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[Display omitted] • A novel homogeneous cobalt complex for reductive formylation of N -heteroarenes to generate N -formyltetrahydroquinolines. • Formic acid as an abundant and easy to handle transfer hydrogenation reagent under cobalt catalysis. • Low catalyst loading, high efficiency and broad substrate scope. • Metal ligand cooperated dehydrogenation of formic acid. Herein, we report a cobalt N , N -bidentate complex catalyzed reductive formylation of N -heteroarenes for the generation of N -formyltetrahydroquinoline (FTHQ) derivatives, formic acid was employed as a transfer hydrogenation reagent that was safe, abundant and easy to handle. This work represented the first homogeneous system for reductive formylation of N -heteroarenes, the metal ligand cooperated dehydrogenation was the key to the success of this transformation. Deuteration labelling experiments and Hammet analysis were conducted and a plausible mechanism was suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several methods can assist in detecting early esophageal cancer (EEC) and staging esophageal cancer (EC) invasion depth. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) plus endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for diagnosing EC. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases for relevant studies. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QADAS2) was used to assess the studies' methodological quality. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood (LR+), negative likelihood (LR−), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated, and the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Results: Seven studies were included. The meta-analysis suggested that the pooled sensitivity, specificity, LR+, LR−, and DOR of ME-NBI plus EUS for diagnosing EC were 0.947 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.901–0.975), 0.894 (95% CI, 0.847–0.931), 7.989 (95% CI, 4.264–14.970), 0.066 (95% CI, 0.035–0.124), and 137.96 (95% CI, 60.369–315.27), respectively. Those values for staging the invasive depth were 0.791 (95% CI, 0.674–0.881), 0.943 (95% CI, 0.906–0.968), 13.087 (95% CI, 7.559–22.657), 0.226 (95% CI, 0.142–0.360), and 61.332 (95% CI, 27.343–137.57). The areas under the curves (AUCs) for diagnosis and staging were 0.97 and 0.95, respectively. Conclusions: ME-NBI plus EUS might be an adequate diagnostic and staging modality for EC. Due to the study limitations, more large-scale, high-quality studies are needed to confirm the diagnostic accuracy of ME-NBI plus EUS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) is one of two mitofusins involved in regulating mitochondrial size, shape and function, including mitophagy, an important cellular mechanism to limit oxidative stress. Reduced expression of Mfn2 has been associated with impaired osteoblast differentiation and function and a reduction in the number of viable osteocytes in bone. We hypothesized that the genetic absence of Mfn2 in these cells would increase their susceptibility to aging-associated metabolic stress, leading to a progressive impairment in skeletal homeostasis over time. Mfn2 was selectively deleted in vivo at three different stages of osteoblast lineage commitment by crossing mice in which the Mfn2 gene was floxed with transgenic mice expressing Cre under the control of the promoter for Osterix (OSX), collagen1a1, or DMP1 (Dentin Matrix Acidic Phosphoprotein 1). Mice in which Mfn2 was deleted using DMP1-cre demonstrated a progressive and dramatic decline in bone mineral density (BMD) beginning at 10 weeks of age (n = 5 for each sex and each genotype from age 10 to 20 weeks). By 15 weeks, there was evidence for a functional decline in muscle performance as assessed using a rotarod apparatus (n = 3; 2 males/ 1 female for each genotype), accompanied by a decline in lean body mass. A marked reduction in trabecular bone mass was evident on bone histomorphometry, and biomechanical testing at 25 weeks (k/o: 2 male/1 female, control 2 male/2 female) revealed severely impaired femur strength. Extensive regional myofiber atrophy and degeneration was observed on skeletal muscle histology. Electron microscopy showed progressive disruption of cellular architecture, with disorganized sarcomeres and a bloated mitochondrial reticulum. There was also evidence of neurodegeneration within the ventral horn and roots of the lumbar spinal cord, which was accompanied by myelin loss and myofiber atrophy. Deletion of Mfn2 using OSX-cre or Col1a1-cre did not result in a musculoskeletal phenotype. Where possible, male and female animals were analyzed separately, but small numbers of animals in each group limited statistical power. For other outcomes, where sex was not considered, small sample sizes might still limit the strength of the observation. Despite known functional overlap of Mfn1 and Mfn2 in some tissues, and their co-expression in bone, muscle and spinal cord, deletion of Mfn2 using the 8 kB DMP1 promoter uncovered an important non-redundant role for Mfn2 in maintaining the neuromuscular/bone axis. • Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) plays a role in mitophagy and in the mitochondrial response to metabolic stress. • Deleting Mfn2 with an 8 kB DMP1-cre transgene caused bone loss, myopathy and neuropathy. • None of these changes were observed when Mfn2 was deleted with Col1a1-cre or OSX-cre. • DMP1-cre deleted Mfn2 in bone, muscle and spinal cord. • Mfn1 is expressed in these 3 tissues, but it didn't compensate for the loss of Mfn2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial reefs (ARs), as an important tool for habitat restoration, play significant impacts on benthic microbial ecosystems. This study utilized 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) flow simulation to investigate the effects of flow field distribution around ARs on microbial community structure. The results revealed distinct regional distribution patterns of microbial communities affected by different hydrodynamic conditions. Flow velocity and flow regime of water in sediment-water interface shaped the microbial community structure. The diversity and richness in R–HF were significantly decreased compared to other five regions (p < 0.05). At the phyla and OUT levels, most abundant taxa (1>%) showed an enrichment trend in R–HB. However, more than half of differentially abundant taxa were enriched in R–HB, which was significantly correlated with organic matter (OM). Bugbase phenotypic predictions indicated a low abundance of the anaerobic phenotype in R–HF and a high abundance of the biofilm-forming phenotype in R–HB. [Display omitted] • Spatial distribution pattern was observed in the reef groups. • R–HF exhibited significantly reduced in α diversity. • The differentially abundant taxa enriched in the reef groups, especially in R–HB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The receptor for Colony Stimulating Factor 1 (CSF1), c-fms, is highly expressed on mature osteoclasts suggesting a role for this cytokine in regulating the function of these cells. Consistent with this idea, in vitro studies have documented a variety of effects of CSF1 in mature osteoclasts. To better define the role of CSF1 in these cells, we conditionally deleted c-fms in osteoclasts (c-fms-OC-/-) by crossing c-fmsflox/flox mice with mice expressing Cre under the control of the cathepsin K promoter. The c-fms-OC-/- mice were of normal weight and had normal tooth eruption. However, when quantified by DXA, bone mass was significantly higher in the spine and femur of female knock out mice and in the femurs of male knock out mice. MicroCT analyses of femurs showed that female c-fms-OC-/- mice had significantly increased trabecular bone mass with a similar trend in males and both sexes demonstrated significantly increased trabecular number and reduced trabecular spacing. Histomorphometric analysis of the femoral trabecular bone compartment demonstrated a trend towards increased numbers of osteoclasts, +26% in Noc/BPm and +22% in OcS/BS in the k/o animals but this change was not significant. However, when the cellular volume of osteoclasts was quantified, the c-fms-OC-/- cells were found to be significantly smaller than controls. Mature osteoclasts show a marked spreading response when exposed to CSF1 in a non-gradient fashion. However, osteoclasts freshly isolated from c-fms-OC-/- mice had a near complete abrogation of this response. C-fms-OC-/- mice treated with (1–34)hPTH 80 ng/kg/d in single daily subcutaneous doses for 29 days showed an attenuated anabolic response in trabecular bone compared to wild-type animals. Taken together, these data indicate an important non-redundant role for c-fms in regulating mature osteoclast function in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is an anabolic clastokine. Colony Stimulating Factor 1 (CSF1) induces expression of the rate limiting enzyme required for S1P synthesis, sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) in bone in vivo, and in osteoclasts in vitro. To study the mechanism of CSF1-induced SPHK1 gene expression, a 2608 bp fragment of the murine SPHK1 gene (- 2497 to + 111 bp relative to the transcription start site) was cloned and transfected into pZen cells (murine fibroblasts engineered to express c-fms). SPHK1 promoter activity was assessed using a dual-luciferase reporter assay system. By analyzing a series of 5'-deletions, a CSF1-responsive region was identified in the region - 1250 to - 1016 bp. To define putative DNA binding site(s) in this fragment, two biotin-labeled fragments that completely overlapped this region were generated, one 163 bp in length (- 1301 to - 1139) and one 169 bp in length (- 1157 to - 989). EMSAs revealed the 163 bp fragment as the target for protein binding. Using EMSAs, the nuclear protein binding region was further narrowed to an 85 bp fragment, (- 1223 to - 1139). Using a series of unlabeled DNA sequences as "cold competitors" in EMSAs, a 22 bp sequence is identified as the smallest fragment that could successfully compete away protein binding. The same 22 bp sequence also competed DNA binding in EMSAs using nuclear protein isolated from primary murine osteoclasts. A full-length wild-type SPHK1 promoter and an SPHK1 promoter in which the ATGGGGG motif was mutated were subsequently expressed in pZen cells. Mutating this ATGGGGG motif nearly completely abrogated the ability of CSF1 to activate the promoter. Although two transcription factors, KLF6 and Sp1 have been reported to bind to this sequence, supershift EMSAs failed to detect either among the proteins bound to the 85 bp DNA fragment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traveling wave tube (TWT) is an attractive solution for wideband and high-power sources or amplifiers in the terahertz (THz) band. In this article, a novel slow-wave structure (SWS) for TWT, named double tunnel sine waveguide (DTSW), which is based on sine waveguide (SW), is proposed. The following key technologies are adopted: 1) the rectangular holes, at which the operating mode is cutoff, are alternately opened on the sine-shaped ridges to form two electron beam tunnels and 2) the lower surface of rectangular holes is flush with the top of sine-shaped ridges. Compared with the SW-SWS, DTSW-SWS has the wider operating band and higher interaction impedance under the condition that the phase velocity of the two SWSs is at the same level. In addition, DTSW-SWS is simple in structure and easy to fabricate. The particle-in-cell simulation results reveal that DTSW-TWT has an output power of more than 202 W in the frequency range of 202–255 GHz with the maximum power of ~405 W and electron efficiency of ~9.8% at 215 GHz, under the operating voltage of 23 kV and beam current of 180 mA. Therefore, the DTSW should be considered as a promising SWS for the high-power and wideband THz traveling wave amplifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an adaptive self-configurable rectifier to increase the range of vibration excitation that a piezoelectric energy harvesting power management circuit (PMC) can operate with. The proposed circuit configures itself as a voltage doubler (VD) to increase the low voltage of piezoelectric energy harvesters to meet the minimum operating voltage of the PMC. This allows energy harvesting from low voltage range that is not viable using a full-wave bridge (FB) rectifier. When the piezoelectric voltage increases and causes the voltage amplified by the VD to approach the maximum operating voltage of the PMC, the proposed circuit reconfigures itself to an FB rectifier that does not amplify the voltage. This allows operation at a higher voltage range that is restricted by the VD topology. Two different reference voltages each for the VD topology and the FB rectifier topology with low-pass filtering are used to ensure correct switching of the rectifier topology. The proposed control circuit can cold start from a piezoelectric voltage of 1.2 V in the VD topology to amplify the voltage to allow an existing PMC that needs a minimum input voltage higher than 1.2 V to operate while consuming 240–410 nW of power. With the two-reference-voltages control method, 20% more energy can be transferred through the PMC than the one without it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the semiclassical states for the fractional Choquard equation where , N>2s, , and , is a continuous potential satisfying suitable assumptions and is a small parameter. Using the mountain pass lemma and the Brezis-Lieb lemma, we prove the existence and asymptotic behavior of groundstates for and the nonexistence of solution for the minimization problem for , where Inspired by the result, we further consider the existence and asymptotic behavior of groundstates for the above equation under a nonlocal perturbation, that is, equation with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parametrically excited energy harvesters provide a valuable alternative to directly excited ones. However, linear energy harvesters subjected to parametric excitation usually suffer from narrow bandwidths. This letter proposes a parametrically excited magnetic rolling pendulum (MRP) with intentionally introduced nonlinearity for broadband energy harvesting. The MRP exhibited a first-order parametric resonance with a broadened bandwidth as the excitation acceleration is ≥0.2 g (g = 9.8 m/s2). When excited at 0.5 g in experiment, the parametric resonance was observed in the frequency range between 1.2 f 0 and 4.5 f 0 , with f 0 being the natural frequency of 4 Hz. With a peak power output of 3.6 mW, the MRP achieved a half-power bandwidth of 4.8 Hz, which is 120% of its natural frequency. Simulation results suggest that the power output, the bandwidth, and the resonance frequency can be manipulated by varying the magnet dimensions and positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most industrial azo pigments are synthesized by diazotization in one pot and then coupling in another. This two-pot process has been transformed into a one-pot method by adding granular PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) to a mechanically agitated aqueous mixture of NaNO2, HCl, a diazo component and a coupling component. This method avoids the step of using a base or a surfactant to dissolve the coupling component. The reactions were fast and quantitative. The granular PTFE, wastewater and excess HCl were then reused 11 times without deteriorating the reaction rate and product purity. Altogether, 22 industrial pigments and 3 azo compounds were synthesized and the reaction can produce up to 22.7 g of product in the laboratory. Some reactions require less than 2 equiv. of HCl and a mechanism explaining this is proposed. In addition, an o-nitro group effect is advanced to explain the differences in coupling reaction rates for o-, m- and p-nitroaniline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Piezoelectric transducers based on macro fibre composites (MFCs) are widely used for energy harvesting, actuation and sensing because of the high conformability, reliability and strong piezoelectric effect of MFCs. Analytical or numerical modelling of the heterogeneous MFC as a homogenous material with equivalent properties is usually required to predict the performance of the transducers. However, the equivalent properties reported in the literature are not suitable for this purpose. This work proposes an equal power-output method to numerically evaluate the equivalent properties of d 31 type MFCs for piezoelectric transducer modelling. Taking energy harvesting application as a study case, it departs from the traditional method by applying electric assumptions that ensure the equal voltage, electric charge, and thus equal power output between the heterogeneous and homogeneous MFCs. The equivalent properties were characterised through the finite element (FE) analysis of the MFC's representative volume element (RVE), which is the minimum periodic unit in the MFC and takes account all the constitutes. The validity of these equivalent properties for energy harvesting transducer modelling was verified by FE modelling as well as experimental testing. The application of the equivalent properties for actuation and sensing transducer modelling was analysed and validated. FE modelling results showed that a homogeneous RVE with the equivalent properties accurately simulated the energy harvesting and actuation behaviours of the heterogeneous RVE. The simulated power output of MFC-based strain energy harvesters matched the mean experimental results with a mean error of 2.5%. When used for actuation, the MFC produced a free strain of 0.93 μ ε / V , which is close to the manufacturer specification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maximum power transfer occurs in many energy harvesters at their half open-circuit voltage ( $V_{{\rm{OC}}}/ 2$ ). A novel implementation method of maximum power point finding based on the $V_{{\rm{OC}}}/ 2$ method is presented by exploiting the capacitor charging voltage across a smoothing capacitor connected in parallel with the energy harvester. The presented technique has a specifically designed high-pass filter, which has a peak output voltage that corresponds to the $V_{{\rm{OC}}}/ 2$ of the energy harvester. The control circuit filters and differentiates the voltage across the smoothing capacitor to directly determine the timing of reaching the $V_{{\rm{OC}}}/ 2$ of the energy harvester without having to find the $V_{{\rm{OC}}}$ first and is fully implemented using discrete analog components without the need of a programmable controller, leading to low power consumption of the method. In this paper, the control circuit is used in conjunction with a full-wave diode bridge rectifier and a dc–dc converter to harvest energy from a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) as the studied case. The PEH was subjected to various strain levels at low frequencies from 2 to 10 Hz. Experimental results show that the implemented circuit is adaptive to various vibration amplitudes and frequencies and has a maximum power point finding efficiency of up to 98.28% with power consumption as low as 5.16 μW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a coupled piezoelectric-circuit finite element (FE) model for a mechanically plucked piezoelectric energy harvester (Mech-PEH), which uses plastic plectra to pluck piezoelectric bimorph cantilevers. The Mech-PEH was modelled as a piezoelectric cantilever with either a displacement or a force applied at the tip, and a load resistor connected across its electrodes. The FE model was validated with a difference around 2.7% between the simulated and measured energy outputs and able to predict the vibration- and energy-related characteristics of the Mech-KEH. It was used to investigate the effects of the bimorph’s geometric parameters and the plucking frequency on the energy outputs. It is concluded that (1) when the same plucking force is used, the energy output of the Mech-PEH can be increased by reducing the stiffness of the bimorph through reducing its width or thickness, or increasing its length, and (2) a high plucking frequency with a free vibration period is beneficial in improving the energy output. It is pointed out that the bending fatigue strength of the piezoelectric material limits the designed highest energy output, and that when designing bimorph parameters for the Mech-PEH, both the energy output and the expected life time should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Chitosan-based nanoparticles were prepared for peptide encapsulation. • The loading rate of nanoparticles to antimicrobial peptides was over 80% • Nanoparticles loaded with antimicrobial peptides can prolong the antibacterial time. • Simple operation, non-toxic and harmless, realize the principle of green chemistry. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of short polypeptides that are considered to be attractive future alternatives to traditional antibiotics for their wide sources, excellent antimicrobial properties and low drug resistance. However, AMPs are easily degraded, causing unstable antibacterial properties and a short effective time. Nanocarriers with good biocompatibility can improve the stability of AMPs, achieve sustained and stable release, and improve the bioavailability of AMPs. Herein, composite nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by ionic interaction between chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (HACC) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were used as carriers for AMPs. The loading rate of NPs to AMP was over 80%. The AMP loaded in the particles had a longer antibacterial activity than the free AMP, and the NPs had good cell compatibility. The preparation method of particles is simple, pollution-free, and compound green chemistry concept. Moreover, it is convenient to load into various forms of biomedical materials, which is a promising carrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar, produced by the pyrolysis of pig manure at 800 °C, was characterized and investigated as an adsorbent for the removal of Direct Red 23 from aqueous solution. The adsorption kinetics was best described by a modified Freundlich model and intra-particle diffusion models. The value of the apparent adsorption constant k (modified Freundlich model) decreased from 0.133 to 0.076 L/(g·min 1/m ), when the amount of biochar increased from 1 to 8 g/L. Values of effective particle diffusion coefficient (D p ) and liquid film diffusion coefficient (D f ) were calculated to further determine the rate-limiting step of the adsorption process. The value of activation energy 5.558 kcal/mol indicates that the adsorption is a physical process controlled by film diffusion and the adsorption process is endothermic. When pH < pH ZPC (8.71),the surface of biochar is positively charged; the positive charge promoted the anionic dyes attracted onto the biochar by electrostatic force; and a hydrogen band was formed with the protonated OH functional groups on the active sites. The adsorption equilibrium study indicates that the adsorption was in a multilayer mode, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 2.19 × 10 − 5 mol/g, at pH 2.20 and temperature 25 °C. Considering the widely availability and high removal efficiency, biochar is deserved further investigations for applications in more hazardous substances removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-cadherin is considered to be the key factor in directing cell–cell interactions during mesenchymal condensation, which is essential to osteogenesis. In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels are biofunctionalized with an N-cadherin mimetic peptide to mimic the pro-osteogenic niche in the endosteal space to promote the osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Results show that the conjugation of the N-cadherin peptide in the HA hydrogels enhances the expression of the osteogenic marker genes in the seeded hMSCs. Furthermore, the biofunctionalized HA hydrogels promote the alkaline phosphatase activity, type I collagen deposition, and matrix mineralization by the seeded hMSCs under both in vitro and in vivo condition. We postulate that the biofunctionalized hydrogels emulates the N-cadherin-mediated homotypic cell–cell adhesion among MSCs and the “orthotypic” interaction between the osteoblasts and MSCs. These findings demonstrate that the biofunctionalized HA hydrogels provide a supportive niche microenvironment for the osteogenesis of hMSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The frequency spectrum of real track vibration is investigated. • Frequency up-conversion method is used to up-convert the low-frequency vibration. • A piezo stack energy harvester for track vibration is designed, modelled and tested. • Stress of the mechanical transformer is analysed to ensure its reliability. • An average power of 43 mW is obtained actuated at 18 Hz and 0.7 g rms acceleration. To enable predictive and preventive maintenance in rail transportation systems, energy harvesting is a promising powering method. Piezoelectric energy harvesters have great powering potential, but so far the power harvested by piezoelectric railway generators is low. To explore the capability, this work presents a piezo stack energy harvester with frequency up-conversion method consisting of both the inertial mass system and the piezo stack transducer system from rail track vibration energy harvesting. The frequency up-conversion method uses the impact between the inertial mass system and the piezo stack transducer system to enable the piezoelectric transducer to operate at the transient resonant frequency response in spite that the input vibration frequency is much lower than the transducer one to achieve high-power generation. A theoretical model considering the impact between the two systems is established to describe the motion of the energy harvester. Numerical simulation and finite element analysis are conducted to model the proposed energy harvester and compared with experimental results to validate the proposed method. The time-dependent reactions, the frequency response characteristics, and the influence factors on output such as impedance, initial interval, acceleration, signal waveform are studied to evaluate the energy harvesting performance. In the experiments, the proposed energy harvester outputs a maximum power of 495.74 mW and an average power of 43.58 mW at an input rms acceleration of 0.7 g applied at 18 Hz with an optimum load impedance of 150 Ω, exhibiting good performance in comparison with the state-of-the-art piezoelectric energy harvesters applied on the rail track. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Let f be a multivariate Laurent polynomial over a finite field and the corresponding L-function of the toric exponential sum of f. In this paper, we obtain an explicit formula for the L-function in terms of Gauss sums provided that the invariant factors of the degree matrix of f satisfy certain conditions. As an application, we also compute the zeta functions for some hypersurfaces. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Photocrosslinked methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA) hydrogels support chondrogenesis of encapsulated human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). However, the covalent crosslinks formed via chain polymerization in these hydrogels are hydrolytically non-degradable and restrict cartilage matrix spatial distribution and cell spreading. Meanwhile, cells are known to remodel their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) by secreting catabolic enzymes, such as MMPs. Hydrogels that are created with bifunctional crosslinkers containing MMP degradable peptide sequences have been shown to influence hMSC differentiations. However, crosslinks formed in the MMP-degradable hydrogels of these previous studies are also prone to hydrolysis, thereby confounding the effect of MMP-mediated degradation. The objective of this study is to develop a MMP-sensitive but hydrolytically stable hydrogel scaffold and investigate the effect of MMP-mediated hydrogel degradation on the chondrogenesis of the encapsulated hMSCs. Hyaluronic acid macromers were modified with maleimide groups and crosslinked with MMP-cleavable peptides or control crosslinkers containing dual thiol groups. The chondrogenesis of the hMSCs encapsulated in the hydrolytically stable MMP-sensitive HA hydrogels were compared with that of the MMP-insensitive HA hydrogels. It was found that hMSCs encapsulated in the MMP-sensitive hydrogels switched to a more spreaded morphology while cells in the MMP-insensitive hydrogels remained in round shape. Furthermore, hMSCs in the MMP-sensitive hydrogels expressed higher level of chondrogenic marker genes but lower level of hypertrophic genes compared to cells in the MMP-insensitive hydrogels. As a result, more cartilage specific matrix molecules but less calcification was observed in the MMP-degradable hydrogels than in the MMP-insensitive hydrogels. Findings from this study demonstrate that cell-mediated scaffold degradation regulates the chondrogenesis and hypertrophy of hMSCs encapsulated in HA hydrogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND To assess the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of base-excision repair genes and clinical outcomes, the roles of genetic variants of 3 selected genes-flap structure-specific endonuclease 1 ( FEN1), 8-hydroxyguanine DNA glycosylase ( hOGG1), and nei endonuclease VIII-like 1 ( NEIL1)-were investigated in radiation-induced esophageal toxicity (RIET), radiation pneumonitis (RP), and overall survival (OS) after radio(chemo)therapy in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS NEIL1 reference SNP 4462560 (rs4462560) and rs7402844, hOGG1 rs1052133 and rs293795, and FEN1 rs4246215 and rs174538 were genotyped in 187 patients with ESCC who received definitive radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Kaplan-Meier cumulative probabilities and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the effect of the genotypes on the risk of RIET, RP, and OS. RESULTS The authors observed that patients who had the NEIL1 rs4462560 GC/CC genotype had a statistically significantly lower risk of both grade ≥2 acute radiation-induced esophageal toxicity (RIET) (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.421; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.207-0.856; P = .017) and grade ≥2 acute radiation pneumonitis (RP) (adjusted HR, 0.392; 95% CI, 0.163-0.946; P = .037) compared with patients who had the GG genotype, but the genotype did not affect OS (adjusted HR, 0.778; 95% CI, 0.471-1.284; P = .326). There were no significant findings for other the SNPs under investigation. CONCLUSIONS The NEIL1 rs4462560 SNP may serve as a predictor of acute RIET and RP risk but not of OS. Larger prospective studies are needed to validate these findings. Cancer 2013;119:4205-4211. © 2013 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The cytoskeleton determines cell shape and is involved in cell motility. It also plays a role in differentiation and in modulating specialized cellular functions. LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) participates in cytoskeletal remodeling by phosphorylating and inactivating the actin-severing protein, cofilin. Severing F-actin to release G-actin monomers is required for actin cytoskeletal remodeling. Although less well established, LIMK1 may also influence the cell cycle and modulate metalloproteinase activity. Since the role of LIMK1 in bone cell biology has not been reported, the skeletal phenotype of LIMK1−/− mice was examined. LIMK1−/− mice had significantly reduced trabecular bone mass when analyzed by microCT (p<0.01). Histomorphometric analyses demonstrated a 31% reduction in the number of osteoblasts (p=0.0003) and a 23% reduction in osteoid surface (p=0.0005). The number of osteoclasts was no different in control and knock out animals. Consistent with the in vivo findings in osteoblasts, the number of osteoblast colony forming units in LIMK1−/− bone marrow was reduced by nearly 50%. Further, osteoblasts isolated from LIMK1−/− mice showed significantly reduced rates of mineralization in vitro. Osteoclasts from LIMK1−/− mice evidenced more rapid cytoskeletal remodeling in response to treatment with CSF1. In keeping with this latter finding, basal levels of phospho-cofilin were reduced in LIMK1−/− osteoclasts. LIMK1−/− osteoclasts also resorbed dentine slices to a greater extent in vitro and were more active in a pit assay. These data support the hypothesis that LIMK1 is required for normal osteoblast differentiation. In addition, its absence leads to increased cytoskeletal remodeling and bone resorption in osteoclasts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Let π be a group, and let H be a Hopf π-coalgebra. We first show that the category M of right π-comodules over H is a monoidal category and there is a monoidal endofunctor ( F, id, id) of M for any α ∈ π. Then we give the definition of coquasitriangular Hopf π-coalgebras. Finally, we show that H is a coquasitriangular Hopf π-coalgebra if and only if M is a braided monoidal category and ( F, id, id) is a braided monoidal endofunctor of M for any α ∈ π. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turaev introduced the notions of group coalgebras, Hopf group coalgebras and quasitriangular Hopf group coalgebras. Virelizier studied algebraic properties of Hopf π-coalgebras. In this paper, we give the definitions of a (crossed) left H- π-modules over a (crossed) Hopf π-coalgebra H, and show that the categories of (crossed) left H- π-modules are both monoidal categories. Finally, we show that a family $${R=\{R_{\alpha, \beta} \in H_{\alpha} \otimes H_\beta\}_{\alpha, \beta\in\pi}}$$ of elements is a quasitriangular structure of a crossed Hopf π-coalgebra H if and only if the category of crossed left H- π-modules over H is a braided monoidal category with braiding defined by R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhanli Dong Ethnic Minority Village (Zhanli village) is well known as the First Village of Family Planning in China. In this paper, the Zhanli village's population is forecasted by GM(1, 1) model with high accuracy above 98%. The forecasting values show that the population of Zhanli village is likely to increase in the following years due to some external factors' intervention. The Zhanli village's population controlling experience enlightens us to solve the population problem all over the world especially in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel String-Driven Rectifier converts bidirectional to unidirectional rotation. • Single-clutch, gearless SCR reduces weight and complexity of mechanical rectifiers. • Extracts kinetic energy while preserving potential to maintain high pendulum speed. • Applicable to a range of energy harvesters where size and weight must be minimised. [Display omitted] This work presents a pendulum kinetic energy harvester with a unique mechanical motion rectifier design which uses a string-driven rectifier (SDR) with just a single clutch to convert bidirectional input oscillation of a pendulum to the unidirectional rotation of a DC motor to produce electricity. Unlike typical mechanical rectifiers which use two clutches, this rectification system has no gearing, minimising the complexity and weight of the rectifier for the energy harvester. Through experimentation, the energy harvester was found to have a normalised average power output of 4.39 W/g2 and a normalised average power density of 5.85 W/g2/kg when excitation was applied at the 1.5 Hz resonant frequency with a 0.75 kg pendulum mass. This corresponds to a normalised average voltage production of 55.47 V/g. Time-domain analysis of the transducer showed the successful operation of the SDR. By selectively harvesting kinetic energy during different stages of the pendulum motion, the kinetic energy of the pendulum mass was extracted while the stored potential was preserved and converted to kinetic. This allowed a high pendulum velocity to be maintained, while the rectified input motion generated a single polarity voltage from the DC motor. The construction of this system has advantages over existing designs by reducing the complexity of rectification mechanisms, providing an alternative approach to mechanical motion rectification for pendulum vibration energy harvesters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a micropump fabricated from low cost materials with specific goal of cost reduction. The micropump does not require any valve flap and comprises one plastic pump polyether–ether–ketone (PEEK) body, one metal diaphragm, and three piezoelectric ceramics to form piezoelectrically actuated diaphragm valves. The valve actuation simplifies micropump structural designs and assembly processes to make the pump attractive for low cost bio-medical drug delivery applications. A detailed optimization design of geometric parameters of the piezoelectrically actuated diaphragm is undertaken by use of 3D finite element method (FEM) to maximize piezoelectric actuation capability and ensure actuation reliability. An optimized geometric dimensional design: the ratio of thicknesses between the piezoelectric ceramics and the metal diaphragm, and the lateral dimension of the piezoelectric ceramic, is obtained through simulations. Based on the optimized design, a good agreement has been reached between simulated and measured strokes of the micropumps. The tested results show that the micropump has a high pump flow rate for air, up to 39ml/min, and for water, up to 1.8ml/min, and is capable of ensuring diaphragm’s maximum stress and strain is within material strength for reliable work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new mechanical filter structure is presented which comprises two silicon cantilevers mechanically coupled by a silicon linkage with thin film piezoelectric transducers providing electrical input and output signals. The resonance behaviour of such a structure results in a band-pass filter response, having a band-width determined by the frequency separation between the closely spaced in-phase and out-of-phase vibrational modes of the two coupled cantilevers. A detailed configuration design analysis, filter simulation and optimisation of performance is undertaken using a new modelling approach combining microwave circuit theory and finite element analysis to evaluate the generalised (A, B, C and D) and scattering (S) circuit parameters of the filter. Two significant features of the filters have emerged from the derived analyses and simulations: (1) with correct design filter Q-values can reach several thousand which is much higher than the Q-values (∼80) of uncoupled cantilevers, (2) the Q-value is determined by the configuration of the silicon linkage and so is under the designer''s control. The position and length of the linkage that give optimum Q and minimum insertion loss are determined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a clinically disease that seriously endangers people's health. Tissue engineering provides a promising method to repair and regenerate the damaged IVD physiological function. Successfully tissue-engineered IVD scaffold should mimic the native IVD histological and macro structures. Here, 3D printing and electrospinning were combined to construct an artificial IVD composite scaffold. Poly lactide (PLA) was used to print the IVD frame structure, the oriented porous poly(l -lactide)/octa-armed polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (PLLA/POSS-(PLLA) 8) fiber bundles simulated the annulus fibrosus (AF), and the gellan gum/poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (GG/PEGDA) double network hydrogel loaded with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) simulated the nucleus pulposus (NP) structure. Morphological and mechanical tests showed that the structure and mechanical properties of the IVD scaffold were similar to that of the natural IVD. The compression modulus of the scaffold is about 10 MPa, which is comparable to natural IVD and provides good mechanical support for tissue repair and regeneration. At the same time, the porosity and mechanical properties of the scaffold can be regulated through the 3D model design. In the AF structure, the fiber bundles are oriented concentrically with each subsequent layer oriented 60° to the spinal column, and can withstand the tension generated during the deformation of the NP. In the NP structure, BMSCs were evenly distributed in the hydrogel and could maintain high cell viability. Animal experiment results demonstrated that the biomimetic artificial IVD scaffold could maintain the disc space and produce the new extracellular matrix. This engineered biomimetic IVD scaffold is a promising biomaterial for individualized IVD repair and regeneration. [Display omitted] • Personalized artificial intervertebral disc was prepared for therapeutic implantation. • The annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus structure of native disc were simulated. • The artificial IVD has a hierarchical structure similar to natural IVD tissue. • Good mechanical properties and biocompatibility coexist in the artificial IVD. • The success of animal experiments proves its feasibility as a disc scaffold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Purpose Methods Results Conclusions Long‐axis positron emission tomography (PET) has emerged as one of the recent research directions in PET due to its ability to significantly enhance sensitivity and counting performance for low‐dose imaging, rapid imaging, and whole‐body dynamic imaging.The PET system presented in this study is a long‐axis animal PET based on lutetium–yttrium orthosilicate and silicon photomultiplier, designed for whole‐body imaging in rats. It features a diameter of 143 mm and an axial length of 213.3 mm. This study evaluated the performance of this PET system in accordance with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) NU 4‐2008 standards.The performance evaluation was conducted according to the NEMA NU 4‐2008 standards in terms of spatial resolution, sensitivity, counting rate performance, scatter fraction (SF) and image quality. In addition, a rat imaging study was conducted to assess the imaging capability of this PET system.The average energy resolution of the PET system was 12.87%, the average coincidence timing resolution was 751 ps. The FWHM of spatial resolution reconstructed by filtered back projection and 3D‐OSEM‐PSF algorithm at 5 mm radial offset from the axial center were 1.65 and 0.88 mm. The peak absolute sensitivity measured by a point source at the center of the field of view was evaluated as 6.71% (361–661 keV) and 10.31% (250–750 keV). For the mouse‐like phantom, the SF was 11.0% and the peak noise equivalent counting rate (NECR) was 1193 kcps at 94.2 MBq (2.54 mCi). For the rat‐like phantom, the SF was 26.8% and the NECR was 682.5 kcps at 78.6 MBq (2.12 mCi).The performance measurement results demonstrate that this PET system exhibits high sensitivity and count rate performance, making it potential for high‐quality whole‐body dynamic imaging of rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a self-configurable and self-poweredactive rectifier that operates from 0.25–20 V for energy harvesting applications. The proposed circuit self-startups from a low voltage using a charge pump and amplifies the voltage with a voltage doubler topology to provide succeeding circuits such as boost converters with a higher voltage. When the voltage of the energy harvester reaches a high threshold, the circuit switches its topology to a full-wave rectifier that does not amplify the voltage. The start-up circuit can limit its voltage intake to prevent boosting the high voltage, which may damage the whole circuit. Comparators with a maximum operating voltage of 5.5 V used in the implementation of the rectifier are protected by a diode and resistor based circuit. A piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) that has a wide open-circuit voltage of 0.4–15 V under the acceleration of 0.04–0.3 g was used to test the circuit. The experiment results showed the rectifier can startup from 0.25 V and switch its topology according to the PEH voltage. The voltage and power conversion efficiencies are over 90% in most cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezo stack energy harvesting from railway vibrations shows substantial potential for powering wireless sensor networks responsible for monitoring railway infrastructure. Nevertheless, assuring the safety and durability of these energy harvesters in the condition of the dynamically fluctuating railway vibrations remains a considerable challenge. In this paper, we present two innovative protection methods designed for piezo stack energy harvesters with a frequency up-conversion mechanism. These methods involve the incorporation of ring-type and circular stoppers within the resonant system and the utilisation of proposed impact protection components within the impact system. Two distinct harvesters incorporating the proposed protection components, Harvester Types I and II, are designed to align with their respective operating acceleration targets, which are determined based on the amplitudes of railway vibration acceleration. Finite element modelling is used to guide the design process, involving the evaluation and selection of various design parameters aligned with the acceleration target and stress limits. The protection mechanisms' effectiveness and impact on energy harvesting performance have been validated through experimental testing under measured rail vibration signals, and their performance has been further assessed through stress analyses. Harvester Type I operates seamlessly within a 5 g threshold, effectively mitigating the increase in maximum output acceleration and stress beyond this limit. In contrast, Harvester Type II efficiently dissipates excess energy, enabling the harvester to operate at a 15 g acceleration while reducing the rate of acceleration and stress growth. The results demonstrate that both proposed harvesters provide effective protection from unexpected railway vibration overloads. This research makes a significant impact on the practical, real-world implementation of piezo stack energy harvesters operating within the dynamic environment of railway vibrations. [Display omitted] • Two strategies are proposed to protect energy harvesters with frequency up-conversion from mechanical overload. • Harvester Types I and II are developed to incorporate the proposed strategies considering the railway requirements. • FEM modelling is developed to evaluate and determine the design parameters. • Experiments are carried out to assess the protection mechanism and energy harvesting performance of the harvesters. • The proposed harvesters can provide effective protection from unexpected railway vibration overloads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two innovative strategies have been proposed to protect energy harvesters with frequency up-conversion mechanism from mechanical overload. • Finite element method has been used to model and analyse the proposed protection strategies. • Experiments have been conducted to verify the strategies and modelling. • The capability of protecting the harvesting device from unexpected overload is demonstrated. • The protection mechanisms and damping effects of the proposed strategies are discussed. Vibration energy harvesters utilising the frequency up-conversion mechanism have been effective in harvesting low-frequency ambient vibrations. However, the mechanical impact required for this process could also damage the devices when excessive load is applied. To address this issue, this paper presents novel protection strategies for energy harvesters with a frequency up-conversion mechanism, including a ring-type stopper within the resonant system and specially designed impact protection components (IPC) within the impact system. By applying these methods, the influence of excessive input excitation has been mitigated, and thus, the reliability and durability of the device have been improved. Finite element modelling has been employed to model the proposed protection methods, and then experiments have been conducted to verify and refine the modelling. Stress analysis is finally conducted based on the refined model to validate the effectiveness of the protection strategies. The results demonstrate that the proposed strategies are capable of protecting the harvesting system from excessive input excitations, which means the device functions effectively in the operating state and decelerates the growth rate of maximum stress and acceleration in the limiting state. This research contributes valuable insights into the development of effective protection strategies for energy harvesters with frequency up-conversion mechanisms, thereby improving their durability and performances in real-world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Monolithic crystal detectors are increasingly being applied in positron emission tomography (PET) devices owing to their excellent depth-of-interaction (DOI) resolution capabilities and high detection efficiency. In this study, we constructed and evaluated a dual-ended readout monolithic crystal detector based on a multiplexing method. Approach. We employed two 12 × 12 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays for readout, and the signals from the 12 × 12 array were merged into 12 X and 12 Y channels using channel multiplexing. In 2D reconstruction, three methods based on the centre of gravity (COG) were compared, and the concept of thresholds was introduced. Furthermore, a light convolutional neural network (CNN) was employed for testing. To enhance depth localization resolution, we proposed a method by utilizing the mutual information from both ends of the SiPMs. The source width and collimation effect were simulated using GEANT4, and the intrinsic spatial resolution was separated from the measured values. Main results. At an operational voltage of 29 V for the SiPM, an energy resolution of approximately 12.5 % was achieved. By subtracting a 0.8 % threshold from the total energy in every channel, a 2D spatial resolution of approximately 0.90 mm full width at half maximum (FWHM) can be obtained. Furthermore, a higher level of resolution, approximately 0.80 mm FWHM, was achieved using a CNN, with some alleviation of edge effects. With the proposed DOI method, a significant 1.36 mm FWHM average DOI resolution can be achieved. Additionally, it was found that polishing and black coating on the crystal surface yielded smaller edge effects compared to a rough surface with a black coating. Significance. The introduction of a threshold in COG method and a dual-ended readout scheme can lead to excellent spatial resolution for monolithic crystal detectors, which can help to develop PET systems with both high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive industrial maintenance promotes proactive scheduling of maintenance to minimize unexpected device anomalies/faults. Almost all current predictive industrial maintenance techniques construct a model based on prior knowledge or data at build-time. However, anomalies/faults will propagate among sensors and devices along correlations hidden among sensors. These correlations can facilitate maintenance. This paper makes an attempt on predicting the anomaly/fault propagation to perform predictive industrial maintenance by considering the correlations among faults. The main challenge is that an anomaly/fault may propagate in multiple ways owing to various correlations. This is called as the uncertainty of anomaly/fault propagation. This present paper proposes a correlation-based event routing approach for predictive industrial maintenance by improving our previous works. Our previous works mapped physical sensors into a soft-ware-defined abstraction, called proactive data service. In the service model, anomalies/faults are encapsulated into events. We also proposed a service hyperlink model to encapsulate the correlations among anomalies/faults. This paper maps the anomalies/faults propagation into event routing and proposes a heuristic algorithm based on service hyperlinks to route events among services. The experiment results show that, our approach can reach 100% precision and 88.89% recall at most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is one of modifiable risk factors for clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC). We aim to identify the association between obesity-driven biomarkers and ccRCC risk. This is a retrospective, two-phase, case-control study involving 682 cases and 733 controls. Obesity-driven biomarkers [gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), C-peptide, insulin, resistin, adipsin, peptide YY, pancreatic polypeptide, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, lipocalin2, leptin, adiponectin] were measured using the Milliplex method. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the associations between biomarkers and ccRCC risk. Results revealed that GIP, C-peptide, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were consistently distinct between cases and controls. These markers were significantly associated with ccRCC risk in both phases (except C-peptide). In the combined population, compared with individuals with low levels of the biomarkers, individuals with high level of GIP [odds ratio (OR) = 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.40–0.67] had lower risk, whereas individuals with high levels of C-peptide (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.15–1.87), IL-6 (OR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.50–3.22), TNF-α (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.49–2.43) had significantly higher risk. Stratified analysis showed consistent associations with ccRCC risk in most subgroups (P < 0.05). The risk score based on the IL-6, TNF-α and GIP was positively associated with ccRCC risk in a dose-response manner (P for trend = 2.18E-13). Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas indicate that insulin signaling, IL-6 signaling and TNF-α signaling were enhanced in tumors. Collectively, our study demonstrates the integrative effect of insulin resistance and inflammation in ccRCC development, which may elucidate the basis of association between obesity and carcinogenesis. Further confirmation in prospective cohort studies are warranted for clinical applications in prevention and precision medicine of ccRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an adaptive power management circuit, which maximizes the energy transfer from the energy harvester to wireless sensor nodes in real-world applications. Low power consumption techniques were adopted in the power management circuit to maximize the delivery of the harvested energy to the load instead of being consumed by the circuit. The presented circuit incorporates an analogue control circuit (ACC) for maximum power transfer from the energy harvester to the storage capacitor and an energy-aware interface (EAI) for controlling the energy flow from the storage capacitor to the load. To evaluate the performance of the presented circuit, piezoelectric energy harvesting was used as a studied case. The piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) was mechanically excited at different strain loadings and frequencies. The experimental results show the circuit can self-start and powered directly by the PEH since the EAI and ACC have low power consumption in the range of microwatts. The circuit is adaptive to energy harvesters of varying output and various electrical loads, with a peak efficiency of 76.18% in transferring the harvested energy from the PEH to the storage capacitor. More than 96% of the energy released from the storage capacitor is effectively transferred to the electrical load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The recently prevalent variants of concerns (VOCs) of SARS-CoV-2 belong to Omicron variants which display increased transmissibility and evade from immune protection generated by vaccines and/or natural infections. Better immunization strategies should be explored to induce broader immune responses against evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we used inactivated vaccines derived from ancestral (Wu), Delta (Del) and Omicron (Omi) strains to immunize mice with homologous booster (3 × Wu, 3 × Del and 3 × Omi) or heterologous sequential booster (Wu/Del/Omi and Omi/Wu/Del) to evaluate their responses against two pre-Omicron (Wu and Del) and four Omicron variants. Even though neutralization responses against Wu and Del variants were similar in heterologous and homologous immunization groups, heterologous immunization groups induced significantly stronger neutralizing antibody against BA.1 (4.1–11 folds higher) and BA.2 (4.7–14.2 folds higher) than those of homologous immunization groups. While homologous immunization only induced strong neutralizing responses to either pre-Omicron variants (Wu and Del) in 3 × Wu and 3 × Del groups or to Omicron variants (BA.1 and BA.2) in 3 × Omi group, heterologous immunization groups induced strong and broader neutralizing responses to both pre-Omicron (Wu, Del) and Omicron variants (BA.1 and BA.2). Homologous and heterologous immunization groups elicited similar antigen-specific T cell (IFN-γ+) and B cell responses. Compared with homologous immunization, heterologous immunization could induce stronger plasma cell responses, which have the potential to generate broader and stronger neutralizing antibodies. However, neither heterologous nor homologous immunization groups induced strong neutralizing antibody against variants with bigger genetic deviation, such as BA.4/5 or BF.7, only weak neutralizing responses were induced. Surveillance on SARS-CoV2 variants evolution and immunization strategy are needed to explore better vaccines with broader and stronger neutralizing antibodies against post pandemic COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phospholipase C epsilon 1 (PLCE1) plays an important role in cell growth, differentiation and oncogenesis. An increasing number of individual studies have investigated the association between PLCE1 rs2274223 polymorphism and cancer risk, but the conclusions are inconclusive. To obtain a comprehensive conclusion, we performed a meta-analysis of 22 studies with 13188 cases and 14666 controls. The pooled results indicated that PLCE1 rs2274223 A > G polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of overall cancer (G vs. A: OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.06-1.25; GG vs. AA: OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.10-1.55; GA vs. AA: OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.08-1.30; GG/GA vs. AA: OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.08-1.32; GG vs. GA/AA: OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.04-1.42). The stratification analysis showed the polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) other than gastric cancer (GC), especially among the subgroups of Asian, high quality score, sample size > 1000 and the studies consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). This meta-analysis demonstrated that PLCE1 rs2274223 A > G polymorphism may be associated with increased susceptibility to cancer, especially for ESCC. However, due to the substantial heterogeneities across the studies, the conclusion might be not conclusive that need more studies to confirm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the implementation of a single piece of macro fiber composite (MFC) piezoelectric transducer as a multifunctional device for both strain sensing and energy harvesting for the first time in the context of an energy harvesting powered wireless sensing system. The multifunction device is achieved via time-multiplexing operation for alternating dynamic strain sensing and energy harvesting functions at different time slots associated with different energy levels, that is, when there is insufficient energy harvested in the energy storage for powering the system, the MFC is used as an energy harvester for charging up the storage capacitor; otherwise, the harvested energy is used for powering the system and the MFC is used as a strain sensor for measuring dynamic structural strain. A circuit is designed and implemented to manage the single piece of MFC as the multifunctional device in a time-multiplexing manner, and the operation is validated by the experimental results. The dynamic strains measured by the MFC in the implemented system match a commercial strain sensor of extensometer by 95.5 to 99.99%, and thus the studied method can be used for autonomous structural health monitoring of dynamic strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates new ways to integrate piezoelectric energy harvesting elements onto carbon-fibre composite structures, using a new bonding technique with a vacuum bag system and co-curing process, for fabrication onto airframe structures. Dynamic mechanical vibration tests were performed to characterise the energy harvested by the various integration methods across a range of different vibration frequencies and applied mechanical input loadings. An analytical model was also introduced to predict the power harvested under the mechanical vibrations as a benchmark to evaluate the proposed methods. The developed co-curing showed a high efficiency for energy harvesting at a range of low frequencies, where the co-curing method offered a maximum improvement of 14.3% compared to the mechanical bonding approach at a frequency of 10 Hz. Furthermore, co-curing exhibited potential at high frequency by performing the sweep test between frequencies of 1 and 100 Hz. Therefore, this research work offers potential integration technology for energy harvesting in complicated airframe structures in aerospace applications, to obtain the power required for environmental or structural health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seagrasses are higher marine flowering plants that evolved from terrestrial plants, but returned to the sea during the early evolution of monocotyledons through several separate lineages. Thus, they become a good model for studying the adaptation of plants to the marine environment. Sequencing of the mitochondrial (mt) genome of seagrasses is essential for understanding their evolutionary characteristics. Results: In this study, we sequenced the mt genome of two endangered seagrasses (Zostera japonica and Phyllospadix iwatensis). These data and data on previously sequenced mt genomes from monocotyledons provide new evolutionary evidence of genome size reduction, gene loss, and adaptive evolution in seagrasses. The mt genomes of Z. japonica and P. iwatensis are circular. The sizes of the three seagrasses (including Zostera marine) that have been sequenced to date are smaller than that of other monocotyledons. Additionally, we found a large number of repeat sequences in seagrasses. The most abundant long repeat sequences were 31–40 bp repeats. Our study also found that seagrass species lost extensive ribosomal protein genes during evolution. The rps7 gene and the rpl16 gene of P. iwatensis are exceptions to this trend. The phylogenetic analysis based on the mt genome strongly supports the previous results. Furthermore, we identified five positive selection genes (atp8, nad3, nad6, ccmFn, and matR) in seagrasses that may be associated with their adaptation to the marine environment. Conclusions: In this study, we sequenced and annotated the mt genomes of Z. japonica and P. iwatensis and compared them with the genome of other monocotyledons. The results of this study will enhance our understanding of seagrass adaptation to the marine environment and can inform further investigations of the seagrass mt genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enable wireless sensor networks to monitor rail infrastructures in real-time, a cost-effective power source is in need. This work presents the design, modelling and testing of a piezo stack energy harvester with frequency up-conversion mechanism for scavenging energy from railway track vibration. The proposed harvester is designed to meet railway track applications' size, frequency, and stress requirements. A compact design integrating the inertial mass and the piezo stack transducer systems is used to enable the mechanical collision for realising the frequency up-conversion mechanism and ensure the size of the energy harvester is suitable for the limited space on the railway track. The frequency bandwidth of the energy harvester is broadened by utilizing the longitudinal and torsional oscillation of the designed plate springs which enable the system to have two adjacent natural frequencies. The mechanical transformer of the piezo stack transducer system is designed to achieve the required stress level under both the impact force caused by the collision motion and the inertial force generated by the random vibration of the rails. A finite element model (FEM) analysing the free vibration of the piezo stack transducer caused by the frequency up-conversion mechanism is developed to analyse the dynamic characteristics of the coupled system. Lab tests are carried out to validate the proposed FEM and evaluate the impact of different factors such as load resistance, acceleration, initial interval, plate spring, and pulse excitation on power generation. Experimental results show that the energy harvester has two resonant frequencies of 17 Hz and 20 Hz. The frequency up-conversion mechanism can convert this low-frequency vibration into the piezo stack transducer's high resonant frequency vibration of 94 Hz. A maximum average power of 6.72 mW with a 1-mW-bandwidth of 15 Hz is obtained when actuated at 0.7 RMS g acceleration. [Display omitted] • A piezo stack energy harvester for railway track vibration is designed, modelled and tested. • A compact design is proposed to enable the mechanical collision for realising the frequency up-conversion mechanism. • Two adjacent natural frequencies are achieved to broaden the frequency bandwidth. • The mechanical transformer is designed to achieve the required stress level under the impact force and inertial force. • A maximum average power of 6.72 mW with a 1-mW-bandwidth of 15 Hz is obtained when actuated at 0.7 RMS g acceleration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between serum folate status and cognitive functions is still controversial.Objective: To evaluate the association between serum tetrahydrofolate and cognitive functions.Methods: A total of 3,132 participants (60-80 years old) from the 2011-2014 NHANES were included in this cross-sectional study. The primary outcome measure was cognitive function assessment, determined by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Word Learning Test (CERAD-WL), CERAD-Delayed Recall Test (CERAD-DR), Animal Fluency Test (AF), Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and global cognitive score. Generalized linear model (GLM), multivariate logistic regression models, weighted generalized additive models (GAM), and subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate the association between serum tetrahydrofolate and low cognitive functions.Results: In GLM, and the crude model, model 1, model 2 of multivariate logistic regression models, increased serum tetrahydrofolate was associated with reduced cognitive functions via AF, DSST, CERAD-WL, CERAD-DR, and global cognitive score (p < 0.05). In GAM, the inflection points were 1.1, 2.8, and 2.8 nmol/L tetrahydrofolate, determined by a two-piece wise linear regression model of AF, DSST, and global cognitive score, respectively. Also, in GAM, there were no non-linear relationship between serum tetrahydrofolate and low cognitive functions, as determined by CERAD-WL or CERAD-DR. The results of subgroup analyses found that serum tetrahydrofolate levels and reduced cognitive functions as determined by AF had significant interactions for age and body mass index. The association between high serum tetrahydrofolate level and reduced cognitive functions as determined using DSST, CERAD-WL, CERAD-DR, or global cognitive score had no interaction with the associations between cognition and gender, or age, or so on.Conclusion: High serum tetrahydrofolate level is associated with significantly reduced cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the integration of a novel mechanical torsion spring regulator into a pendulum energy harvester system. This regulator was designed to provide the same voltage-smoothing benefits of a flywheel without the start-up issues caused by increasing system inertia. In addition, the introduction of the spring between the input and output stages of the device acts as a buffer for any sudden impacts, which not only allows the energy from such events to be fully absorbed and dissipated slowly through the output but significantly reduces the torque stress and torque fluctuation stress on critical components to improve the reliability of the system. Through experimentation and simulation, the transducer was shown to reduce the voltage fluctuation range from 13.85 to 28.16 V to 16.41 to 23.59 V for the pendulum energy harvester at resonance, and comparison of start-up response to that of a device with a flywheel shows a significant improvement in initial acceleration of the output when subjected to excitation. The energy harvester with spring has demonstrated a maximum normalised average power output of 12.09 W/g2, a maximum normalised average voltage of 109.96 V/g, and a maximum normalised power density of 7.8 W/g2/kg, at a resonant frequency of 1.2 Hz. The effectiveness of the spring mechanism for regulating output voltage and power, improving start-up performance, and reducing stress on critical components has significant implications for the real-world viability of pendulum energy harvesters, with the potential to improve their reliability in often unpredictable environments. [Display omitted] • Achieves key benefits of a flywheel, while overcoming the major drawbacks. • Spring reduces variation of output voltage, similar to the effect of a flywheel. • Improved start-up performance of energy harvester. • Significant reduction in torque on critical components e.g. clutches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc halides have attracted much interest because of their unique structures, non-toxicity and low cost among lead-free halides. In this work, we studied the crystal structures and luminescence properties of Cu-doped Cs 2 ZnI 4 (Cs 2 Zn 1- x Cu x I 4- x , x = 0.01–0.15). The pristine Cs 2 ZnI 4 has no luminescence properties under ultraviolet light irradiation, while the Cu-doped ones emit blue lights. With the increase of the doping level, the luminescence peak of as-fabricated samples gradually shifted from 476 nm to 450 nm. Detailed experimental characterization and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the emission of blue light originates from the mechanism of self-trapped exciton. A phosphor-converted white light-emitting diode fabricated with Cs 2 Zn 0.9 Cu 0.1 I 3.9 exhibits a high color rendering index of 94.2 and remains stable when adjusting the operating current. This work reports Cs 2 ZnI 4 as a new phosphor, demonstrating the potential application of the zinc family for the field of solid-state lighting. • Cu doping eables Cs 2 ZnI 4 to emit blue light and tunes the emission peak by adjusting the Cu content. • The luminous intensity of Cs 2 Zn 0.9 Cu 0.1 I 3.9 remains at 78.3 % after exposure to air for one month. • A white LED fabricated with Cs 2 Zn 0.9 Cu 0.1 I 3.9 exhibits a high Color Rendering Indexof 94.2 and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The highly conserved MPER region also exhibits variability. • N671S mutation increased viral neutralization sensitivity to 2F5 and 10E8. • K677R increased viral resistance to 10E8, while K677N enhanced viral resistance to 4E10 and 10E8. • Amino acid characterization of the extra-MPER also affects the neutralization sensitivity of the MPER. The membrane-proximal external region (MPER) represents a highly conserved region of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) envelope glycoprotein (env) targeted by several broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). In this study, we employed single genome amplification to amplify 34 full-length env sequences from the 2005 plasma sample of CBJC504, a chronic HIV-1 clade B infected individual. We identified three amino acid changes (N671S, D674N, and K677R) in the MPER. A longitudinal analysis revealed that the proportion of env sequences with MPER mutations increased from 26.5 % in 2005 to 56.0 % in 2009, and the sequences with the same mutation clustered together. Nine functional pseudoviruses were generated from the 34 env sequences to examine the effect of these mutations on neutralizing activity. Pseudoviruses carrying N674 or R677 mutations demonstrate increased sensitivity to autologous plasma and monoclonal antibodies 2F5, 4E10, and 10E8. Reverse mutations were performed in env including N674, R677, D659, and S671/N677 mutations, to validate the impact of the mutations on neutralizing sensitivity. Neutralization assays indicated that the N671S mutation increased neutralization sensitivity to 2F5 and 10E8. The amino acid R at position 677 increased viral resistance to 10E8, whereas N enhanced viral resistance to 4E10 and 10E8. It has been proposed that critical amino acids in the extra-MPER and the number of potential N-like glycosylation sites (PNGSs) in the V1 loop may have an impact on neutralizing activity. Understanding the mutations and evolution of MPER in chronically infected patients with HIV-1 is crucial for the design and development of vaccines that trigger bnAbs against MPER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for wireless condition monitoring and control of hydraulic systems in an autonomous and battery‐free manner is attracting increasing attention in an effort to provide improved sensing functionality, monitoring of system health, and to avoid catastrophic failures. The potential to harvest energy from hydraulic pressure ripples and noise is particularly attractive since they inherently have a high energy intensity, which is associated with the hydraulic mean pressure and flow rate. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in hydraulic pressure energy harvesting, which includes the fundamentals of pressure ripples in hydraulic systems, the choice of electroactive materials and device structures, and the influence of the fluid–mechanical interface. In addition, novel approaches for improving the harvested energy and potential applications for the technology are discussed, and future research directions are proposed and outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we show that the center of the quantum group Uq(픰픩3) is the subalgebra of Uq(픰픩3) generated by three elements, and isomorphic to a quotient algebra of the polynomial algebra with three variables and one relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) arises from the malignant mucosal epithelium of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. Natural killer (NK) cells are fundamental immune cells shaping the anti-HNSCC response. Elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of NK cell activity is crucial for understanding anti-HNSCC immunity. In this study, we characterized the expression and function of HLA-B-associated transcript 3 (Bat3) in NK cells in a mouse HNSCC model. We found that Bat3 expression was down-regulated in HNSCC-infiltrating NK cells. SCC VII, the mouse HNSCC cell line used in this model, induced Bat3 downregulation through direct cell-to-cell contact. By applying lentivirus-mediated silencing of Bat3, we discovered that Bat3 knockdown impaired the tumoricidal effect of NK cells on SCC VII cells and Hepa1-6RAE1, a genetically modified liver cancer cell line. Furthermore, Bat3 knockdown resulted in a significant decrease in perforin, granzyme B, interferon-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α in NK cells upon co-culture with SCC VII cells. Further investigations revealed that Bat3 knockdown promoted the binding of T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing-3 (Tim-3) to Fyn and thus activated the Tim-3 signaling. Blockade of Tim-3 with a neutralizing Tim-3 antibody counteracted the effect of Bat3 knockdown on NK cell cytotoxicity. Taken together, our data suggest that HNSCC might down-regulate Bat3 expression to augment Tim-3 signaling and ultimately suppress the tumoricidal activity of NK cells. This study unveils a novel mechanism by which HNSCC evades NK cell killing, and sheds light on designing novel anti-HNSCC immunotherapy targeting Bat3 and Tim-3 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]