Search

Background: Paclitaxel is a widely used cancer treatment drug that has a significant inhibitory effect on cervical cancer cells (HeLa cells). This study aims to investigate the effects of paclitaxel on HeLa cells and evaluate the application of terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors in this process. Methods: We utilized an SPR biosensor in conjunction with THz spectroscopy to measure the terahertz absorbance spectra of HeLa cells exposed to various concentrations of paclitaxel. The minimum number of cells used for detection was 15.25 × 105. At the same time, cell proliferation levels were assessed through proliferation assays and compared with the terahertz spectroscopy data. Results: The experimental results indicated that with the increasing concentration of paclitaxel, the terahertz absorbance spectra of HeLa cells exhibited a blue shift, and cell proliferation was significantly inhibited. The results of the proliferation assays were consistent with the terahertz spectroscopy data, validating the effectiveness of this method. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the combination of THz spectroscopy and SPR biosensors is a promising technology that can provide a simple, rapid, and low-cost method for studying chemistry–biology relationships, especially in the field of drug evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sugar industry is important for the economic development in China. Guangxi province is the largest sugar producer with over 60% of the total sugarcane cultivating area in the country. Research, development, and industrialization on the intensive processing and comprehensive utilization of sugarcane as a raw material will increase in the coming years. This article provides an overview of the development of diversified sugarcane deep processing, focusing on the current research development with special reference to the production of sugarcane wine, vinegar, sugarcane cell water, white sugar, and fructooligosaccharides in China, especially in Guangxi. The aim is to promote the second entrepreneurship of the sugar industry, upgrade the industrial chain, and provide advanced technologies to upgrade the quality and efficiency of the industry and achieve sustainable and healthy socioeconomic development in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The female reproductive system comprises the internal and external genitalia, which communicate through intricate endocrine pathways. Besides secreting hormones that maintain the female secondary sexual characteristics, it also produces follicles and offspring. However, the in vitro systems have been very limited in recapitulating the specific anatomy and pathophysiology of women. Organ-on-a-chip technology, based on microfluidics, can better simulate the cellular microenvironment in vivo, opening a new field for the basic and clinical research of female reproductive system diseases. This technology can not only reconstruct the organ structure but also emulate the organ function as much as possible. The precisely controlled fluidic microenvironment provided by microfluidics vividly mimics the complex endocrine hormone crosstalk among various organs of the female reproductive system, making it a powerful preclinical tool and the future of pathophysiological models of the female reproductive system. Here, we review the research on the application of organ-on-a-chip platforms in the female reproductive systems, focusing on the latest progress in developing models that reproduce the physiological functions or disease features of female reproductive organs and tissues, and highlighting the challenges and future directions in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A novel method is developed for precise control over the structure of 3D anodic aluminum oxide templates, enabling fine-tuning of both the vertical pore diameter and interspace within the templates. 3D carbon tube nanoarrays featuring significantly thinner and denser tubes are constructed as high-quality electrodes for miniaturized filter capacitors. The 3D compactly arranged carbon tube-based capacitor achieves a remarkable specific areal capacitance of 3.23 mF cm−2 with a phase angle of − 80.2° at 120 Hz. Electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) with fast frequency response are regarded as small-scale alternatives to the commercial bulky aluminum electrolytic capacitors. Creating carbon-based nanoarray electrodes with precise alignment and smooth ion channels is crucial for enhancing EDLCs' performance. However, controlling the density of macropore-dominated nanoarray electrodes poses challenges in boosting the capacitance of line-filtering EDLCs. Herein, a simple technique to finely adjust the vertical-pore diameter and inter-spacing in three-dimensional nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (3D-AAO) template is achieved, and 3D compactly arranged carbon tube (3D-CACT) nanoarrays are created as electrodes for symmetrical EDLCs using nanoporous 3D-AAO template-assisted chemical vapor deposition of carbon. The 3D-CACT electrodes demonstrate a high surface area of 253.0 m2 g−1, a D/G band intensity ratio of 0.94, and a C/O atomic ratio of 8. As a result, the high-density 3D-CT nanoarray-based sandwich-type EDLCs demonstrate a record high specific areal capacitance of 3.23 mF cm−2 at 120 Hz and exceptional fast frequency response due to the vertically aligned and highly ordered nanoarray of closely packed CT units. The 3D-CT nanoarray electrode-based EDLCs could serve as line filters in integrated circuits, aiding power system miniaturization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen is necessary for life and plays a key pivotal in maintaining normal physiological functions and treat of diseases. Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) have been studied and developed as a replacement for red blood cells (RBCs) in oxygen transport due to their similar oxygen-carrying capacities. However, applications of HBOCs are hindered by vasoactivity, oxidative toxicity, and a relatively short circulatory half-life. With advancements in nanotechnology, Hb encapsulation, absorption, bioconjugation, entrapment, and attachment to nanomaterials have been used to prepare nanomaterial-related HBOCs to address these challenges and pend their application in several biomedical and therapeutic contexts. This review focuses on the progress of this class of nanomaterial-related HBOCs in the fields of hemorrhagic shock, ischemic stroke, cancer, and wound healing, and speculates on future research directions. The advancements in nanomaterial-related HBOCs are expected to lead significant breakthroughs in blood substitutes, enabling their widespread use in the treatment of clinical diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ochratoxin A (OTA), which is highly toxic and carcinogenic, is easily produced in cereal crops, dry herbs, and other foods under improper storage. Traditional detection methods, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), can detect OTA accurately, but there are many problems such as long period, high cost, and poor reproducibility. Therefore, developing a rapid, non-destructive, and highly sensitive method for OTA detection is essential. In this paper, we used a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor combined with terahertz (THz) spectroscopy to quantify OTA. As a result, the concentration range of OTA in acetonitrile solution was up to 0–20 pg/μL, with a detection limit of 1 pg/μL, which can meet the requirements for OTA detection in most foods. Further, we applied this method to black tea, and the detection limit was up to 1 pg/mg, which is 500 times higher than UV spectrophotometry, and completely meets the EU regulations. This study shows that the combination of terahertz spectroscopy and an SPR biosensor is a promising approach to achieve a simple, rapid, and low-cost method for trace substance quantification in foods and drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the regulatory function of COL1A1 against the apoptosis of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and the potential function in congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV). Methods: Muscle tissues were collected from 20 children with CTEV and 20 children without CTEV, followed by detecting the expression of COL1A1 using the RT‐PCR method. COL1A1 was knocked down in H1 and H9 human ESCs using the RNA interference technology, followed by determining the level of COL1A1, PITX1, TBX4, HOXD10, Fas, FasL, and Bax using the Western blotting assay. Results: COL1A1 was found markedly upregulated in muscle tissues of CTEV children. In H1 and H9 human ESCs, compared to the empty vector, COL1A1, PITX1, TBX4, HOXD10, Fas, FasL, and Bax were found notably downregulated after transfected with the siRNA targeting COL1A1. Conclusion: COL1A1 induced the apoptosis of ESCs by mediating the PITX1/TBX4 signaling and might be a potential target for treating CTEV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational design of electrodes is the key to achieving ultrahigh-power performance in electrochemical energy storage devices. Recently, we have constructed well-organized and integrated three-dimensional (3D) carbon tube (CT) grids (3D-CTGs) using a 3D porous anodic aluminum oxide template-assisted method as electrodes of electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), showing excellent frequency response performance. The unique design warrants fast ion migration channels, excellent electronic conductivity, and good structural stability. This study achieved one of the highest carbon-based ultrahigh-power EDLCs with the 3D-CTG electrodes, resulting in ultrahigh power of 437 and 1708 W·cm−3 with aqueous and organic electrolytes, respectively. Capacitors constructed with these electrodes would have important application prospects in the ultrahigh-power output. The rational design and fabrication of the 3D-CTGs electrodes have demonstrated their capability to build capacitors with ultrahigh-power performance and open up new possibilities for applications requiring high-power output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is a grave traumatic experience that can profoundly compromise patients' psychological resilience, impacting their overall quality of life. The oxytocin system represents one of the essential neurobiological bases of psychological resilience and plays a critical role in regulating resilience in response to social or traumatic events during adulthood. Oxytocin, through its direct interaction with peripheral or central oxytocin receptors, has been found to have a significant impact on regulating social behavior. However, the precise mechanism by which the activation of peripheral oxytocin receptors leads to improved social is still not completely comprehended and requires additional research. Its activation can modulate psychological resilience by influencing estrogen and its receptors, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, thyroid function, 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism levels, and arginine pressure release in breast cancer patients. Various interventions, including psychotherapy and behavioral measures, have been employed to improve the psychological resilience of breast cancer patients. The potential effectiveness of such interventions may be underpinned by their ability to modulate oxytocin release levels. This review provides an overview of the oxytocin system and resilience in breast cancer patients and identifies possible future research directions and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax ginseng, a slow‐growing perennial herb, is the most praised and popular traditional medicinal herb. Mountain‐cultivated ginseng (MCG) and cultivated ginseng (CG) both belong to Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. The market price and medical effects of this popular health product are closely related to its age. It is widely acknowledged that CG is typically harvested after 4–6 years of growth, but MCG is often collected after 10 years. Until now, the age identification of MCG or mountain wild ginseng (MWG) has remained a major challenge. In this study, we established a novel and rapid method for staining xylem vessels with phloroglucinol and identifying the "annual growth rings" of ginseng by utilizing a stereoscope, which serves as a reliable indicator of the age of MCG. Statistical analysis of the ring radius and the ring density of MCG aged from 1 to 20 years shows that the secondary xylem of MCG increases rapidly in the first 3 years but then gradually slows down from 4 to 10 years, and minor fluctuation is observed in the next 10 years. Meanwhile, the space between the growth rings (ring density) becomes increasingly small with age. This straightforward staining approach can reveal the age of MCG with remarkable clarity and can distinguish MCG from CG. Research Highlights: A novel rapid staining method for Panax ginseng was established.The age of mountain‐cultivated ginseng (MCG) can be identified by microscopic techniques.MCG and cultivated ginseng (CG) can be discriminated by microstructure characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wen Dan decoction (WDD) has been a famous classic formula for resolving phlegm since ancient times in China. Currently, there are many types of WDD commercial preparations produced through modern technology. However, it is not known whether the holistic quality of WDD commercial preparations is consistent with the traditional decocting method to exert its proper effects. Therefore, the WDD material reference was studied and prepared, which can represent the traditional Chinese formulation WDD. Methods: A method based on UPLC-QTOF-MS was developed to evaluate the quality of WDD material reference and commercial prescriptions. At the same time, the multivariate statistical method was used to compare the differences between the material reference and the commercial prescription by principal component analysis (PCA) and heatmap. Finally, the UPLC-QTOF-MS method was established to quantitatively study 11 representative components, including naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid, adenosine, liquiritigenin, tangeretin, eriocitrin, naringenin and synephrine. Results: A total of 107 compounds were identified in the WDD material reference by comparing the retention time and fragment ion characteristics, including 54 flavonoids, 14 triterpenes, 10 organic acids, 7 alkaloids, 7 coumarins and 15 other components. The samples were almost evenly split into two groups, indicating a difference in quality between the WDD material reference and its commercial preparations in multivariate statistical analysis. Eleven major components of linearity, precision, repeatability, stability and recovery rate met the requirements, which were clearly different in commercial preparations and WDD material references. In terms of the content of 11 components in the commercial preparation, only CP8 is close to the material reference, which is in agreement with the statistical analysis of the heatmap. The concentrations of naringin and neohesperidin from the WDD material reference were higher than those from the commercial preparations. Conclusions: The quality evaluation method established in this study can be used to identify different sources of WDD but also proves that the WDD material reference contains higher naringin. Furthermore, this study confirmed that the preparation technology of WDD commercial prescriptions should be optimized on the basis of WDD material references, producing the closest possible clinical basis for the substance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the critical biological characteristics of human age, the face has been widely studied for age prediction, which has broad application prospects in the fields of commerce, security, entertainment, etc. Duo to complicated multi-latent heterogeneous features(e.g. gender) bring valuable messages for the image-based age estimation. A variety of methods utilize heterogeneous information for age estimation. However, heterogeneous features may have uncertain noise, and exploiting them without evaluating the reliability of confidence influence may impact the estimation accuracy. Inspired by the observation that gender has a noticeable impact on face at some particular age stage, this paper proposes a Feature Constraint Reinforcement Network (FCRN) to take advantage of constraint gender influence on the age estimation. The model extracts multi-scale latent heterogeneous features and deduces their confidence of influence upon age estimation methods. Specifically, it gets the gender and age features by classification and regression. Then, the model uses the gender factors extracted from the constraint gender features to reinforce and calculate the influence of different genders on age predictions among different age groups and improve the result of age prediction. Extensive experiments were conducted on the existing public aging datasets. The results show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial expression recognition has received extensive attention in recent years due to its important applications in many fields. Most expression samples used in research are relatively easy to analyze emotions because they have explicit expressions with strong intensities. However, in situations such as video question and answer, business negotiation, polygraph detection in the security field, autism treatment and medical escort, emotions are expressed in suppressed manners with low intensive expression or subtle expressions, making it difficult to estimate emotions accurately. In these situations, how to effectively extract expression features from facial expression images is a critical problem that affects the accuracy of subtle expression recognition. To address this problem, we propose an end-to-end group adaptive attention model for subtle expression recognition. Cropping an image into several regions of interest (ROI) according to the correlations between facial skeleton and emotions, the proposed model analyses the relationship among regions of interest, and mutual relations between local regions and the holistic region. Using the region group adaptive attention mechanism, the model effectively trains the convolutional neural network to efficiently extract facial expressions representing features and increases the accuracy and robustness of the recognition, particularly in some subtle facial expression circumstances. To improve the ability of different regional features to discriminate expressions, a group adaptive loss function is introduced to verify and improve estimation accuracy. Extensive experiments are conducted on the existing public face datasets CK+, JAFFE, KDEF and the self-collected subtle expression dataset SFER. Results show that the proposed model achieves accuracies of 99.59%, 95.20%, and 93.47% with datasets CK+, JAFFE, and KDEF, respectively. The proposed model thus generally achieves better performance in facial expression recognition than other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake-triggered landslides (EQTLs) are affected by both seismogenic faults and topography. Using landslide data associated with the 2008 MW7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, the distribution characteristics of EQTLs were identified. And the influence of topographical changes and fault dip angle changes on the distribution of EQTLs was analyzed. Fault dip angle had a controlling impact on EQTL spatial distribution. When the dip angle increased, EQTL distribution was concentrated in a certain range on both sides of the fault and decayed rapidly with distance from the fault. When dip angle decreased, the hanging wall effect became more obvious, and the number of landslides on the hanging wall gradually decreased with distance from the fault. In terms of topography, EQTLs were closely related to relative elevation differences, forming a single peak for a local relief range of 400–1600 m. For > 70% of statistical units, EQTL density increased with local relief; the landslide distribution conformed to an exponential relationship with relief. Peak local relief and dominant local relief were highly negatively correlated with fault dip angle. Fault geometry and motion characteristics control the propagation of seismic waves, directly affecting the distribution of EQTLs; moreover, as tectonic activity controls local relief, it also indirectly affects the distribution of EQTLs. Our findings provide empirical evidence for the rapid assessment of EQTL distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tian Shan is one of the most active intracontinental orogenic belts in the world. It has undergone complex deformation that has resulted in the formation of several fold-and-thrust belts (FTBs) in the piedmonts and intermontane basins. Investigating the deformation histories of these FTBs is important for understanding the tectonic propagation processes of the Tian Shan. Here, we gain insight into these crustal shortening processes by deciphering the Houyanshan structure, a typical fold-thrust belt in the eastern Chinese Tian Shan. We first describe a curved thrust ramp and related fold pairs of the structure using high-resolution remote sensing photography, deformation of fluvial terraces, and field-based geological cross-section. Combined with deformed terrace records and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating results, the kinematic style allows us to yield a geologic shortening rate of 1.6 ± 0.2 mm/a since ~52 ka. Second, to reduce uncertainty in the seismic interpretation and quantify the amount and time of crustal shortening, we interpret three seismic reflection profiles by using the theory of quantitative fault-related fold, area-depth-strain (ADS), and reverse modeling analyses. These profiles provide direct evidence that this structure connects by means of a listric thrust ramp to a shallow detachment level. ADS analysis reveals that the maximum shortening of the Huoyanshan structure is ~4.5 km, which is consistent with the result of quantitative inverse modeling. Each of the structural analysis methods gives similar parameters, and the high consistency of results greatly improves the soundness of a given geologic interpretation. Finally, the shortening rate and total shortening amount suggest that the structure may have formed at 1.8–3.7 Ma, which is nearly synchronous around the Tibetan Plateau. Together, these results indicate that this combined geological and geomorphological analysis provides greater insight into deformation information than can be achieved by any individual technique in studying fold-and-thrust belts worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fascinating dielectric property of relaxor ferroelectrics is investigated on the basis of phase-transition dynamics within the mean-field theory. With a power-law distribution of the Curie temperature for the second order phase transition ferroelectrics, the complex dielectric permittivity is derived. The result shows that the modified Curie–Weiss relation in the paraelectric phase follows the power-law distribution directly. The significant conclusion is that the "rediscovered" distributed Curie temperature can describe the universal dielectric dispersion for both real part and imaginary part of dielectric permittivity with temperature and frequency in relaxor ferroelectrics, and it conforms well to experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moisture content is a very important parameter for municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment technology selection and design. However, the moisture content of MSW collected from different urban areas is influenced by its physical composition in these areas. The aim of this study was to analyze the key components of MSW for predicting moisture content in different functional areas via the development of an artificial neural network (ANN) model. The dataset used in this study was collected in Shanghai from 2007 to 2019. Considering the influence of functional areas, the model obtained the performance with MAE of 2.67, RMSE of 3.29, and R2 of 0.83, and an eight-fold cross validation showed acceptable results. The inter-quartile range (IQR) and isolation forest were compared to detect and remove outliers. In descending order, the moisture content was ranked as commercial/residential > office > cleaning areas. Based on a parameter exclusion method, kitchen, rubber, and plastic wastes show the greatest influence on moisture content in residential and commercial areas. In cleaning and office areas, paper, wood and bamboo waste products were the most important components. The determination of key components in different functional areas is of benefit for reducing the workload of moisture content estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dinutuximab (ch14.18) was the first approved monoclonal antibody against the tumor‐associated antigen disialoganglioside GD2. Despite its success in treating neuroblastoma (NB), it triggers a significant amount of neuropathic pain in patients, possibly through complement‐dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). We hypothesized that modifying ch14.18 using antibody engineering techniques, such as humanization, affinity maturation, and Fc engineering, may enable the development of next‐generation GD2‐specific antibodies with reduced neuropathic pain and enhanced antitumor activity. In this study we developed the H3‐16 IgG1m4 antibody from ch14.18 IgG1. H3‐16 IgG1m4 exhibited enhanced binding activity to GD2 molecules and GD2‐positive cell lines as revealed by ELISA, and its cross‐binding activity to other gangliosides was not altered. The CDC activity of H3‐16 IgG1m4 was decreased, and the antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity was enhanced. The pain response after H3‐16 IgG1m4 antibody administration was also reduced, as demonstrated using the von Frey test in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. In summary, H3‐16 IgG1m4 may have potential as a monoclonal antibody with reduced side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to evaluate door-to-puncture time (DPT) and door-to-recanalization time (DRT) without directing healthcare by neuro-interventionalist support in the emergency department (ED) by workflow optimization and improving patients' outcomes.Methods: Records of 98 consecutive ischemic stroke patients who had undergone endovascular therapy (EVT) between 2018 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed in a single-center study. Patients were divided into three groups: pre-intervention (2018-2019), interim-intervention (2020), and post-intervention (January 1st 2021 to August 16th, 2021). We compared door-to-puncture time, door-to-recanalization time (DRT), puncture-to-recanalization time (PRT), last known normal time to-puncture time (LKNPT), and patient outcomes (measured by 3 months modified Rankin Scale) between three groups using descriptive statistics.Results: Our findings indicate that process optimization measures could shorten DPT, DRT, PRT, and LKNPT. Median LKNPT was shortened by 70 min from 325 to 255 min(P < 0.05), and DPT was shortened by 119 min from 237 to 118 min. DRT shortened by 132 min from 338 to 206 min, and PRT shortened by 33 min from 92 to 59 min from the pre-intervention to post-intervention groups (all P < 0.05). Only 21.4% of patients had a favorable outcome in the pre-intervention group as compared to 55.6% in the interventional group (P= 0.026).Conclusion: This study demonstrated that multidisciplinary cooperation was associated with shortened DPT, DRT, PRT, and LKNPT despite challenges posed to the healthcare system such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These practice paradigms may be transported to other stroke centers and healthcare providers to improve endovascular time metrics and patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurotransmitters play essential roles in regulating neural circuit dynamics both in the central nervous system as well as at the peripheral, including the gastrointestinal tract1–3. Their real-time monitoring will offer critical information for understanding neural function and diagnosing disease1–3. However, bioelectronic tools to monitor the dynamics of neurotransmitters in vivo, especially in the enteric nervous systems, are underdeveloped. This is mainly owing to the limited availability of biosensing tools that are capable of examining soft, complex and actively moving organs. Here we introduce a tissue-mimicking, stretchable, neurochemical biological interface termed NeuroString, which is prepared by laser patterning of a metal-complexed polyimide into an interconnected graphene/nanoparticle network embedded in an elastomer. NeuroString sensors allow chronic in vivo real-time, multichannel and multiplexed monoamine sensing in the brain of behaving mouse, as well as measuring serotonin dynamics in the gut without undesired stimulations and perturbing peristaltic movements. The described elastic and conformable biosensing interface has broad potential for studying the impact of neurotransmitters on gut microbes, brain–gut communication and may ultimately be extended to biomolecular sensing in other soft organs across the body.NeuroString, a tissue-like biological interface created by laser patterning of polyimide into a graphene/nanoparticle network embedded in an elastomer, is introduced, allowing in vivo real-time detection of neurotransmitters in the brain and gut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qilian–Haiyuan fault zone in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau has been the source of strong earthquakes in the region. In its middle segment, the Jinqianghe fault is an important active fault within the Tianzhu seismic gap; however, little is known about its slip behavior. To present a new horizontal displacement distribution along this fault, we used WorldView‐2 stereo pairs and unmanned aerial vehicle‐based photogrammetry to construct digital elevation models to obtain a detailed tectono‐geomorphic interpretation and geomorphic offsets. The offset marker measurements yielded 135 geomorphic displacements and 8 offset clusters. Radiocarbon dating was used to establish the regional age sequence of the geomorphic units in offset fluvial terraces at four study sites. The displacements and ages linked the offset clusters with the geomorphic unit sequence; the Holocene strike‐slip rate of the Jinqianghe fault was estimated to 4.8–5.6 mm/a at ∼4–12 ka and 2.9–4.7 mm/a from ∼4 ka. Three recent earthquakes (with a recurrence interval of ∼1000 years) represent an active seismic period, revealing the potential seismic hazard along this fault because it has not ruptured in the last 1500 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous work has demonstrated that the expression of microRNA-21 (miR-21) is implicated in cervical cancer (CC). However, little is known regarding its associations with clinical parameters. We first conducted a meta-analysis using data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) microarrays and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Then, enrichment analysis and hub gene screening were performed by bioinformatic methods. Finally, the role of the screened target genes in CC was explored. According to the meta-analysis, the expression of miR-21 in cancer tissues was higher than in adjacent nontumor tissues (P < 0.05). In addition, 46 genes were predicted as potential targets of miR-21. After enrichment analyses, it was detected that these genes were enriched in various cancer pathways, including the phosphatidylinositol signaling system and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. In this study, bioinformatic tools and meta-analysis validated that miR-21 may function as a highly sensitive and specific marker for the diagnosis of CC, which may provide a novel approach to the diagnosis and treatment of CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of prediction accuracy in network situation awareness, a network security situation prediction method based on a generalized radial basis function (RBF) neural network is proposed. This method uses the K-means clustering algorithm to determine the data center and expansion function of the RBF and uses the least-mean-square algorithm to adjust the weights to obtain the nonlinear mapping relationship between the situation value before and after the situation and carry out the situation prediction. Simulation experiments show that this method can obtain situation prediction results more accurately and improve the active security protection of network security. Compared with the PSO-RBF model, AFSA-RBF model, and IAFSA-RBF model, the maximum relative error and minimum relative error of the IAFSA-PSO-RBF model are reduced by 14.27%, 8.91%, and 32.98%, respectively, and the minimum relative error is reduced by 1.69%, 12.97%, and 0.61%, respectively. This shows that the IAFSA-PSO-RBF model has reduced the prediction error interval, and the average relative error is 5%. Compared with the other three models, the accuracy rate is improved by more than 5%, and it has met the requirements for the prediction of the network security situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patients can be at risk of carotid artery dissection and ischemic stroke after cervical chiropractic manipulation. However, such risks are rarely reported and raising awareness can increase the safety of chiropractic manipulations. Case Report: We present two middle-aged patients with carotid artery dissection leading to ischemic stroke after receiving chiropractic manipulation in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China. Both patients had new-onset pain in their necks after receiving chiropractic manipulations. Excess physical force during chiropractic manipulation may present a risk to patients. Patient was administered with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator after radiological diagnoses. They were prescribed 100 mg and clopidogrel 75 mg daily for 3 months as dual antiplatelet therapy. There were no complications over the follow-up period. Conclusion: These cases suggest that dissection of the carotid artery can occur as the result of chiropractic manipulations. Patients should be diagnosed and treated early to achieve positive outcomes. The safety of chiropractic manipulations should be increased by raising awareness about the potential risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation light-emitting displays on skin should be soft, stretchable and bright1–7. Previously reported stretchable light-emitting devices were mostly based on inorganic nanomaterials, such as light-emitting capacitors, quantum dots or perovskites6–11. They either require high operating voltage or have limited stretchability and brightness, resolution or robustness under strain. On the other hand, intrinsically stretchable polymer materials hold the promise of good strain tolerance12,13. However, realizing high brightness remains a grand challenge for intrinsically stretchable light-emitting diodes. Here we report a material design strategy and fabrication processes to achieve stretchable all-polymer-based light-emitting diodes with high brightness (about 7,450 candela per square metre), current efficiency (about 5.3 candela per ampere) and stretchability (about 100 per cent strain). We fabricate stretchable all-polymer light-emitting diodes coloured red, green and blue, achieving both on-skin wireless powering and real-time displaying of pulse signals. This work signifies a considerable advancement towards high-performance stretchable displays.A material design strategy and fabrication process is described to produce all-polymer light-emitting diodes with high brightness, current efficiency and good mechanical stability, with applications in skin electronics and human–machine interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare the safety and efficiency of atherectomy plus drug-coated balloon with drug-coated balloon only for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed and reported following the requirement of the PRISMA. EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane library were queried from January 2000 to June 2020 to identify eligible literature. The modified Downs and Black checklist was used to assess the quality of included studies. Outcome measures included bail-out stenting, distal embolization, perforation, hematoma, primary patency at 12 months, target lesion revascularization at 12 months, leg amputation at 12 months, and mortality at 12 months. We used DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model to pool the dichotomous data on risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from each study to obtain an overall estimate for major outcomes. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results: Six studies (two randomized controlled trials and four retrospective cohort studies) with 470 patients were included. Atherectomy plus drug-coated balloon group was associated with lower rates of bail-out stenting (RR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.34–0.71, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between two groups in terms of distal embolization (RR: 2.06, 95%CI: 0.51–8.38, P = 0.31), perforation (RR: 2.04, 95%CI: 0.43–9.71, P = 0.37), hematoma (RR: 1.75, 95%CI: 0.43–7.09, P = 0.43), primary patency at 12 months (1.09, 95%CI: 0.98–1.21, P = 0.12), target lesion revascularization at 12 months (RR: 0.68, 95%CI: 0.41–1.14, P = 0.15), leg amputations at 12 months (RR: 0.54, 95%CI: 0.13–2.23, P = 0.39), mortality at 12 months (RR: 2.18, 95%CI: 0.71–6.64, P = 0.17). Sensitivity analysis had no effect on our findings. Conclusions: The combination of atherectomy and drug-coated balloon was safe and effective in the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions, with lower incidence of bail-out stenting compared with drug-coated balloon only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equus asinus L [Equidae; Asini Corii Colla] (donkey-hide gelatin, Ejiao), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used to nourish the blood, especially for women. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of Ejiao in blood-deficient patients. A total of 210 participants were recruited and randomly allocated into the placebo control group and Ejiao-treated group (6 g/day). The primary outcomes on the efficacy of Ejiao included traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores, blood indicators, and SF-36. The secondary outcomes were changes in fireness and safety evaluation. Results showed that Ejiao treatment for 8 weeks had significantly improved dizziness symptoms. Among the tested 24 blood biochemical parameters, the hematocrit and red blood cell numbers decreased in the placebo control group, but decreased significantly less in the Ejiao treatment group. The white blood cell and neutrophil counts increased in the Ejiao group but were within the normal range. In addition, the quality of life improved as the scores in SF-36 domains were significantly higher in the Ejiao group. At the same time, there was no significant change in the fire–heat symptoms score or other safety parameters. Considering all these, our study showed that Ejiao has a promising effect in women suffering from blood deficiency without obvious adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation wearable electronics require enhanced mechanical robustness and device complexity. Besides previously reported softness and stretchability, desired merits for practical use include elasticity, solvent resistance, facile patternability and high charge carrier mobility. Here, we show a molecular design concept that simultaneously achieves all these targeted properties in both polymeric semiconductors and dielectrics, without compromising electrical performance. This is enabled by covalently-embedded in-situ rubber matrix (iRUM) formation through good mixing of iRUM precursors with polymer electronic materials, and finely-controlled composite film morphology built on azide crosslinking chemistry which leverages different reactivities with C–H and C=C bonds. The high covalent crosslinking density results in both superior elasticity and solvent resistance. When applied in stretchable transistors, the iRUM-semiconductor film retained its mobility after stretching to 100% strain, and exhibited record-high mobility retention of 1 cm2 V−1 s−1 after 1000 stretching-releasing cycles at 50% strain. The cycling life was stably extended to 5000 cycles, five times longer than all reported semiconductors. Furthermore, we fabricated elastic transistors via consecutively photo-patterning of the dielectric and semiconducting layers, demonstrating the potential of solution-processed multilayer device manufacturing. The iRUM represents a molecule-level design approach towards robust skin-inspired electronics. Next-generation skin-inspired electronics require enhanced mechanical robustness and device complexity including elasticity, solvent resistance, and facile patternability. Here, the authors show a molecular design concept that simultaneously achieves all these requirements by covalently linking an in-situ formed rubber matrix with polymer electronic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries involve a reversible conversion reaction between sulfur and lithium sulfide (Li2S) via a series of soluble lithium polysulfide intermediates (LiPSs), enabling a high theoretical specific capacity of 1675 mAh g–1. However, this process exhibits large polarization and low sulfur utilization and suffers critical capacity fade. The primary approach to tackle the problem has so far been to infiltrate sulfur into nanostructured carbon. However, most studies using porous carbon as host materials have tested with high electrolyte to sulfur ratios (E/S) (generally > 15 µL mg−1) that compromise the cell‐level energy density. Here, a flower‐shaped porous carbon structure with nickel nanoparticles that can address the problems discussed above is designed. First, the 3D flower‐shaped carbon structure enables short ionic transport lengths. Second, the small pore diameters <10 nm and high specific surface areas > 3300 m2 g−1 with sufficient pore volume are ideal for charging performance for low E/S ratios. Finally, Ni nanoparticles are employed onto the flower‐shaped network to improve the reaction kinetics. Collectively, it is successfully demonstrated that the batteries with a high mass loading of 5 mg cm−2 and a 5 µL mg−1 E/S ratio can retain cycle retention of 70% after 150 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Water stress is one of the serious abiotic stresses that negatively influences the growth, development and production of sugarcane in arid and semi-arid regions. However, silicon (Si) has been applied as an alleviation strategy subjected to environmental stresses. Methods: In this experiment, Si was applied as soil irrigation in sugarcane plants to understand the mitigation effect of Si against harmful impact of water stress on photosynthetic leaf gas exchange. Results: In the present study we primarily revealed the consequences of low soil moisture content, which affect overall plant performance of sugarcane significantly. Silicon application reduced the adverse effects of water stress by improving the net photosynthetic assimilation rate (Anet) 1.35–18.75%, stomatal conductance to water vapour (gs) 3.26–21.57% and rate of transpiration (E) 1.16–17.83%. The mathematical models developed from the proposed hypothesis explained the functional relationships between photosynthetic responses of Si application and water stress mitigation. Conclusions: Silicon application showed high ameliorative effects on photosynthetic responses of sugarcane to water stress and could be used for mitigating environmental stresses in other crops, too, in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: At present, the process of inspection and quarantine starts with sampling at the customs port, continues with transporting the samples to the central laboratory for inspection experiments, and ends with the inspected results being fed back to the port. This process had the risks of degradation of biological samples and generation of pathogenic microorganisms and did not meet the rapid on-site detection demand because it took a rather long time. Therefore, it is urgently needed to develop a rapid and high-throughput detection assay of pathogenic microorganisms at the customs port. The aim of this study was to develop a microfluidic chip to rapidly detect swine pathogenic microorganisms with high-throughput and higher accuracy. Moreover, this chip will decrease the risk of spreading infection during transportation. Results: A series of experiments were performed to establish a microfluidic chip. The resulting data showed that the positive nucleic acid of four swine viruses were detected by using a portable and rapid microfluidic PCR system, which could achieve a on-site real-time quantitative PCR detection. Furthermore, the detection results of eight clinical samples were obtained within an hour. The lowest concentration that amplified of this microfluidic PCR detection system was as low as 1 copies/μL. The results showed that the high specificity of this chip system in disease detection played an important role in customs inspection and quarantine during customs clearance. Conclusion: The microfluidic PCR detection system established in this study could meet the requirement for rapid detection of samples at the customs port. This chip could avoid the risky process of transporting the samples from the sampling site to the testing lab, and drastically reduce the inspection cycle. Moreover, it would enable parallel inspections on one chip, which greatly raised the efficiency of inspection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porphyrinic metal–organic frameworks (PMOFs) are very appealing electrocatalytic materials, in part, due to their highly porous backbone, well‐defined and dispersed metal active sites, and their long‐range order. Herein a series of (Co)PCN222 (PCN: porous coordination network) (nano)particles with different sizes are successfully prepared by coordination modulation synthesis. These particles exhibit stability in 0.1 m HClO4 electrolyte with no obvious particle size or compositional changes observed after being soaked for 3 days in the electrolyte or during electrocatalysis. This long‐term stability enables the in‐depth investigation into the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction, and it is further demonstrated that the (Co)PCN222 particle size correlates with its catalytic activity. Of the three particle sizes evaluated (characteristic length scales of 200, 500, and 1000 nm), the smallest size demonstrates the highest mass activity while the largest size has the highest surface area normalized activity. Together these results highlight the importance of determining the structural stability of framework catalysts and provide insights into the important roles of particle size, opening new avenues to investigate and improve the electrocatalytic performance of this class of framework material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic variables are the main factors determining the crop productivity, and these undergo changes in the course of time. Though silicon (Si) is not an essential element for the plants, its significant role has been observed in various plant species. Use of silicon could stimulate plant growth and mitigate multiple stresses such as salinity, drought, heat, extreme temperature, metal toxicity and nutritional imbalance as well as the stress linked with changes in global climatic variables. Silicon can also delay leaf senescence. In addition, Si is not harmful to plants even when present in excess. Eco-friendly techniques would be needed for addressing the growing demands for food grains and other agricultural production. The use of Si would become a sustainable strategy for increasing crop yield, improving quality and mitigating abiotic stresses in the near future. This review highlights our current understanding on the use of silicon to mitigate abiotic stresses and enhance crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qilian Shan, located in the northeastern Tibet, is under strong tectonic activity and earthquake motion due to the propagation of the plateau. At the mountain front of the eastern Qilian Shan, the Tongziba River, in the southern Zhangye Basin, flows northward and successively cuts the Minle‐Damaying Fault and the Yonggu Anticline, two parallel structures within the Frontal Thrust system of the Qilian Shan. Here we present a detailed record of seven strath terraces of this river that documents the history of active deformation of the two structures. Based on the estimated crustal shortening distance from the deformed terraces and the terrace formation age constrained by AMS 14C and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, a horizontal slip rate of 1.4 ± 0.5 mm/year of the Minle‐Damaying Fault is constrained since 16.7 ± 1.8 kyr, and a shortening rate of 1.3 ± 0.4 mm/year across the Yonggu Anticline has been estimated in a similar time frame, respectively. In total, the shortening rate across the mountain front is estimated to be 2.7 ± 0.6 mm/year. GPS data show a similar modern shortening rate in this area, which indicates the rate of crustal shortening may be comparable in the modern and 104‐year scales. Our study supports a higher crustal shortening rate along the mountain front of the eastern Qilian Shan than that of the western Qilian Shan since the Late Quaternary. Key Points: The Minle‐Damaying Fault and the Yonggu Anticline have been active since at least 16.7 ± 1.8 kyrEstimated Late Quaternary shortening rate across the eastern Qilian Shan foreland is 2.7 ± 0.6 mm/year from terraces analysisCrustal shortening rate along the mountain front of the eastern Qilian Shan is probably higher than that of the western Qilian Shan [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐resolution topographic data sets have now become increasingly available, which allows for remotely measuring and analyzing offset features and their associated slip distributions at a very high resolution along a fault, hence providing important insights into the fault behavior. The West Helanshan Fault is a Holocene active right‐lateral strike‐slip fault located at the junction of the Tibetan Plateau, Alashan, and Ordos blocks. In this study, a 2‐m‐resolution DEM of the West Helanshan Fault was built from the WorldView‐3 stereo satellite images (0.5 m). Combined with the high‐resolution topography acquired from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) images based on the Structure from Motion (SfM) method, a total of 180 lateral offsets and 201 vertical displacements were acquired along ~50 km of the fault. By statistical analysis of the offset observations and constructing the cumulative slip profiles, we conclude that large paleoearthquakes have produced characteristic slip accumulation along the fault with a right‐lateral slip of ~3 m and a vertical slip of ~1 m, rupturing at least two segments of the fault simultaneously, which corresponds to a moment magnitude of Mw 7.1 ~ 7.5. The cumulative slip profiles suggest that the fault has likely propagated northward over its lifetime, and the south segment may be the most mature section of the fault where larger coseismic slip of earthquake ruptures may occur. The ratio of lateral to vertical displacement has remained constant (~3:1) through multiple successive events, indicating that the fault has maintained the same kinematic style over the last few thousands of years. Key Points: Large paleoearthquakes have produced characteristic slip along the fault with a lateral slip of ~3 m and a vertical slip of ~1 mThe fault has propagated northward over its lifetime, and larger coseismic slip of earthquakes may occur on the south segment of the faultThe fault has maintained the same kinematic style with a constant ratio of lateral to vertical displacement [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni,N‐doped carbon catalysts have shown promising catalytic performance for CO2 electroreduction (CO2R) to CO; this activity has often been attributed to the presence of nitrogen‐coordinated, single Ni atom active sites. However, experimentally confirming Ni−N bonding and correlating CO2 reduction (CO2R) activity to these species has remained a fundamental challenge. We synthesized polyacrylonitrile‐derived Ni,N‐doped carbon electrocatalysts (Ni‐PACN) with a range of pyrolysis temperatures and Ni loadings and correlated their electrochemical activity with extensive physiochemical characterization to rigorously address the origin of activity in these materials. We found that the CO2R to CO partial current density increased with increased Ni content before plateauing at 2 wt % which suggests a dispersed Ni active site. These dispersed active sites were investigated by hard and soft X‐ray spectroscopy, which revealed that pyrrolic nitrogen ligands selectively bind Ni atoms in a distorted square‐planar geometry that strongly resembles the active sites of molecular metal–porphyrin catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni,N‐doped carbon catalysts have shown promising catalytic performance for CO2 electroreduction (CO2R) to CO; this activity has often been attributed to the presence of nitrogen‐coordinated, single Ni atom active sites. However, experimentally confirming Ni−N bonding and correlating CO2 reduction (CO2R) activity to these species has remained a fundamental challenge. We synthesized polyacrylonitrile‐derived Ni,N‐doped carbon electrocatalysts (Ni‐PACN) with a range of pyrolysis temperatures and Ni loadings and correlated their electrochemical activity with extensive physiochemical characterization to rigorously address the origin of activity in these materials. We found that the CO2R to CO partial current density increased with increased Ni content before plateauing at 2 wt % which suggests a dispersed Ni active site. These dispersed active sites were investigated by hard and soft X‐ray spectroscopy, which revealed that pyrrolic nitrogen ligands selectively bind Ni atoms in a distorted square‐planar geometry that strongly resembles the active sites of molecular metal–porphyrin catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the potential therapeutic effect of yttrium oxide nanoparticles (Y2O3 NPs) on fulminant hepatic failure. Materials & methods: RAW264.7 cells and a lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine-induced hepatic failure murine model were used to assess the effects of Y2O3 NPs. Results: Y2O3 NPs exhibited anti-inflammatory activity by scavenging cellular reactive oxygen species and dampening reactive oxygen species-mediated NF-κB activation in vitro. A single intraperitoneal administration of Y2O3 NPs (30 mg/kg) enhanced hepatic antioxidant status and reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide/galactosamine-induced mice. Y2O3 NPs also attenuated hepatic NF-κB activation, cell apoptosis and liver injury. Conclusion: Y2O3 NP administration could be used as a novel therapeutic strategy for treating fulminant hepatic failure and oxidative stress-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]