) through co‐immunoprecipitation. Here, we cloned and identified BmFABP1 from BmN cells. The results of immunofluorescence indicated that BmFABP1 was localized in the cytoplasm. The tissue expression profile of silkworms showed that BmFABP1 was expressed in all tissues except hemocytes. The expression level of BmFABP1 gradually decreases in BmN cells and B. mori larvae after infection with B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV). Upregulation of BmFABP1 expression through overexpression or WY14643 treatment significantly inhibited the replication of BmNPV, while downregulation of BmFABP1 expression by RNA interference promoted the replication of BmNPV. The same results were obtained in experiments on silkworm larvae. These results suggest that BmNPV induces BmFABP1 downregulation to promote its proliferation and that BmFABP1 has a potential anti‐BmNPV role. This is the first report on the antiviral effect of BmFABP1 in silkworms and provides new insights into the study of the FABP protein family. Also, it is important to study BmNPV resistance in silkworms to breed transgenic silkworms with BmNPV resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Synaptic degeneration occurs in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) before devastating symptoms, strongly correlated with cognitive decline. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are abundantly enriched in neural tissues, and aberrant expression of circRNAs precedes AD symptoms, significantly correlated with clinical dementia severity. However, the direct relationship between circRNA dysregulation and synaptic impairment in the early stage of AD remains poorly understood. Methods: Hippocampal whole-transcriptome sequencing was performed to identify dysregulated circRNAs and miRNAs in 4-month-old wild-type and APP/PS1 mice. RNA antisense purification and mass spectrometry were utilized to unveil interactions between circRIMS2 and methyltransferase 3, N6-adenosine-methyltransferase complex catalytic subunit (METTL3). The roles of circRIMS2/miR-3968 in synaptic targeting of UBE2K-mediated ubiquitination of GluN2B subunit of NMDA receptor were evaluated via numerous lentiviruses followed by morphological staining, co-immunoprecipitation and behavioral testing. Further, a membrane-permeable peptide was used to block the ubiquitination of K1082 on GluN2B in AD mice. Results: circRIMS2 was significantly upregulated in 4-month-old APP/PS1 mice, which was mediated by METTL3-dependent N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification. Overexpression of circRIMS2 led to synaptic and memory impairments in 4-month-old C57BL/6 mice. MiR-3968/UBE2K was validated as the downstream of circRIMS2. Elevated UBE2K induced synaptic dysfunction of AD through ubiquitinating K1082 on GluN2B. Silencing METTL3 or blocking the ubiquitination of K1082 on GluN2B with a short membrane-permeable peptide remarkably rescued synaptic dysfunction in AD mice. Conclusions: In conclusion, our study demonstrated that m6A-modified circRIMS2 mediates the synaptic and memory impairments in AD by activating the UBE2K-dependent ubiquitination and degradation of GluN2B via sponging miR-3968, providing novel therapeutic strategies for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchronization of hypernetworks has been extensively researched due to its potential applications in various contexts, such as secure communications and power grid engineering. However, the existing works thus far have primarily been devoted to inner synchronization or complete outer synchronization with identical node dynamics and topology structures. To investigate harmonious coexistence between two networks with nonidentical node dynamics and reduce control costs as well, this paper focuses on generalized outer synchronization (GOS) and parameters identification of uncertain delayed hypernetworks with stochastic noises. Regardless of whether the node parameters are known or not, based on Lyapunov stability and the LaSalle‐type invariance principle for stochastic differential equations with multiple delays, some sufficient conditions are exhibited to reach GOS almost surely via adaptive control schemes. Moreover, the unknown node parameter vectors are identified by the designed updating laws. In addition, some corollaries are deduced and indicate that our proposed methods contain single‐layer networks and complete synchronization methods as special cases. Furthermore, numerical simulations are provided to verify the effectiveness of our approaches. In particular, it is revealed that network parameters, including time delays, coupling strengths, and noise intensities, have an impact on the performance of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is the most common primary malignant tumor in the central nervous system. Disulfidptosis is a recently identified programmed cell death in tumor cells overexpressing SLC7A11 under glucose starvation. Clinical prognostic significance of disulfidptosis has been reported in several tumors, and in this study, we explored the correlation of disulfidptosis with clinical prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and immunotherapy response in glioma. A total of 1592 glioma patients were included in this study, including 691 glioma patients from The Cancer Genomic Atlas (TCGA), 300 patients with from the Chinese Glioma Genomic Atlas (CGGA) array, 325 patients from CGGA sequencing, and 276 patients from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) GSE16011. R software (V4.2.2) and several R packages were applied to develop the risk score model and correlation calculation and visualization. Three disulfidptosis-related genes, LRPPRC, RPN1, and GYS1, were screened out and applied to establish the risk score model. Low-risk patients exhibit favorable prognosis, and the disulfidptosis-related signature significantly correlated with clinicopathological properties, molecular subtypes, and immunosuppressive microenvironment of glioma patients. We developed a disulfidptosis-related risk model to predict the prognosis and immune features in glioma patients, and this risk model may be applied as an independent prognostic factor for glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the Internet of Things (IoT) development, there is an increasing demand for multi-service scheduling for Mobile Edge Computing (MEC). We propose using polling for scheduling in edge computing to accommodate multi-service scheduling methods better. Given the complexity of asymmetric polling systems, we have used an information-theoretic approach to analyse the model. Firstly, we propose an asymmetric two-level scheduling approach with priority based on a polling scheduling approach. Secondly, the mathematical model of the system in the continuous time state is established by using the embedded Markov chain theory and the probability-generating function. By solving for the probability-generating function's first-order partial and second-order partial derivatives, we calculate the exact expressions of the average queue length, the average polling period, and the average delay with an approximate analysis of periodic query way. Finally, we design a simulation experiment to verify that our derived parameters are correct. Our proposed model can better differentiate priorities in MEC scheduling and meet the needs of IoT multi-service scheduling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe2O3 is one of the most important lithium storage materials and has attracted increasing interest owing to its good capacity in theory, abundant reserves, and better security. The utilization of Fe2O3 materials is hampered by their inferior cycle performance, low rate performance, and restricted composite variety. Herein, the heterostructure of Fe2O3@SnO2 with hexahedral structure was manufactured by two- step hydrothermal strategy, while the SnO2 nanopillars were epitaxially grown in six faces, not in the twelve edges of hexahedral Fe2O3 cubes, which comes from maximizing lattice matching on the six surfaces of Fe2O3. Furthermore, the experimental results prove that the hexahedral Fe2O3@SnO2 heterostructure exhibits remarkably enhanced electrochemical reversibility and reaction kinetics and delivers an impressive initial discharge capacity (1742 mA h g−1 at 4 A g−1), great rate performance (565 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1), and stable long-term durability (661 mA h g−1 after 4000 cycles at 4 A g−1) as an anode for LIBs. The result of the finite element mechanical simulation further indicates that the SnO2 nanopillars grow on the six surfaces but not on the twelve edges of the hexahedral Fe2O3 cube, which would provide great rate performance and long-term stability. This study underlines the merits of the heterostructure and offers a useful design routine for superior electrode materials in LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic waves carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) can be applied in various regions. Much research endeavor has been devoted to developing broadband and polarization-insensitive OAM beams that are preferred in many intriguing applications. This work reports a broadband polarization-insensitive millimeter-wave OAM generator based on high-refractive-index brick-shaped dielectric resonators and studies the relationship between the permittivity of the bricks and OAM beam bandwidth. Based on proper design of the resonators, the broadband, polarization-insensitive, and full phase control can be realized in a broad millimeter-wave band. It is also found that the resonator with higher permittivity leads to a wider OAM beam bandwidth. This structure and conclusion can find a variety of applications in imaging, lithography, and information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Droplet spreading governs various daily phenomena and industrial processes. Insights about microdroplet spreading are limited due to experimental difficulties arising from microdroplet manipulation and substrate wettability control. For droplet sizes approaching the capillary length scale, the gravitational force plays an important role in spreading. In contrast, capillary and viscous forces dominate as the droplet size reduces to smaller length scales. We hypothesize that the dynamic spreading behavior of microdroplets whose radius is far lower than the capillary length differs substantially from established and well understood dynamics. To systematically investigate the spreading dynamics of microdroplets, we develop contact-initiated wetting techniques combined with structuring-independent wettability control to achieve microdroplet (<500 μm) spreading on arbitrary surfaces while eliminating parasitic pinning effects (pining force ∼ 0) and initial impact momentum effects (Weber number ∼ 0). Our experiments reveal that the capillary-driven initial spreading of microdroplets is shorter, with significantly reduced oscillation dampening, when compared to millimeter-scale droplets. Furthermore, spreading along with capillary wave propagation results in coupling between the spreading velocity and dynamic contact angle at the contact line. These findings, along with our proposed microdroplet manipulation platform, may find application in microscale heat transfer, advanced manufacturing, and aerosol transmission studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphidoletes aphidimyza is one of the most important natural enemies of aphids, but its efficiency in aphid control is affected by temperatures. We measured the life history parameters of A. aphidimyza by exposing its different life stages to 35°C for 3, 6, and 12 h. The results showed that the survival rate of eggs, first instar larvae, pupae, and mated males was decreased significantly with the increase of the exposure duration, whereas the survival rate of third instar larvae and adult females was not significant different before and after the exposure. The short-term high temperature stress also significantly decreased the predation of first and second instar larvae, whereas the predation of third instar larvae was not affected. In addition, the heat stress did not affect adult egg production, longevity, and offspring hatching rates, regardless of mating status. These results demonstrated that short periods of heat stress negatively influenced A. aphidimyza development, but the effect was dependent on duration and developmental stage. Therefore, in order to achieve the best predatory efficacy of gall midges against aphid pests, the heat stresses above 35°C should be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous organic polymers (POPs) have attracted much attention in numerous areas, including catalysis, adsorption and separation. Herein, POP supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts were designed for preparation of isotactic polypropylene (iPP). The POPs-based Ziegler–Natta catalysts exhibited the characteristic of broad molecular weight distribution (MWD > 11) with or without adding an extra internal electron donor. The added internal electron donor 3-methyl-5-tert-butyl-1,2-phenylene dibenzoate (ID-2) used in cat-2 showed good propylene polymerization activity of 15.3 × 106 g·PP/mol·Ti·h, high stereoregularity with 98.2% of isotacticity index and broad molecular weight distribution (MWD) of 12.3. Compared to the MgCl2-supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts (cat-4) with the same ID-2, cat-2 showed higher chain stereoregularity for propylene polymerization. As seen in the TREF results, the elution peak of PP-2 (124.0 °C, 91.7%) is 1.5 °C higher than the isotactic fraction from PP-4 (122.5 °C, 87.2%), and even 1.2 °C higher than PP-5 prepared from ID-3 with the characteristics of high stereoregularity. Moreover, the pentad methyl sequence mmmm of PP-2 (93.0%) from cat-2 is 0.5% higher than that of PP-4 from cat-4. XPS analysis revealed that the minute difference in binding energy of Ti, Mg, C and O atoms exist between the inorganic MgCl2 and the organic polymer based Z–N catalysts. The plausible interaction mechanism of active sites of Mg and Ti with the functional groups in the POP support and the added ID was proposed, which could be explained by their high stereoregularity and the broad molecular weight distribution of the POP-based Z–N catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute renal injury (AKI) secondary to ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury continues to be a significant perioperative problem and there is no effective treatment. Mindin belongs to the mindin/F-spondin family and involves in inflammation, proliferation, and cell apoptosis. Previous studies have explored the biological functions of mindin in liver and brain ischemic injury, but its role in AKI is unknown. Method: To investigate whether mindin has a pathogenic role, mindin knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were used to establish renal IR model. After 30 min of ischemia and 24 h of reperfusion, renal histology, serum creatinine, and inflammatory response were examined to assess kidney injury. In vitro, proinflammatory factors and inflammatory signaling pathways were measured in mindin overexpression or knockdown and vector cells after hypoxia/reoxygenation (HR). Results: Following IR, the kidney mindin level was increased in WT mice and deletion of mindin provided significant protection for mice against IR-induced renal injury as manifested by attenuated the elevation of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen along with less severity for histological alterations. Mindin deficiency significantly suppressed inflammatory cell infiltration, TNF-α and MCP-1 production following renal IR injury. Mechanistic studies revealed that mindin deficiency inhibits TLR4/JNK/NF-κB signaling activation. In vitro, the expression levels of TNF-α and MCP-1 were increased in mindin overexpression cells compared with vector cells following HR. Moreover, TLR4/JNK/NF-κB signaling activation was elevated in the mindin overexpression cells in response to HR stimulation while mindin knockdown inhibited the activation of TLR4/JNK/ NF-κB signaling after HR in vitro. Further study showed that mindin protein interacted directly with TLR4 protein. And more, mindin protein was confirmed to be expressed massively in renal tubule tissues of human hydronephrosis patients. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that mindin is a critical modulator of renal IR injury through regulating inflammatory responses. TLR4/JNK/NF-κB signaling most likely mediates the biological function of mindin in this model of renal ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial evidence suggests that pepper consumption is associated with a reduced risk of obesity-related complications. However, whether piperine, the main component of pepper, improves obesity-induced hepatic lipid accumulation and insulin resistance and the action mechanism of piperine still remain unclear. We hypothesized that piperine attenuates high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and improves the related metabolic complications in HFD-induced obese rats. Adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats were fed a control diet (CON) or an HFD for 16 weeks. Obese rats were divided into 4 groups: HFD and HFD with daily gavage of piperine 2.7 mg/kg body weight (PIP-Low), 13.5 mg/kg body weight (PIP-Medium), and 27 mg/kg body weight (PIP-High) for another 8 weeks. Rats were euthanized after an 8-hour fast, and the liver, heart, kidney, and white adipose tissue were collected and stored at –80 °C. Piperine administration significantly reduced weight gain, plasma insulin, and glucose concentration. For oral piperine at a dose of 27 mg/kg body weight, body weight significantly decreased by 5.7% compared with that in the HFD group. Additionally, oral piperine administration considerably reduced serum triglyceride concentration. Furthermore, piperine administration reversed the HFD-induced downregulation of adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling molecules and increased the plasma levels of adiponectin and the messenger RNA expression of the adiponectin receptor; additionally, it increased the phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B. Overall, oral piperine administration reversed HFD-induced liver lipid accumulation and insulin resistance, possibly via the inactivation of adiponectin-AMPK and PI3K-Akt signaling. These findings imply that piperine could serve as an effective agent for healthy weight loss. [Display omitted] Molecular mechanism of oral administration piperine improves high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic syndrome in rats. Piperine upregulates the level of adiponectin in plasma, thereby activating the AMPK signaling pathway through LKB1. Further, it leads to downregulated fat synthesis-related genes (Fas, ACC), and promotes fat burning and consumption. In addition, piperine activates the PI3k-Akt signaling pathway to improve insulin resistance induced by an HFD. Abbreviations: ACC, acetyl-CoA carboxylase; AdipoR, adiponectin receptor; AKT, protein kinase B; AMPK, adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase; CPT-1, carnitine palmitoyl transferase; FAS, fatty acid syntheses; HFD, high-fat diet; IRS, insulin receptor substrate; LKB1, liver kinase B1; PI3K, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase; PPAR-γ, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-γ; SREBP1, sterol regulatory element binding proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of an excessive concentration of drug molecules in the environment and biological systems often causes many unknown diseases, leading to health problems, which endanger human life. Thus, sensitive optical sensors for chlorogenic acid, a common antibacterial drug, were developed based on water-stable lanthanide coordination polymers (Ln-CPs). Herein, using a ternary mixed-ligand strategy, five isostructural Ln-CPs, [Ln(bct)(phen)(ox)0.5(H2O)]n (Ln = Eu 1, Tb 2, Sm 3, Dy 4, Ce 5, H2bct = 3,5-bis(4′-carboxyphen-yl)-1,2,4-triazole, phen = phenanthroline and H2ox = oxalic acid), were successfully synthesized. Their crystal structure was characterized by a two-dimensional coordination network formed by H2ox-Ln chain- and H2bct-Ln chain-connecting nodes [LnO6N2], which was further extended by hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional supramolecular structure. The optical properties of 1 exhibited strong red luminescence under the maximum excitation of 348 nm due to the 5D0 → 7FJ (J = 0–3) transition of the Eu3+ ions. Also, 1 maintained good luminescence stability in water over a wide pH range (pH = 5–12), which is an essential requirement for an excellent fluorescence sensor. The fluorescence sensing test indicated that 1 exhibited high sensitivity for chlorogenic acid with an LOD of 7.48 × 10−5 mol L−1. Complex 1 was also effective for the detection of chlorogenic acid in the presence of weak acids, bases and other interfering substances. The sensing mechanism of complex 1 for chlorogenic acid was discussed through experimental and theoretical approaches. 2 exhibited strong green luminescence, which is caused by the 5D4 → 7FJ (J = 6–3) transition of Tb3+ ions and showed similar detection capability for chlorogenic acid (LOD of 4.9 × 10−5 mol L−1). It is noteworthy to mention that the red/green emission film@Ln-CP based on naked eye recognition was successfully applied for the rapid detection of chlorogenic acid. The results showed that the synthesized Eu/Tb-CPs can be used as a sensitive luminescence sensing material for chlorogenic acid and has a potential application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study numerically investigates the bouncing characteristics of impacting droplets on superhydrophobic sub-millimeter parallel grooves by the level-set method. Once the Weber number (We) is increased to a critical value (Wec), a unique petal-like droplet bouncing off the parallel grooves without horizontal retraction is found, dramatically reducing the contact time (tc) by up to ∼75%. Such a bouncing mode is attributed to the rectification of capillary energy stored in the penetrated liquids into upward motion. To achieve controllable petal bouncing, the coupling effects of impact velocity and surface geometric characteristics on tc and Wec are elucidated from the perspective of timescale, momentum, and energy. The numerical results indicate that narrowing the center-to-center spacing contributes to shortening tc and slowing down the growth of tc with We. In contrast, the effect of ridge height is negligible. By establishing the model of emptying time, the relationships of tc with impact velocity and geometric parameters are quantitatively identified. Furthermore, along with the strengthened anisotropic property, a large center-to-center spacing promotes the conversion of horizontal momentum into vertical momentum and suppresses the increment of surface energy, thus inducing the reduction in Wec. Distinct from known anisotropic surfaces in the previous work, the anisotropic property of parallel-grooved surface plays an opposite role in shortening tc. Finally, incorporating the energy balance approach, a semi-empirical model is developed to predict Wec, exhibiting good agreement with present simulation. This work provides physical insights into petal bouncing and inspires the design of textured surfaces to reduce contact time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Metformin treatment reverses cardiac function, improves glucose-uptake, decreases myocardial fibrosis, and ameliorates microvascular integrity under T2DM. • Metformin incubation improves CMECs injury and ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress induced by high glucose plus high fat (HG-HF). • Mitochondrial Tom70 expression is damaged by HG-HF, and its supplement ameliorates CMECs injury under HG-HF. Metformin incubation reverses the injury in Tom70 expression induced by HG-HF, and its protective effects on diabetic cardiac microvessels are interrupted after Tom70 knocked down. Microvascular protection is the main mechanism of metformin against diabetic complications. Cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) are the basic component of cardiac microvessels, and they suffer from oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction under type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane 70 (Tom70) improves mitochondrial dysfunction, but its role in the hearts of T2DM patients remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the protective effect of metformin on diabetic cardiac microvascular injury and to identify the role of Tom70 in this effect. T2DM mice were established by multiple intraperitoneal injections of low-dose streptozotocin and 12-week high-fat feeding. CMECs were isolated and cultured with normal glucose (NG), high glucose (HG), and HG plus high fat (HG-HF) media. The results indicated that long-term metformin treatment partly reversed cardiovascular complication and mitigated cardiac microvascular injury in T2DM. In addition, exposure to HG-HF led to CMEC damage, aggravated oxidative stress, aggravated mitochondrial dysfunction, and reduced mitochondrial Tom70 expression, whereas upregulation of Tom70 significantly ameliorated these injuries. Furthermore, metformin treatment promoted Tom70 expression and effectively reversed CMEC injury induced by HG-HF. However, all of these effects were interrupted after Tom70 was knocked down. In conclusion, T2DM damages microvascular integrity by activating a cycle of decreased Tom70 expression, mitochondrial dysfunction, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) overload in CMECs. However, metformin suppresses oxidative stress, relieves mitochondrial dysfunction, and promotes the expression of Tom70, ultimately ameliorating diabetic microvascular injury and heart complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Femoral neck fracture is an unsolved challenge in orthopedics. The complication rate in particular is high. There remains a lack of consensus on the optimal choice of internal fixation for unstable femoral neck fracture. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to develop a new headless compression supporting screw (HCSS) for the treatment of unstable foemoral neck fracture. METHODS: We designed a new HCSS and used a femoral neck fracture (Pauwels III fracture) model (left, fourth-generation composite, Sawbones) and three-dimensional finite element analysis to compare the biomechanical performance of HCSSs with that of cannulated compression screws (CCSs) for treatment of unstable femoral neck fracture. RESULTS: Maximum displacement, peak von Mises stress, peak strain, and rotation for the HCSS were smaller than those for the CCS. The stress was more widely distributed for the HCSS, whereas the stress was concentrated for the CCS. CONCLUSIONS: The HCSS resulted in better biomechanical stability than that from the CCS. For Pauwels III fractures the HCSS exhibits better resistance to shear forces and better support, providing a new clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a typical model baculovirus, representing one of the major pathogens of the silkworm. We reconstituted the virus in vitro and used it as a bait for immunoprecipitation experiments on cells and silkworm bodies, obtaining a database of proteins potentially interacting with BmNPV. This study provides a protein data reference for the screening of BmNPV receptors and the study of proteins that play a key role in the replication of BmNPV. It is also important to deal with the prevention of BmNPV in silkworms at the molecular level. Virus–host interactions are critical for virus replication, virulence, and pathogenicity. The Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a typical model baculovirus, representing one of the most common and harmful pathogens in sericulture. Herein, we used co-immunoprecipitation to identify candidate proteins with potential interactions with BmNPV. First, a recombinant BV virus particle rBmBV-egfp-p64-3×flag-gp64sp was constructed using a MultiBac baculovirus multigene expression system. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments were then performed with the recombinant BV virus infected with BmN cells and Dazao silkworms. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed a total of 845 and 1368 candidate proteins were obtained from BmN cells and silkworm samples, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis (Gene Ontology, KEGG Pathway) was conducted for selection of proteins with significant enrichment for further confirmation of the effects on BmNPV replication. Overall, the results showed that SEC61 and PIC promoted the replication of BmNPV, while FABP1 inhibited the replication of BmNPV. In summary, this study reveals the potential proteins involved in BmNPV invasion and proliferation in the host and provides a platform for identifying the potential receptor proteins of BmNPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactoferrin (Ltf), a naturally active glycoprotein, possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory activities. Many published studies have indicated that Ltf modulates the proliferation of stem cells. However, the role of Ltf in the proliferation of satellite cells, an important cell type in muscle regeneration, has not yet been reported. Here, by using Ltf systemic knockout mice, we illustrate the role of Ltf in skeletal muscle. Results shows that Ltf deficiency impaired proliferation of satellite cells (SCs) and the regenerative capability of skeletal muscle. Mechanistic studies showed that ERK1/2 phosphorylation was significantly downregulated after Ltf deletion in SCs. Simultaneously, the cell cycle-related proteins cyclin D and CDK4 were significantly downregulated. Intervention with exogenous recombinant lactoferrin (R-Ltf) at a concentration of 1000 μg/mL promoted proliferation of SCs. In addition, intraperitoneal injection of Ltf effectively ameliorated the skeletal muscle of mice injured by 1.2% BaCl2 solution. Our results suggest a protective effect of Ltf in the repair of skeletal muscle damage. Ltf holds promise as a novel therapeutic agent for skeletal muscle injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A spatiotemporal feature fusion-based deep learning (FFDL) framework is developed. • The FFDL framework is utilized to forecast synchronous excavation stability. • It's designed with feature fusion, deep learning, and global sensitivity analysis. • Feature fusion-based indicators are generated for excavation database preparation. • A case study is conducted to verify the applicability of the FFDL framework. Under rapid urbanization, analyzing and perceiving synchronous excavation stability is essential to generate valuable and foresightful information in identifying and mitigating potential risks in deep excavations. Although the existing forecasting methods can achieve high accuracy in the safety state perception of deep excavations, it is prone to lack proper consideration of the monitoring item's fusion and cause error and uncertainty via the single-parameter risk evaluation. To address it, this paper proposes a spatiotemporal feature fusion-based deep learning (FFDL) framework to implement the feature fusion-based data analysis and time-series forecasting on the factor of safety (FS) on behalf of excavation stability, and global sensitivity analysis. The fusion indicators and proposed FFDL framework are validated through a comprehensive case study encompassing 100 typical metro station constructions. The feature fusion-based data analysis results confirm the statistical significance of fusion indicators, contributing to establishing a high-quality spatiotemporal sequential database. As for the real-time prediction, the Bayesian optimization CNN-LSTM model provides a reliable prediction of excavation stability and the relative errors in the training and testing datasets do not exceed 1% and 3% in construction duration. It also enhances the predictive accuracy and outperforms the existing models LSTM, GRU, BiLSTM, and CNN-LSTM, reaching an average improvement of 38%, 32%, and 32% in RMSE, MAE, and MAPE, respectively. Furthermore, the proposed model has an excellent generalization performance in accurately predicting the excavation stability of the other ten excavation cases with an average relative error of 5.37%. In short, this work contributes to not only providing a new perspective in risk management by integrating feature fusion-based indicators and excavation stability but also verifying the applicability of the proposed framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the possible mechanism of atipamezole in improving cognitive function after general anesthesia in aged rats, forty-five aged SD rats were separated into control, model, and atipamezole groups. Rats in the model group were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of 75 mg/kg ketamine plus 5 mg/kg midazolam. Results showed that the escape incubation period of the atipamezole group versus model group on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th days was shortened, residence time of platform quadrant was prolonged on the 5th day, and number of times of crossing platform quadrant was increased. Compared with the control group, the residence time in the central region of the model group was shortened on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days. Atipamezole group's central residence time was prolonged on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days compared to the model group. Concentrations of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in the hippocampus of the atipamezole group decreased significantly compared to the model group. The expressions of p-CREB and c-fos proteins in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of rats in the atimezazole group were higher than those in the model group. In conclusion, atipamezole preconditioning can reduce cognitive dysfunction in aged rats after general anesthesia, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting hippocampal inflammatory reaction and improving protein expression levels of p-CREB and c-fos in related brain regions of aged rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer materials are promoting the rapid development of society, but they cause serious environmental pollution and waste of resources due to improper treatment after disposal. Chemical recovery is becoming a promising solution since it can transform the waste polymers into useful chemicals or materials. However, it is a very big challenge to recover thermosetting resins due to their stable three-dimensional network structure. Uncontrolled degradation always leads to complex separation and low reutilization of degradation products. This review focuses on the progress in chemical recovery of most productive thermosetting unsaturated polyester resins (UPR) and highlights the efforts towards the selective breaking of ester bonds. It presents a new strategy of reconstruction-oriented recovery by which the degradation reaction is designed in combination with the reutilization of degradation products. We also give promising prospects for the chemical recovery of UPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer (OC) often presents at an advanced stage and is still one of the most frequent causes of gynecological cancer-related mortality worldwide. The nuclear factor erythroid-2 (NFE2) transcription factors include nuclear factor, erythroid 2 like 1 (NFE2L1), NFE2L2, and NFE2L3. NFE2 members bind to the antioxidant-response element (ARE) region and activate the expression of targeted genes. The distinct functions of NFE2 members in OC remain poorly elucidated. Several online bioinformatics databases were applied to determine gene expression, prognosis, mutations, and immune infiltration correlation in OC patients. NFE2L1 and NFE2L2 were decreased in OC, whereas NFE2L3 was increased. NFE2L2 and NFE2L3 were significantly correlated with the clinical stages of OC. High NFE2L1 level was significantly associated with short progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with OC (HR = 1.18 , P = 0.021), while high NFE2L2 expression strongly correlated with long PFS (HR = 0.77 , P = 0.00067). High NFE2L3 expression was associated with better overall survival and postprogression survival in OC. Functional analysis showed that NFE2 members mainly focused on transcription coactivator activities. Genetic alterations of NFE2 members were found in 13% of OC patients, and amplification ranked the top. The expression of NFE2 members was significantly correlated with immune infiltration of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, macrophages, and neutrophils in OC. Our study provides novel insights into the roles and prognostic potential of NFE2 family members in OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of organic/inorganic hybrid materials has been proven to be an effective method to overcome the drawbacks of organic or inorganic materials. In this paper, porous organic polymer/montmorillonite (POP/MMT) hybrid materials by in situ intercalative radical polymerization were synthesized for metallocene catalyst support, and the prepared POP/MMT hybrid supports obtained excellent particle flowability with tunnable bulk density (0.20–0.40 cm3/g) and specific surface area (SSA) (100–350 m2/g) suitable for polyolefin catalysts. N2 sorption porosity, TGA, IR, XRD, SEM characterization were conducted to evaluate the POP/MMT hybrid supports, and the results showed that the MMT sheets could be well-dispersed in the POP matrix through in situ intercalative polymerization when 80% DVB was used, and when DVB/HEMA with 3:1 molar ratio was added, the prepared POP/MMT hybrid support POP-7 (331 m2/g) gained excellent particle flowability and single peak of particle size distribution. Ethylene polymerization results exhibited that the POP/MMT supported metallocene catalysts could obtain better polymerization performance than MMT and silica gel-supported catalysts. The hybrid support POP-4 based metallocene catalyst achieved the highest polymerization activity of 8019 kg PE/mol Zr.bar.h and productivity of 1136 g PE/g cat.h with the produced PE bulk density of 0.27 g/ml. POP-4 supported metallocene catalyst obtained increased productivity of 2300 g PE/g cat.h and bulk density of 0.32 g/ml in higher ethylene partial pressure of 6 bar, and gained stable polymerization kinetics in 80 °C with no obvious decay. Furthermore, the pore structure played a significant effect on the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution by nanoconfined polymerization, and larger molecular chains could be produced on the POP/MMT supported catalysts with smaller nanopore size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemophilia A (HA, OMIM: 306700) is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder, caused by defects of the F8 gene which encodes the coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). F8 intron 22 and intron 1 inversion (Inv22 and Inv1) account for ∼45% and 1–5% of severe HA cases, respectively. We herein described an aberrant Inv1 with concomitant large duplication and deletion in a Chinese severe HA patient. Long distance PCR and multiplex PCR were used to detect Inv22 and Inv1. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was applied to examine exonic duplication and deletion of the F8 gene. Coverage analysis of read depth data from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to analyze the intronic duplication and deletion of the F8 gene. We have identified an aberrant F8 Inv1 in a 1-year-old Chinese severe HA patient showing inversed int1h-1 and normal int1h-2. Coverage analysis of WGS data further illustrated the aberrant Inv1 with concomitant a duplication of 117 kb and a deletion of 1.8 kb. In conclusion, we reported an aberrant Inv1 with concomitant large duplication and deletion in a severe Chinese HA patient. Moreover, WGS provides rapid genetic diagnosis of hereditary disorders with point mutations, deletions, insertions and CNVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemolysins cause the lysis of invading organisms, representing major humoral immunity used by invertebrates. Hemolysins have been discovered in hemolymph of Helicoverpa armigera larvae as immune factors. As oral immunity is great important to clear general pathogens, we presumed that hemolysins may be present in oral secretions (OS). To confirm this hypothesis, we conducted four testing methods to identify hemolysin(s) in larval OS of H. armigera , and analyzed physicochemical properties of the hemolysin in comparison with hemolytic melittin of Apis mellifera (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) venom. We found hemolysin(s) from OS of H. armigera for the first time, and further identified in other lepidopteran herbivores. It could be precipitated by ammonium sulfate, which demonstrates that the hemolytic factor is proteinaceous. Labial gland showed significantly higher hemolytic activity than gut tissues, suggesting that hemolysin of OS is mainly derived from saliva secreted by labial glands. Physicochemical properties of hemolysin in caterpillar's OS were different from bee venom. It was noteworthy that hemolytic activity of OS was only partially inhibited even at 100°C. Hemolytic activity of OS was not inhibited by nine tested carbohydrates contrary to bee venom melittin. Moreover, effects of metal ions on hemolytic activity were different between OS and bee venom. We conclude that there is at least a novel hemolysin in OS of herbivorous insects with proposed antibacterial function, and its hemolytic mechanism may be different from melittin. Our study enriches understanding of the potential role of hemolysins in insect immunity and provides useful data to the field of herbivorous insect-pathogen research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (PBMAH) is a rare form of adrenal Cushing's syndrome. The slowly progressing expansion of bilateral adrenal tissues usually persists for dozens of years, leading to delayed onset with severe conditions due to chronic mild hypercortisolism. About 20–50% cases were found to be caused by inactivating mutation of armadillo repeat-containing protein 5 (ARMC5) gene. Case presentation: A 51-year-old man was admitted for severe diabetes mellitus, resistant hypertension, centripedal obesity and edema. PBMAH was diagnosed after determination of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels, dexamethasone suppression tests and abdominal contrast-enhanced CT scanning. The metabolic disorders of the patient remarkably improved after sequentially bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy combined with hormone replacement. Sanger sequencing showed germline nonsense mutation of ARMC5 c.967C>T (p.Gln323Ter). The second somatic missense mutation of ARMC5 was detected in one out of two resected nodules, reflecting the second-hit model of tumorigenesis. Routine genetic testing in his apparently healthy offspring showed one of two daughters and one son harbored the germline mutation. Conclusions: In conclusion, our case report highlight the importance of genetic testing in the molecular diagnosis of PBMAH. Genetic screening in related family members will find out asymptomatic variant carriers to guide life-long follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Amphiphilic oligomer is obtained from waste resin by completely breaking ester group. • Amphiphilic aerogels (AAs) show good compressibility and resilience performance. • AAs exhibit high adsorption capacity and reusability towards water and oily liquids. The styrene-maleic acid copolymer (SMC) was obtained by selective and complete cleavage of ester groups from waste thermosetting unsaturated polyester resins (WTUPR). The degradation was performed in glycol at 180 °C for 5 h with potassium carbonate as a catalyst and the resultant potassium salt of SMC (SMC-K) can be very easily separated by precipitation using ethanol with a yield of 63.8%. The SMC-K was integrated with polyvinyl alcohol to form amphiphilic aerogels via freeze–thaw and freeze-drying processes. The aerogel exhibits a low density of 0.024 g·mL−1 due to hierarchical pore structures with a size range from nanometer to micrometer scale. Besides, the good compressibility and resilience of the aerogel are demonstrated. The amphiphilic aerogel displayed high absorption of both water and oily liquids (over 30 g.g−1 and 20 g.g−1 for water and dichloromethane respectively), together with a good recycle adsorption efficiency (>90% after 10 cycles). This work provides a new strategy on upcycling of WTUPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the course of the past two decades, a great deal of researchers has investigated synchronization of networked systems with determined node dynamics. However, in many realistic situations, noise is inevitable in man-made and naturally occurring networked systems. Therefore, dynamical networked systems with stochastic perturbations have gained substantial attention and have been extensively studied both in theoretical research and in practical applications. The primary goal of this paper is focused on the novel synchronization protocol design problem of nonlinear stochastic dynamical networked systems. Sufficient conditions are given to select protocol parameters. By employing stochastic analysis techniques and selecting appropriate Lyapunov functions, we proved that global synchronization of nonlinear stochastic dynamical networked systems can be reached in mean square. Numerical examples are depicted to demonstrate the efficiency of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the great uncertainty and complexity in the underground environment, precious risk perception in underground construction is a highly challenging problem. Excessive false-positive alarms (FPA) and false-negative alarms (FNA) generated by the unreasonable setting of early-warning values are the main causes to affect the safety of engineering in underground construction. Aiming to reduce the FPA and FNA in risk assessment of an excavation procedure, this paper provides a novel data-driven optimization framework for early-warning threshold modification based on massive field monitoring data. The multi-objective expected value optimization (MEVO) approach is applied to achieve the goal of unsupervised and multivariate modification tasks. Firstly, the objective functions of the MEVO approach are established with the combination of grey relational analysis and Cosine similarity measure. Secondly, the expected values of objective functions are calculated based on the expert evaluation method and Monte Carlo simulation. Finally, the sample sequence generated from observed monitoring data satisfying the expected values is selected as the optimal solution. A case study is utilized to verify the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed approach. The result from the case study indicates that: (1) The proposed approach modifies the multivariate early-warning values to decrease the number of alarms with a reduction ratio of 12% in the training set; (2) The early-warning frequency under the modified values is lower than that under the original values during the whole excavation stages in the testing set; (3) The modified threshold values fall within the threshold intervals based on expert evaluation method, which are capable of improving risk assessment in current practice. In short, our proposed approach enables a more accurate and intelligent evaluation of the risk state by formulating more credible criteria. It contributes to serving as a reliable decision tool for ensuring construction safety during deep excavation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent discovery of Leidenfrost droplet trampolining deviates from the traditionally accepted steady-state assumption and updates our understanding of Leidenfrost droplet state. However, the conditions of trampolining and its effect on heat transfer have not been fully understood. To address these issues, this study numerically investigates the dynamic behavior and heat transfer characteristics of Leidenfrost droplets under varying liquid viscosity and droplet size. A regime map for Leidenfrost droplet state with respect to Bond number and Ohnesorge is presented. Particularly, an unreported oscillation regime is discovered between equilibrium regime and trampolining regime. The results indicate that low viscosity and moderate droplet size favor the observation of trampolining. Besides, the oscillating droplet is modeled via a mass-spring-damper system in both equilibrium and oscillation regimes, with damping coefficient, spring constant and oscillation period quantitatively correlated with liquid viscosity and droplet size by simple scaling laws. In the trampolining regime, an intriguing phenomenon is observed as the maximum vapor layer thickness demonstrates two local maxima with increasing droplet size. We also quantitatively unravel that reducing liquid viscosity and increasing droplet size can lead to a thicker vapor layer thickness, thus inhibiting the heat transfer to the droplet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viruses utilize multiple cellular proteins to facilitate their proliferation. The Heat Shock Protein (HSP), the highly conserved protein in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, plays a critical role in facilitating viral proliferation. However, less is known about the role of the HSPs in the life cycles of the Baculoviruses. We constructed recombinant Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus and discovered the Heat Shock Protein 75 (TRAP1) in the B. mori ovary (BmN) cells by the co-immunoprecipitation experiment using the GP64 (glycoprotein 64) as the bait protein. Tissue expression profile analysis of B. mori indicated that the TRAP1 gene has higher expression levels in the ovary, midgut, and hemolymph. Down-regulation of TRAP1 via RNA interference (RNAi) and geldanamycin (GA, a TRAP1 inhibitor) treatment can reduce the expression level of the major capsid protein VP39 (viral protein 39) of BmNPV. In contrast, the up-regulation of TRAP1 via overexpression can increase the expression level of the VP39. These results indicated that the TRAP1 of B. mori could facilitate the proliferation of the BmNPV. This study provided new insights into the function of TRAP1, and the basic mechanisms of the baculoviruses life cycle for disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the outbreak of COVID-19 ongoing, this infectious disease has been posing a significant threat to public health. However, we are still relatively inexperienced on recognizing the clinical characteristics of severe COVID-19 and death cases. Therefore, we hereby collected and analyzed a total of 232 cases to illustrate the clinical characteristics of such patients in Wuhan and to find notable marks for early clinical warning. We consider age, comorbidities, platelet count, albumin, D-dimer, LDH, CRP and IL-6 level might be more meaningful marks for COVID-19 prognostic evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wiedemann‐Steiner Syndrome (WSS) is an autosomal dominant genetic condition caused by mutations in the KMT2A gene. Lysine methyltransferase, encoded by KMT2A, plays critical roles in the regulation of gene expression during early development. Methods: Trio‐based whole exome sequencing (Trio‐WES) was performed on a 15 months old Chinese girl and her two parents by MyGenostics (Beijing, China) using the Illumina HiSeq X ten system. Variants were confirmed with Sanger sequencing. She exhibited mild/moderate intellectual disability (ID), hypotonia, hypertrichosis cubiti, hypertrichosis on the back, dysmorphic facies, psychomotor retardation, growth delay, small and puffy hands, fat pads anterior to calcanei, and palmar/plantar grooves. Results: Trio‐WES revealed a novel de novo mutation of KMT2A gene (NM_001197104.1: c.3566G>T, p.Cys1189Phe). WSS was diagnosed based on WES and clinical features. Conclusion: Our findings expand the phenotypic and mutation spectra of WSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to investigate the potentially neuroprotective effects and underlying mechanisms for brown seaweed polysaccharide of polymannuronic acid (PM) against Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. PD model mice were pretreated with PM via oral gavage once per day for 4 weeks and the preventative effects of PM against neuronal loss together with its modulation on brain-gut-microbiota axis were systematically explored. The results showed PM administration improved motor functions by preventing dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and enhanced contents of striatal homovanillic acid (HVA), serotonin (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in PD mice. PM significantly alleviated inflammation in gut, brain and systemic circulation as shown by reduced levels or expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines concurrently and inhibited mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway in mice colon. Meanwhile, PM greatly improved integrity of intestinal barrier and blood brain barrier (BBB) as indicated by increased expressions of tight junction associated proteins in both mice colon and SNpc. Further studies indicated PM treatment resulted in changes of gut microbial compositions, together with great alterations of digestion and metabolism of dietary proteins and fats, which led to surge increase of fecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the colon of PD mice. In conclusion, pre-administration of PM could provide neuroprotective effects against PD pathogenesis by suppressing inflammation in gut, brain and systemic circulation, and by improving integrity of intestinal barrier and BBB. PM might modulate brain-gut-microbiota axis, at least in part, via gut microbiota derived SCFAs as mediators. Unlabelled Image • Oral administration of PM prevented dopaminergic neuronal loss in PD mice • PM increased fecal SCFAs via microbiota mediated metabolism of proteins and fats • PM alleviated inflammation in gut, brain and systematic circulation concurrently • PM improved integrity of intestinal barrier and blood brain barrier • SCFAs might act as important mediators for neuroprotective effects of PM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemophilia B (HB, OMIM: 300746) is one of the most common bleeding disorders with an X-linked recessive inheritance pattern, caused by the deficiency of coagulation factor IX (FIX). FIX is encoded by the F9 gene located on Xq27.1. Diagnosis of HB is primarily suspected by prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), decreased FIX activity (FIX:C) or genetic test of the F9 gene. We herein described a Chinese family with patients of mild HB. Sanger sequencing of the F9 gene was applied to identify mutation. Coagulation tests were performed. The proband was a 5-year-old boy. He suffered prolonged bleeding after tonsillectomy recently and circumcision last year as well. His grandfather experienced prolonged bleeding after gastric surgery. Both patients showed normal APTT, though they had significantly decreased FIX:C. Sanger sequencing of the F9 gene revealed a novel hemizygous F9 c.639C > A (p.Asn213Lys) missense mutation in both patients. The proband's mother carried heterozygous mutation. This mutation was located in the activation peptide domain of FIX. In conclusion, we confirmed that APTT could be normal in mild HB patients. Highly sensitive APTT for mild HB and molecular genetic test could confirm the diagnosis of mild HB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Congenital fibrinogen disorders (CFDs) are caused by monoallelic or biallelic mutations in FGA, FGB, and FGG genes. Quantitative CFDs include afibrinogenemia and hypofibrinogenemia, while qualitative CFDs consist of dysfibrinogenemia and hypodysfibrinogenemia. Hypofibrinogenemia and dysfibrinogenemia are autosomal dominant disorders while afibrinogenemia is a recessive one. We aimed to perform genetic diagnosis of a Chinese patient with CFD. Methods: DNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) was applied using amplicon-based panel () targeting all exons and splice sites of FGA, FGB, and FGG genes. Identified mutations were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Results: We have identified a novel heterozygous FGB c.560_561delTG (p.Val187GlufsTer2) frameshift deletion and a novel heterozygous FGA c.190T > G (p.Cys64Gly) missense mutations in a Chinese patient with CFD. Conclusion: This is the first report of digenic variants causing CFD, and these findings may improve understanding of the genetic architecture of CFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]