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KIF18B is a key member of the kinesin-8 family, involved in regulating various physiological processes such as microtubule length, spindle assembly, and chromosome alignment. This article briefly introduces the structure and physiological functions of KIF18B, examines its role in malignant tumors, and the associated carcinogenic signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, Wnt/β-catenin, and mTOR pathways. Research indicates that the upregulation of KIF18B enhances tumor malignancy and resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. KIF18B could become a new target for anticancer drugs, offering significant potential for the treatment of malignant tumors and reducing chemotherapy resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from CO2 and CH3OH holds significant economic and environmental value. Numerous catalysts have been employed for this reaction, yet further enhancement of its activity requires a deeper understanding of the catalyst's structure–activity relationship and catalytic mechanism. In this study, we utilized structurally well-defined and highly tunable MOF-808 as a research platform. Functionalizing MOF-808 with ethylenediamine (MOF-808-ED) boosted the space time yield of DMC from 3.25 mmol g−1 h−1 to 7.23 mmol g−1 h−1. The experimental results demonstrate that the reaction involves acid–base synergistic catalysis, where an appropriate balance of acid–base site content is crucial for CO2 and CH3OH to produce DMC, as it facilitates the formation of the key intermediates (CH3OCOO*). Additionally, the nucleophilicity of N is stronger than that of O, further promoting the catalyst's enrichment and activation of CO2. Finally, employing in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) testing, we elucidated the mechanism by which the MOF-808-ED catalyst, with –NH2 as base sites and Zr as acid sites, facilitates the synergistic catalysis of the reaction. This study provides insights into the synergistic effects of acid–base sites on the synthesis of DMC from CO2 and methanol, offering valuable guidance for the development of high-performance catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light is fundamental for biological life, with most mammals possessing light-sensing photoreceptors in various organs. Opsin3 is highly expressed in adipose tissue which has extensive communication with other organs, particularly with the brain through the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Our study reveals a new light-triggered crosstalk between adipose tissue and the hypothalamus. Direct blue-light exposure to subcutaneous white fat improves high-fat diet-induced metabolic abnormalities in an Opsin3-dependent manner. Metabolomic analysis shows that blue light increases circulating levels of histidine, which activates histaminergic neurons in the hypothalamus and stimulates brown adipose tissue (BAT) via SNS. Blocking central actions of histidine and denervating peripheral BAT blunts the effects of blue light. Human white adipocytes respond to direct blue light stimulation in a cell-autonomous manner, highlighting the translational relevance of this pathway. Together, these data demonstrate a light-responsive metabolic circuit involving adipose-hypothalamus communication, offering a potential strategy to alleviate obesity-induced metabolic abnormalities. Light is essential for biological life. Here, the authors show blue light activates the photoreceptor Opsin3 in white fat, triggering a light-responsive metabolic circuit involving adipose-hypothalamus communication, which could potentially alleviate obesity-induced metabolic abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have garnered considerable interest due to their potential in optoelectronic applications. Herein, we assemble a novel one-dimensional organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite from the organic cation with trans-configuration, (trans-4-methylcyclohexylammonium)CdCl3 (compound 1), which undergoes successive high-temperature structural phase transitions accompanied by dual switchable dielectric anomalies. The variable-temperature structural analyses indicate that the phase transition from the triclinic P1¯ to the monoclinic space group P21/c at 385 K is driven by the swinging motion of half organic cations, while the subsequent transition to the orthorhombic space group Cmcm at 436 K is attributed to the order–disorder transformation of all organic cations. Moreover, compound 1 exhibits semiconducting characteristics and blue light emission with a remarkably long lifetime of 9.94 ns. These findings are poised to inspire the design of novel multifunctional hybrid perovskites with superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer is among the most common malignant tumors affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Liver metastases, a complication present in approximately 50% of colorectal cancer patients, are a considerable concern. Recently, studies have revealed the crucial role of miR-455 in tumor pathogenesis. However, the effect of miR-455 on the progression of liver metastases in colorectal cancer remains controversial. As an antagonist of bone morphogenetic protein(BMP), Gremlin 1 (GREM1) may impact organogenesis, body patterning, and tissue differentiation. Nevertheless, the role of miR-455 in regulating GREM1 in colorectal cancer liver metastases and how miR-455/GREM1 axis influences tumour immune microenvironment is unclear. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis shows that miR-455/GREM1 axis plays crucial role in liver metastasis of intestinal cancer and predicts its possible mechanism. To investigate the impact of miR-455/GREM1 axis on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of colorectal cancer cells, colony formation assay, wound healing and transwell assay were examined in vitro. The Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay and RNA pull-down assay confirmed a possible regulatory effect between miR-455 and GREM1. In vivo, colorectal cancer liver metastasis(CRLM) model mice was established to inquiry the effect of miR-455/GREM1 axis on tumor growth and macrophage polarization. The marker of macrophage polarization was tested using immunofluorescence(IF) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR). By enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), cytokines were detected in culture medium supernatants. Results: We found that miR-455 and BMP6 expression was increased and GREM1 expression was decreased in liver metastase compared with primary tumor. miR-455/GREM1 axis promotes colorectal cancer cells proliferation, migration, invasion via affected PI3K/AKT pathway. Moreover, downregulating GREM1 augmented BMP6 expression in MC38 cell lines, inducing M2 polarization of macrophages, and promoting liver metastasis growth in CRLM model mice. Conclusion: These data suggest that miR-455/GREM1 axis promotes colorectal cancer progression and liver metastasis by affecting PI3K/AKT pathway and inducing M2 macrophage polarization. These results offer valuable insights and direction for future research and treatment of CRLM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluid jet polishing (FJP) is a non-contact polishing technology that can fabricate free-form optical surfaces with sub-micron-level form accuracy and nano-level surface roughness, especially for hard and brittle materials. The surface generation model of FJP can be used to guide the determination and optimization of process parameters and is of great significance for understanding the evolution mechanism of surface microtopography. However, predictive models for the microscopic topography of polished surfaces are still lacking. This study established a macroscopic surface profile model for predicting 3D material removal characteristics and surface texture by combining the 3D computer fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation model and single-particle erosion mechanism. A fractal theory-based erosion model has been built to calculate the material removal caused by the erosion of a single abrasive particle on the rough surface; thus, it predicts the micro-topography and surface roughness of the polished samples. A series of polishing experiments were conducted to analyze the feasibility and accuracy of the model quantitatively and study the influence mechanism of process parameters on the material removal characteristics and surface quality. Results indicated that the models could well predict material removal and surface roughness. The prediction accuracy of the surface roughness Ra and maximum removal depth is better than 91.6% and 90%, respectively. It is also found that the material removal rate of FJP could reach 0.517 mm3/min, and the surface roughness convergence rate could reach 62.9%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cygnus region, which contains massive molecular and atomic clouds and young stars, is a promising Galactic neutrino source candidate. Cosmic-ray transport in the region can produce neutrinos and γ -rays. Recently, the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) detected an ultrahigh-energy γ -ray bubble (Cygnus Bubble) in this region. Using publicly available track events detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in 7 yr of full detector operation, we conduct searches for correlated neutrino signals from the Cygnus Bubble with neutrino emission templates based on LHAASO γ -ray observations. No significant signals were found for any employed templates. With the 7 TeV γ -ray flux template, we set a flux upper limit of 90% confidence level for the neutrino emission from the Cygnus Bubble to be 5.7 × 10−13 TeV−1 cm−2 s−1 at 5 TeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immunotherapy combined with molecular targeted therapy is increasingly popular in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, immune-related adverse events(irAEs) brought on by immunotherapy increase the likelihood of side effects, thus it is important to look into ways to address this issue. Methods: Different metabolite patterns were established by analyzing metabolomics data in liver tissue samples from 10 patients(divided into severe and mild liver injury) before and after immuno-targeted therapy. After establishing a subcutaneous tumor model of HCC, the mice were divided into PBS group, ascorbic acid(AA) group, and anti-PD1 + tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) group, anti-PD1 + TKI + AA group. Liver tissue were stained with hematoxylin-eosin staining(HE) and the content of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase(ALT) in blood were determined. The mechanism was confirmed by western blotting, mass cytometry, and other techniques. Results: Through metabolomics analysis, AA was significantly reduced in the sample of patients with severe liver injury caused by immuno-targeted therapy compared to patients with mild liver injury. The addition of AA in vivo experiments demonstrated a reduction in liver injury in mice. In the liver tissues of the anti-PD1 + TKI + AA group, the protein expressions of SLC7A11,GPX4 and the level of glutathione(GSH) were found to be higher compared to the anti-PD1 + TKI group. Mass cytometry analysis revealed a significant increase in the CD11b+CD44+ PD-L1+ cell population in the AA group when compared to the PBS group. Conclusions: AA could reduce liver injury by preventing hepatocyte SLC7A11/GPX4 ferroptosis and improve the immunotherapy effect of anti-PD1 by boosting CD11b+CD44+PD-L1+cell population in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study illustrates the impact of green HR management on circular economy performance along with the mediator role of green innovation and moderator roles of big data analytics and data-driven culture. The 438 survey questionnaires were collected from textile sector SMEs and evaluated through PLS-SEM functionality. The study outcomes deliberated that green HRM has shown a significant positive impact on circular economy performance. Similarly, green innovation and big data analytics sanctioned mediators and moderator roles by focusing on circular economy performance. Therefore, data-driven culture did not perform as a moderator task between green innovation and circular economy performance. The study developed a hypothetical distinctive connection of resource base view theorem and absorptive capacity theory that recognized a firm's resources or capabilities as new value, externally generated knowledge, and its implementation to accomplish the competitive benefit in an outline of circular economy performance. The SMEs will acquire advantage from this study in the perspective of new business systems, changing consumption patterns, re-cycling, repair, re-use, re-manufacturing, product sharing, and modularization for sustainable performance. The study would be exceedingly valuable for the foundation of policy documents regarding developing an environmental strategic tool kit in the outline of a green HR environment, big data involvement, and enhancement of circular economy performance with sustainable environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, multifunctional metasurface has showcased its powerful functionality to integrate nanoprinting and holography, and display ultracompact meta-images in near- and far-field simultaneously. Herein, we propose a tri-channel metasurface which can further extend the meta-imaging ranges, with three independent images located at the interface, Fresnel and Fourier domains, respectively. Specifically, a structural-color nanoprinting image is decoded right at the interface of the metasurface, enabled by varying the dimensions of nanostructures; a Fresnel holographic image and another Fourier holographic image are present at the Fresnel and Fourier (far-field) domains, respectively, enabled by geometric phase. The spectral and phase manipulation capabilities of nanostructures have been maximized, and the spatial multiplexing capabilities for diffraction in metasurfaces have also been fully exploited. By leveraging the design freedom enabled through the tuning of the geometric size and orientation of nanostructures, as well as optimizing the diffraction spatial light wave transformation, the encoding of multiple images on the single-celled metasurface is achieved. More interestingly, due to the spatial separation of images across different channels, crosstalk is virtually eliminated, effectively enhancing imaging quality. The proposed metasurface offers several advantages, including a compact design, easiness of fabrication, minimal crosstalk, and high storage density. Consequently, it holds promising applications in image display, data storage, information encryption, anti-counterfeiting, and various other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought vast challenges. The lifestyle of residents has been extended from long-term home isolation to outdoor public activities along the periphery of the residential area. In this context, residents have an increasing demand for urban green space (UGS). To achieve a comprehensive perception of landscapes and explore the influencing factors during pandemic, the study administered a survey to assess residents' perceived demand for UGSs in April 2020. The 828 questionnaires were to explore respondents' perceptions underlying the pressure from COVID-19, focusing on the physical-mental response, activity preferences, and overall satisfaction with UGSs. The study found three aspects of experiencing nature, rest and relaxation, and self-improvement are the key factors improving the residents' long-term stay in UGS and the choice of venues for activities. The four categories of rest, sports, entertainment, and watching UGS are the main factors affecting residents' long-term choices and choices of venues. The main categories of people activities are sports, watching, entertainment, and rest. Residents who went to UGS for recreation did not change their psychological health but it could regulate people's emotions and have a positive emotional response effect. The three types of activities – rest, sports, and watching – are the main factors affecting the health of residents in UGS, and the impact of rest is the most important. The critical factors affecting satisfaction are ecological greening facilities, sanitation facilities, infrastructure, amusement, and entertainment facilities. This study could provide a health-activity-satisfaction evaluation for UGS design after the outbreak of the pandemic. Recreational activities within a UGS did not change human psychological health but could regulate people's emotions and have a positive emotional response effect. The three types of activities, such as rest, sports, and viewing, were the main factors affecting the health of residents in UGS, and the rest had the most critical impact. UGS could match the basic needs of outdoor activities for residents. The order of the key factors affecting the degree of satisfaction is infrastructure > amusement and entertainment facilities > ecological greening facilities > sanitation facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis(IgAV) is the most common form of systemic vasculitis affecting children. To date, cardiac involvement in pediatric IgAV has not been fully investigated and its prevalence may be underestimated. This study aims to reveal the clinical and laboratory characteristics of cardiac involvement in pediatric IgAV and further determine its risk factors. A total of 1451 children with IgAV were recruited between January 2016 and December 2022. According to the severity of cardiac involvement, the patients were divided into the myocarditis/suspected myocarditis group, cardiac abnormalities group, and non-cardiac involvement group. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics were retrospectively extracted from the individual data collected in the medical records. Among the 1451 pediatric IgAV patients, 179 (12.3%) were identified with cardiac involvement, including 154 (10.6%) with cardiac abnormalities and 25 (1.7%) with myocarditis/suspected myocarditis. Cardiac involvement in pediatric IgAV mainly manifested as elevated cardiac biomarker levels (n = 162), electrocardiogram abnormalities (n = 46), and echocardiogram/chest X-ray abnormalities (n = 15); however, cardiac-related symptoms were only observed in 15.1% of patients with cardiac involvement. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that interval from disease onset to diagnosis > 7 days (OR, 2.157; 95% CI, 1.523–3.057; p < 0.001), IgAV with multi-organ involvement (OR, 1.806; 95% CI, 1.242–2.627; p = 0.002), and elevated D-dimer levels (OR, 1.939; 95% CI, 1.259–2.985; p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for cardiac involvement in pediatric IgAV. The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the myocarditis/suspected myocarditis group compared with the other two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that cardiac involvements in pediatric IgAV is non-negligible, and cardiac involvement is associated with interval from disease onset to diagnosis > 7 days, IgAV with multi-organ involvement, and elevated D-dimer levels. Severe cardiac involvement may affect the prognosis of pediatric IgAV. What is Known: • Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) is the most common form of systemic vasculitis affecting children and adolescents, which exhibits diverse clinical manifestations. Cases of severe IgAV complicated by cardiac involvement have been anecdotally reported. What is New: • The present study suggests that cardiac involvements in pediatric IgAV is non-negligible, and cardiac involvement is associated with interval from disease onset to diagnosis > 7 days, IgAV with multi-organ involvement, and elevated D-dimer levels. Severe cardiac involvement may affect the prognosis of pediatric IgAV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study focuses on college students as research subjects, exploring the relationship between fear of evaluation, ambivalence over emotional expression, and self-care, as well as the moderating effect of self-care on the prediction of ambivalence over emotional expression by fear of evaluation. Methods: This study selected physical education college students in Sichuan Province as the research participants. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants through public recruitment information and questionnaire links on online platforms commonly used by college students. The questionnaire was distributed at two different time points to reduce the effect of common method bias. A total of 858 questionnaires were distributed, after excluding duplicate responses, a total of 743 valid questionnaires were obtained. Results: The result as following: (1) College students exhibit a moderate to high level of negative fear of evaluation, ambivalence over emotional expression, and self-care, with female students having higher negative fear of evaluation; (2) There are significant correlations between fear of evaluation, ambivalence over emotional expression, and self-care; (3) Fear of evaluation and self-care can predict ambivalence over emotional expression, but self-care does not have a moderating effect on the prediction of ambivalence over emotional expression by fear of evaluation; (4) Self-care and negative self-care both have a moderating effect on the prediction of emotion rumination by positive fear of evaluation. Conclusions: In the past, rumination has often been considered a manifestation of excessive rumination and anxiety. However, this study found that self-compassion's modulation on fear of positive evaluation intensifies its impact on emotional rumination. Research suggests that moderate emotional rumination may not necessarily be a negative outcome and reflects a positive emotional adjustment process to some extent. Therefore, future studies can further explore the growth and decline of internal rumination processes in self-compassion or counseling, and potentially gain a better understanding of key elements of personal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although evidence indicates that extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is effective in treating calcifying shoulder tendinitis, incomplete resorption and dissatisfactory results are still reported in many cases. Data mining techniques have been applied in health care in the past decade to predict outcomes of disease and treatment. Purpose: To identify the ideal data mining technique for the prediction of ESWT-induced shoulder calcification resorption and the most accurate algorithm for use in the clinical setting. Study Design: Case-control study. Methods: Patients with painful calcified shoulder tendinitis treated by ESWT were enrolled. Seven clinical factors related to shoulder calcification were adopted as the input attributes: sex, age, side affected, symptom duration, pretreatment Constant-Murley score, and calcification size and type. The 5 data mining techniques assessed were multilayer perceptron (neural network), naïve Bayes, sequential minimal optimization, logistic regression, and the J48 decision tree classifier. Results: A total of 248 patients with calcified shoulder tendinitis were enrolled in this study. Shorter symptom duration yielded the highest gain ratio (0.374), followed by smaller calcification size (0.336) and calcification type (0.253). With the J48 decision tree method, the accuracy of 3 input attributes was 89.5% by 10-fold cross-validation, indicating satisfactory accuracy. A treatment algorithm using the J48 decision tree indicated that a symptom duration of ≤10 months was the most positive indicator of calcification resorption, followed by a calcification size of ≤10.82 mm. Conclusion: The J48 decision tree method demonstrated the highest precision and accuracy in the prediction of shoulder calcification resorption by ESWT. A symptom duration of ≤10 months or calcification size of ≤10.82 mm represented the clinical scenarios most likely to show resorption after ESWT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pheromone receptors (PRs) are key proteins in the molecular mechanism of pheromone recognition, and exploring the functional differentiation of PRs between closely related species helps to understand the evolution of moth mating systems. Pheromone components of the agricultural pest Mythimna loreyi have turned into (Z)‐9‐tetradecen‐1‐yl acetate (Z9‐14:OAc), (Z)‐7‐dodecen‐1‐yl acetate (Z7‐12:OAc), and (Z)‐11‐hexadecen‐1‐yl acetate, while the composition differs from that of M. separata in the genus Mythimna. To understand the molecular mechanism of pheromone recognition, we sequenced and analyzed antennal transcriptomes to identify 62 odorant receptor (OR) genes. The expression levels of all putative ORs were analyzed using differentially expressed gene analysis. Six candidate PRs were quantified and functionally characterized in the Xenopus oocytes system. MlorPR6 and MlorPR3 were determined to be the receptors of major and minor components Z9‐14:OAc and Z7‐12:OAc. MlorPR1 and female antennae (FA)‐biased MlorPR5 both possessed the ability to detect pheromones of sympatric species, including (Z,E)‐9,12‐tetradecadien‐1‐ol, (Z)‐9‐tetradecen‐1‐ol, and (Z)‐9‐tetradecenal. Based on the comparison of PR functions between M. loreyi and M. separata, we analyzed the differentiation of pheromone recognition mechanisms during the evolution of the mating systems of 2 Mythimna species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Two new natural products named 5,7-dihydroxy-3,3',6,8-tetramethoxy-4',5'-methylenedioxyflavone (1) and 3,3',5,7-tetramethoxy-4',5'-methylenedioxyflavone (2), along with thirteen known compounds, β-sitosterol (3), desmethoxyyangonin (4), hexadecane (5), 3,9-bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenoxy)-2,4,8,10-tetraoxa-3,9-diphosphaspiro [5.5] undecane 3,9-dioxide (6), 2'6'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxydihydrochalcone (7), cardamonin (8), 3,3',5,6,7,8-hexamethoxy-4',5'-methylenedioxyflavone (9), isofraxidin (10), aniba dimer A (11), 3,3',4',5,5',8-hexamethoxy-6,7-methylenedioxyflavone (12), quercetin (13), quercitrin (14) and isoquercitrin (15) were isolated from Sarcandra glabra (Thunb.) Nakai by various chromatographic methods. Compounds 1, 2, 4, 6, 11, and 12 were isolated from S. glabra for the first time. Their chemical structures were identified through the analysis of NMR and HR-MS spectra. The anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of compounds 1–15 were evaluated in cell assays. The results indicated that compounds 1, 7, 8, 10, 14, and 15 significantly inhibited the NO production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. Moreover, compounds 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 exhibited a cytotoxic effect on the human HepG2 cell line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technology of big data analysis and artificial intelligence deep learning has been actively cross-combined with various fields to increase the effect of its original low single field. Precision components commonly used in electronic products use changes in the conductivity of semiconductors to process information. This study aims to review key milestones and recent developments in the semiconductor industry using artificial intelligence methods. For this systematic review, we searched academic networks between 2015 and 2022, including Nature, Elsevier, Springer, Taylor & Francis Online, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The literature reviewed is based on conference proceedings and journal articles, specifically covering the key achievements of the discussion paper, the key technologies used, experimental results, opportunities, and future research pathways. After searching on an academic website, we selected six major studies. In five of these studies, visual object detection, surface defect detection, machine production scheduling application, fault diagnosis and prediction, and monitoring of the manufacturing process were made using artificial neural networks, machine learning methods, and hybrid models. In addition, the studies covered independent, single methods or used more than two types of technologies for performance comparison. Finally, we reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of the literature. We also analysed various datasets, acquisition systems, and experimental scenarios. The review shows that as the number of studies conducted in manufacturing continues to increase, more research is needed to unearth key information that is often overlooked, all of which are challenges in refining science and overcoming real-world scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the past few years, there has been an explosion in single-cell transcriptomics datasets, yet in vivo confirmation of these datasets is hampered in plants due to lack of robust validation methods. Likewise, modeling of plant development is hampered by paucity of spatial gene expression data. RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) enables investigation of gene expression in the context of tissue type. Despite development of FISH methods for plants, easy and reliable whole mount FISH protocols have not yet been reported. Results: We adapt a 3-day whole mount RNA-FISH method for plant species based on a combination of prior protocols that employs hybridization chain reaction (HCR), which amplifies the probe signal in an antibody-free manner. Our whole mount HCR RNA-FISH method shows expected spatial signals with low background for gene transcripts with known spatial expression patterns in Arabidopsis inflorescences and monocot roots. It allows simultaneous detection of three transcripts in 3D. We also show that HCR RNA-FISH can be combined with endogenous fluorescent protein detection and with our improved immunohistochemistry (IHC) protocol. Conclusions: The whole mount HCR RNA-FISH and IHC methods allow easy investigation of 3D spatial gene expression patterns in entire plant tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The most common site of metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC) is the liver and liver metastases occur in more than 50% of patients during diagnosis or treatment. The occurrence of metastasis depends on a series of events known as the invasive-metastasis cascade. Currently, the underlying genes and pathways regulating metastasis initiation in the liver microenvironment are unknown. Methods: We performed systematic CRISPR/Cas9 screening using an in vivo mouse model of CRC liver metastasis to identify key regulators of CRC metastasis. We present the full results of this screen,which included a list of genes that promote or repress CRC liver colonization. By silencing these genes individually, we found that chondroitin sulfate synthase 1 (CHSY1) may be involved in CRC metastasis. We verified the function of CHSY1 and its involvement in liver metastasis of CRC through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Result: The results of TCGA and CRISPR/Cas9 showed that CHSY1 was overexpressed in CRC primary and liver metastasis tissues and indicated a worse clinical prognosis. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that CHSY1 facilitated the liver metastasis of CRC and CHSY1 induced CD8+ T cell exhaustion and upregulated PD-L1 expression. The metabolomic analysis indicated that CHSY1 promoted CD8+ T cell exhaustion by activating the succinate metabolism pathway leading to liver metastasis of CRC. Artemisinin as a CHSY1 inhibitor reduced liver metastasis and enhanced the effect of anti-PD1 in CRC. PLGA-loaded Artemisinin and ICG probe reduced liver metastasis and increased the efficiency of anti-PD1 treatment in CRC. Conclusion: CHSY1 could promote CD8+ T cell exhaustion through activation of the succinate metabolic and PI3K/AKT/HIF1A pathway, leading to CRC liver metastasis. The combination of CHSY1 knockdown and anti-PD1 contributes to synergistic resistance to CRC liver metastasis. Artemisinin significantly inhibits CHSY1 activity and in combination with anti-PD1 could synergistically treat CRC liver metastases. This study provides new targets and specific strategies for the treatment of CRC liver metastases, bringing new hope and benefits to patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The present study sought to identify putative causal proteins for CTS. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate the causal association between 2859 plasma proteins (N = 35,559) and CTS (N = 1,239,680) based on the published GWAS summary statistics. Then we replicated the significant associations using an independent plasma proteome GWAS (N = 10,708). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate the robustness of MR results. Multivariate MR and mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate the mediation effects of body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and arm tissue composition on the association between putative causal proteins and CTS. Colocalization analysis was used to examine whether the identified proteins and CTS shared causal variant(s). Finally, we evaluated druggability of the identified proteins. Ten plasma proteins were identified as putative causal markers for CTS, including sCD14, PVR, LTOR3, CTSS, SIGIRR, IFNL3, ASPN, TM11D, ASIP, and ITIH1. Sensitivity analyses and reverse MR analysis validated the robustness of their causal effects. Arm tissue composition, BMI, and T2D may play a fully/partial mediating role in the causal relationships of ASIP, TM11D, IFNL3, PVR, and LTOR3 with CTS. The association of ASPN and sCD14 with CTS were supported by colocalization analysis. Druggability assessment demonstrated that sCD14, CTSS, TM11D, and IFNL3 were potential drug therapeutic targets. The present study identified several potential plasma proteins that were causally associated with CTS risk, providing new insights into the pathogenesis of protein-mediated CTS and offering potential targets for new therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the genetic stability of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Probio-M9 (L. rhamnosus Pro- bio-M9) during continuous passage. Methods: The morphological changes, carbohydrate utilization capacity, activity and metabolic characteristics of L. rhamnosus Probio-M9 were compared in the 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 passages of the pro- biotic strain. At the same time, comparative genomics was used to analyze the changes of genome level during the con¬tinuous culture of 100 generations. Results: There were no significant changes (P >0.05) in phenotypic characteristics and metabolic characteristics of L. rhamnosus Probio-M9 during 100 generations of continuous culture, and the phenotyp- ic characteristics were stable, and the strain activity was maintained well. At the same time, using the genome of L. rhamnosus Probio-M9 as the reference sequence, 15 strains of different generations were sequenced, and the genome size and GC content showed no significant difference between the 15 strains cultured continuously and L. rhamnosus Probio- M9. Phylogenetic relationships showed that the 15 strains were closely related to the original genome. From the identified SNP loci, no mutation locus with stable inheritance was found in every two generations, and the collinear strain was good. The mutation level of the coding gene at the genome level confirmed that L. rhamnosus Probio-M9 had stable phe- notypic characteristics and metabolic characteristics during the continuous culture of 100 generations. Conclusion: L. rhamnosus Probio-M9 has good genetic stability during continuous passage, which provides a theoretical basis for further development, research and industrialization of L. rhamnosus Probio-M9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to research properties of Cu/SAC0307 mixed solder balls/Al joints with different bonding temperature under ultrasonic-assisted. Design/methodology/approach: A new method that 1 mm Zn particles and Sn-0.3Ag-0.7 (SAC0307) with a particle size of 25–38 mm were mixed to fill the joint and successfully achieved micro-joining of Cu/Al under ultrasonic-assisted. Findings: The results indicated that when the bonding temperature was 180°C, there was only one layer of CuZn5 intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the Cu interface. However, when the bonding temperature was 190°C, 200°C and 210°C, the Cu interface IMCs had two layers: for one layer, the IMCs near the Cu substrate were Cu5Zn8 and for another layer, the IMCs near the solder were CuZn5. In addition, the thickness of the Cu interfacial IMCs increased with the bonding temperature. In particular, the thickness of IMCs at the Cu interface of the Cu/Al joints soldered at 210°C was 4.6 µm, which increased by 139.6% compared with that of the Cu/Al joints soldered at 180°C. However, there was no IMC layer at the Al interface, but there might be a Zn–Al solid solution layer. The shear strength of Cu/Al joints soldered at 180°C was only 15.01 MPa, but as the soldering temperature continued to increase, the shear strength of the Cu/Al joints increased rapidly. When the soldering temperature was 200°C, the shear strength of the Cu/Al joints reached the maximum of 38.07 MPa, which was 153.6% higher than that at 180°C. When the soldering temperature was 180°C, the fracture of Cu/Al joints was mainly on the Al side. However, when soldering temperature was 190°C, 200°C and 210°C, the fracture of Cu/Al joints was mainly broken in the Zn particles layer. Originality/value: A new method that 1 mm Zn particles and Sn-0.3Ag-0.7 (SAC0307) with a particle size of 25–38 mm were mixed to fill the Cu/Al joint at 210°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high image rejection 38 GHz demodulator in TSMC 65-nm CMOS process is presented. To achieve better than −40 dBc image rejection ratio (IRR), a low I/Q mismatch 45° LO power splitter of sub-harmonic mixer is proposed. In this design, the 45° LO power splitter is composed of a Wilkinson divider, a series delay line with electrical length of 45° on one side of the divider, and a shunt 90° transmission line on the other side. This configuration is attractive because of its design simplicity and easy fabrication. Compared with the conventional techniques that utilize capacitors and inductors instead of the shunt 90° transmission line, the proposed LO power splitter can alleviate the issue of process variation. The demodulator demonstrates an IRR lower than −40 dBc from 37.5 to 41.5 GHz. In addition, conversion gain is 1.3 ± 0.9 dB from 33 to 41 GHz with 6 dBm LO power. The total direct current power consumption is 78 mW from 1.0 V supply voltage. At the modulation scheme of 4096-QAM, the proposed demodulator demonstrates 1.7% (−35.1 dB) error vector magnitude (EVM), which is very close to the EVM measurement floor 1.6% (−36 dB) of our millimeter-wave signal analyzer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The most common site of metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC) is the liver and liver metastases occur in more than 50% of patients during diagnosis or treatment. The occurrence of metastasis depends on a series of events known as the invasive-metastasis cascade. Currently, the underlying genes and pathways regulating metastasis initiation in the liver microenvironment are unknown. Methods: We performed systematic CRISPR/Cas9 screening using an in vivo mouse model of CRC liver metastasis to identify key regulators of CRC metastasis. We present the full results of this screen,which included a list of genes that promote or repress CRC liver colonization. By silencing these genes individually, we found that chondroitin sulfate synthase 1 (CHSY1) may be involved in CRC metastasis. We verified the function of CHSY1 and its involvement in liver metastasis of CRC through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Result: The results of TCGA and CRISPR/Cas9 showed that CHSY1 was overexpressed in CRC primary and liver metastasis tissues and indicated a worse clinical prognosis. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that CHSY1 facilitated the liver metastasis of CRC and CHSY1 induced CD8+ T cell exhaustion and upregulated PD-L1 expression. The metabolomic analysis indicated that CHSY1 promoted CD8+ T cell exhaustion by activating the succinate metabolism pathway leading to liver metastasis of CRC. Artemisinin as a CHSY1 inhibitor reduced liver metastasis and enhanced the effect of anti-PD1 in CRC. PLGA-loaded Artemisinin and ICG probe reduced liver metastasis and increased the efficiency of anti-PD1 treatment in CRC. Conclusion: CHSY1 could promote CD8+ T cell exhaustion through activation of the succinate metabolic and PI3K/AKT/HIF1A pathway, leading to CRC liver metastasis. The combination of CHSY1 knockdown and anti-PD1 contributes to synergistic resistance to CRC liver metastasis. Artemisinin significantly inhibits CHSY1 activity and in combination with anti-PD1 could synergistically treat CRC liver metastases. This study provides new targets and specific strategies for the treatment of CRC liver metastases, bringing new hope and benefits to patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was focused on the effects of ovary acquisition season, embryo transfer season, and conditions of surrogate sows on cloning efficiency, with the objective of improving the production of cloned pigs. The statistical analysis documented that cloning efficiency was highest when ovary extraction and embryo transfer occurred in the spring, and lowest when such operations occurred in the autumn. This was evidenced by the higher number of recovered oocytes (3.2 ± 0.47 vs. 2.5 ± 0.51), rate of mature oocytes (57.4 ± 0.07% vs. 48.9 ± 0.06%), rate of developed cloned blastocysts (35.7 ± 0.12% vs. 34.4 ± 0.07%), pregnancy rate of surrogate sows (73.5% vs. 33.3%), delivery rate (67.6% vs. 16.7%), litter size (6.9 ± 2.3 vs. 2.3 ± 2.5), and the number of alive newborns (5.7 ± 2.2 vs. 1.3 ± 1.2). Cloning efficiency was little affected by the ovulatory status of the surrogate sow prior to embryo transfer. The length of pregnancy, the parity, and the length of labor of the surrogate sow significantly affected the efficiency of generating pigs cloned from somatic cells. Specifically, when length of pregnancy ranged from 111 to 117 days, surrogate sows with shorter gestation period had larger litter size (8.9 ± 2.8) and a higher number of stillbirths per litter (2.1 ± 2.0). Moreover, statistical analysis indicated that selecting sows with 2–4 parities as surrogates led to increased litter size (7.7 ± 3.0) and the number of alive newborns (6.4 ± 3.1). In comparison with naturally breeding sows, the surrogate sows spent more time giving birth and suffered higher rates of stillbirth. The data obtained in this study provide valuable insights for improving the production efficiency of somatic cell cloned pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive chirp mode decomposition (ACMD) is a novel decomposition algorithm, which can decompose the multicomponent signals and identify its instantaneous frequencies (IFs) simultaneously. It is crucial for ACMD to predefine the decomposition parameter (i.e., the initial IF). However, the nonstationary signals with closely spaced frequency modes or heavy noise render it difficult to preset the initial IF based on the Fourier spectrum. To overcome the difficulty of predefining the initial IF of the ACMD, a tractable version of the ACMD, termed as the enhanced adaptive chirp mode decomposition (EACMD), is proposed in this study. The EACMD adopts an adaptive method based on the maximum entropy power spectrum to automatically determine the initial IF. A simulated dynamic signal is used to evaluate the characteristics and performance of the EACMD. Furthermore, the proposed EACMD is employed to identify the IFs of time-varying structures. The effectiveness of EACMD is illustrated and verified by using a 3-story shear building model and a cable with time-varying tension forces. The results show that the EACMD can overcome the difficulty of predefining the initial IF of the ACMD and is suitable for identifying the IFs of time-varying structures, providing more accurate results than the existing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial infarction (MI) causes excessive damage to the myocardium, including the epicardium. However, whether pluripotent stem cell‐derived epicardial cells (EPs) can be a therapeutic approach for infarcted hearts remains unclear. Here, the authors report that intramyocardial injection of human embryonic stem cell‐derived EPs (hEPs) at the acute phase of MI ameliorates functional worsening and scar formation in mouse hearts, concomitantly with enhanced cardiomyocyte survival, angiogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis. Mechanistically, hEPs suppress MI‐induced infiltration and cytokine‐release of inflammatory cells and promote reparative macrophage polarization. These effects are blocked by a type I interferon (IFN‐I) receptor agonist RO8191. Moreover, intelectin 1 (ITLN1), abundantly secreted by hEPs, interacts with IFN‐β and mimics the effects of hEP‐conditioned medium in suppression of IFN‐β‐stimulated responses in macrophages and promotion of reparative macrophage polarization, whereas ITLN1 downregulation in hEPs cancels beneficial effects of hEPs in anti‐inflammation, IFN‐I response inhibition, and cardiac repair. Further, similar beneficial effects of hEPs are observed in a clinically relevant porcine model of reperfused MI, with no increases in the risk of hepatic, renal, and cardiac toxicity. Collectively, this study reveals hEPs as an inflammatory modulator in promoting infarct healing via a paracrine mechanism and provides a new therapeutic approach for infarcted hearts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laying in the policy-science interface, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) plays a vital role in providing scientific evidence that leads to climate actions and solutions, because IPCC assessment reports have been designed to be policy-relevant and policy-neutral since its beginning around early 1990s. Comparing references in reports contributed by IPCC Working Group I (AR5 v. AR6) using scientometrics methods, we attempt to explore the research advancement that support physical science basis of climate change in the latest assessment cycle. Our analysis indicates more up-to-date researches have joined as scientific evidence in the new assessment, with wider distribution in publishing region, strengthening collaboration across nations and richer diversity in disciplinary structure. Relatively, recent studies considering human system have received greater attention, while early researches on ecological indicators of climate change are valued enduringly as they are still cited frequently in the new report. Further investigation finds that researches of extreme events have gained much attention in the new assessment cycle, and the unification of terms could potentially lead to more effective and efficient climate debates among scientists, policymakers and the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently. the exploration of two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic materials has become a hot topic in the field of spintronic devices. In this work, Fe3 As, a new two-dimensional material, with Curie temperature ( Tc) of 300 K ( reach room temperature), was designed by means of spin-polarized density generalization theory calculations. The predicted 2D Fe3As has strong in-plane Fe--Fe coupling with large magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) of approximately 366. 7 μeV, which contributes to maintain a long-range ferromagnetic order. The energy band of Fe3 As has both flat band and Dirac point features. The position of the flat band is positively related to the strength of the magnetic coupling. Furthermore, Tc increases progressively as the distance between the flat band and the Fermi surface continues to decrease under the effect of the biaxial strain. Therefore, Fe3As monolayer is considered to be a promising candidate for 2D room-temperature spintronics devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research interest in aqueous metal-sulfur batteries (AMSs) has surged due to their intrinsic low cost and high capacity, the practical application of AMSs remains a considerable challenge because of the restrictive cycling stability. To circumvent this issue, we propose an innovative and simple pre-copper strategy to realize a high-durability aqueous Cu-S battery. The pre-copper strategy can effectively promote a stable metal dissolution/deposition, compensate for charge carriers, and facilitate reaction kinetics during the subsequent process. As a result, the aqueous Cu-S battery when coupled with S-decorated porous Ti3C2 (S-d-Ti3C2) exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, delivering a highly reversible capacity of 1805.4 mAh·g−1 in the initial cycle at 0.8 A·g−1, impressive cycling stability with 90.2% capacity retention over 800 cycles, and ultralow polarization ~ 0.08 V even at a high current density of 3.1 A·g−1. The findings obtained in this work could pave the way for the design of high-performance sulfur-based aqueous batteries, which fill the vacancy of the necessary metal anode, delivering merits in both cost and cycle life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to research properties of Cu/SAC0307 mixed solder balls/Cu joints with different Zn-particles content at low-temperature under ultrasonic assisted. Design/methodology/approach: A new method that 1µm Zn particles and Sn-0.3Ag-0.7 (SAC0307) with a particle size of 25–38 µm were mixed to fill the joint and successfully achieved micro-joining of Cu/Cu under ultrasonic-assisted at low temperature. Findings: The results showed that with a continuous increase in the Zn-particle content, the interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of the upper and lower interfaces of joints gradually changed from scallop-shaped Cu6Sn5 to wavy-shaped Cu5Zn8. Moreover, the IMC thickness of the upper/lower interface of joints first decreased and then increased with increasing Zn-particle content. The shear strengths of joints increased with Zn-particle content, the shear strength of joints went to a maximum of 29.76 MPa when the Zn-particle content was 40%, an increase of 62.6% compared to joints without Zn particles. However, as the Zn-particle content continued to increase, the shear strengths of the joints decreased. Additionally, when the Zn content increased to 50%, because the oxidation degree of Zn particles increased, the joints were mainly broken among Zn particles. Originality/value: A new method that 1µm Zn particles and Sn-0.3Ag-0.7 (SAC0307) with a particle size of 25–38 µm were mixed to fill the Cu/Cu joint at 180°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the effect of thermal aging temperature on the properties of Cu/Al joints. Design/methodology/approach: A new method in which 1 µm Zn-particles and SAC0307 with a particle size of 25–38 µm were mixed to fill the joint and successfully achieved the micro-joining of Cu/Al under ultrasonic-assisted at 200°C, and then, the effect of aging temperature on the properties of Cu/Al joints at different aging times was researched. Findings: The results showed that the Cu interface intermetallic compounds (IMCs) had the same composition and had two layers with Cu5Zn8 near the Cu substrate and CuZn5 near the solder. As the aging time increased, CuZn5 gradually transformed to Cu5Zn8, and the thickness of the CuZn5 layer gradually decreased until CuZn5 disappeared completely. There was a Sn–Zn solid solution at the Al interface, and the composition of the Al interface of the Cu/Al joints did not change with changing temperature. The IMC thickness at the Cu interface of the joints continued to increase, and the shear strength of the Cu/Al joints decreased with increasing aging temperature and time. Compared with the as-received samples, the IMC thickness of the Cu interface of joints increased by 371.8% and the shear strength of the Cu/Al joints was reduced by 83.2% when the joints were aged at 150°C for 24 h. With an increase in aging temperature, the fracture mode of the Cu/Al joints changed from being between solder balls and Zn particles to between Zn particles. Originality/value: With increasing aging temperature, the shear strengths of the Cu/SACZ/Al joints decreased at the same aging time, the shear strength of Cu/SACZ/Al joints at 150°C for 24h decreased by 83.2% compared with that of the as-received joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PIWI-clade proteins harness piRNAs of 24–33 nt in length. Of great puzzles are how PIWI-clade proteins incorporate piRNAs of different sizes and whether the size matters to PIWI/piRNA function. Here we report that a PIWI-Ins module unique in PIWI-clade proteins helps define the length of piRNAs. Deletion of PIWI-Ins in Miwi shifts MIWI to load with shorter piRNAs and causes spermiogenic failure in mice, demonstrating the functional importance of this regulatory module. Mechanistically, we show that longer piRNAs provide additional complementarity to target mRNAs, thereby enhancing the assembly of the MIWI/eIF3f/HuR super-complex for translational activation. Importantly, we identify a c.1108C>T (p.R370W) mutation of HIWI (human PIWIL1) in infertile men and demonstrate in Miwi knock-in mice that this genetic mutation impairs male fertility by altering the property of PIWI-Ins in selecting longer piRNAs. These findings reveal a critical role of PIWI-Ins-ensured longer piRNAs in fine-tuning MIWI/piRNA targeting capacity, proven essential for spermatid development and male fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the exploration of valleytronic materials in MA2Z4 structures, larger valley spin splitting has become a hot topic of research. Based on first-principles calculations, we predicted six valleytronic 2D (two-dimensional) Janus MSiGeZ4 (M = Cr and W; Z = N, P, and As) materials. The valley spin splitting value of WSiGeZ4 (Z = N, P, and As) can reach more than 400 meV, which is favorable for the practical application of valleytronics. Two-dimensional WSiGeZ4 (Z = N, P, and As) materials are dynamically and mechanically stable and have an abundance of electronic properties. The two-dimensional Janus WSiGeZ4 (Z = N, P, and As) structures comprise both direct and indirect bandgap semiconductor materials. Among them, WSiGeN4 is an indirect bandgap semiconductor material with a bandgap of 1.654 eV and WSiGeP4 is a direct bandgap semiconductor material. The valley spin splitting originates from the symmetry breaking of the material structure and the spin–orbit coupling effect of the transition metal, which is manifested as the Berry curvature. In particular, the Berry curvature of 2D Janus WSiGeP4 and WSiGeAs4 is as high as 300 Bohr2, which is quite large. The W atom has more d-orbital electrons than the Cr atom, and the SOC (spin–orbit coupling) effect is stronger; thus, the valley spin splitting value CrSiGeZ4 of WSiGeZ4 is more than 300 meV, which is quite large. In addition, the bandgap and valley spin splitting of WSiGeZ4 (Z = N, P, and As) can be significantly modulated by applying a biaxial strain. Our study shows that WSiGeZ4 (Z = N, P, and As) has great potential for valleytronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic approach for estimating the forces applied to tools during friction stir welding (FSW), which can be implemented by the following two steps: (1) computing the temperature field of metal sheets through numerical simulation and (2) substituting the obtained thermal cycles of several points on the metal sheets into an analytical model of tool forces. The novelty of this approach lies in that it ingeniously combines the numerical simulation model of the temperature field and the analytical model of tool forces. In this case, the axial force, traverse force, and torque can be easily determined by only measuring temperature at a specific location underneath the sheets, thus avoiding time-consuming numerical simulations of large plastic deformations of the metal sheet material and expensive force sensors. After a brief description of the tool forces modelling strategy, the numerical simulation modelling of the temperature field and the analytical modelling of tool forces are introduced in detail. Then, an illustrative example comprising the simulation and corresponding experiment is carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The consistency between the simulation and experimental values of the tool forces demonstrates the great potential of the proposed method in tool force prediction and other FSW applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on identifying the convection heat transfer coefficients of the friction stir welding (FSW) temperature field from the temperature measuring data. Firstly, the numerical model of the FSW temperature field is constructed by utilizing the Lagrangian formulation. Then a novel inversion method combined with the surrogate model is proposed. The surrogate model based on proper orthogonal decomposition and radial basis function (RBF) is applied to approximate the input-output relationship of the numerical model. To improve the calculation efficiency and accuracy of the inversion method, an iterative updating method of the surrogate model combined with parallel computing technology is adopted. Subsequently, the effect of the type of RBF and the measurement position of the thermocouple on the calculation accuracy of the inversion analysis method are analyzed. The conclusions indicate that all the RBFs used in this paper are suitable for constructing the surrogate model of the temperature field. With the thermocouple measuring point close to the weld center, the maximum RMSE calculated by the numerical model decreases from 10.8 °C to 7.0 °C, but the maximum relative error of the peak temperature changes slightly, about 7.5%. The results illustrate that the identified convection heat transfer coefficients allow predictions on the temperature field of FSW which are consistent with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital holographic encryption is an important information security technology. Traditional encryption techniques require the use of keys to encrypt information. If the key is lost, it is difficult to recover information, so new technologies that allow legitimate authorized users to access information are necessary. This study encrypts fingerprints and other data using a deterministic phase-encoded encryption system that uses digital holography (DPDH) and determines whether decryption is possible using a convolutional neural network (CNN) using the U-net model. The U-net is trained using a series of ciphertext-plaintext pairs. The results show that the U-net model decrypts and reconstructs images and that the proposed CNN defeats the encryption system. The corresponding plaintext (fingerprint) is retrieved from the ciphertext without using the key so that the proposed method performs well in terms of decryption. The proposed scheme simplifies the decryption process and can be used for information security risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Base flow (BF) is harder to predict than other hydrological signatures. The lack of hydrologically relevant information or adequately broad spectrum of typically selected catchment attributes (particularly landscape and topography) hinders the explanatory power. Our goals were to identify the most influential controls on base flow spatially and temporally and to elucidate the response relationships. Base flow in 19 semi-arid sub-watersheds was separated by digital filtering. One hundred and fourteen sub-watershed attributes were related to base flow using random forest regression. The main results were as follows: (1) Annual BF significantly declined since 1999 due to decreased precipitation, increased air temperature, afforestation, urban expansion, and increasing water consumption. Annual base flow index (BFI), varying between 0.319 and 0.695, showed less noticeable temporal trends. (2) Precipitation (P) and underlying carbonate rocks primarily controlled the spatial variation of annual BF and total flow (TF), with the impacts being positive. Landscape was less influential. After the abrupt runoff decline, landscape composition rather than configuration exerted greater impacts on spatial BF and TF, and the importance of forest increased, whereas landscape configuration was decisive for BFI during the whole observation period. The absence of significant links between landscape configuration and water quantity may result from a scale issue. Concave profile curvatures were found to be topographic variables more important than slopes. The impact of soil was the least. This study would benefit the selection of catchment attributes and spatial extents to quantify these attributes in building BF predicting models in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a challenging medical problem. Cuproptosis is a novel form of cell death that plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, and metastasis. However, it remains unclear whether cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) influence the outcomes and immune microenvironment of HCC patients. Method. From The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases, we obtained the mRNA expression file and related clinical information of HCC patients. We selected 19 CRGs as candidate genes for this study according to previous literature. We performed a differential expression analysis of the 19 CRGs between malignant and precancerous tissue. Based on the 19 CRGs, we enrolled cluster analysis to identify cuproptosis-related subtypes of HCC patients. A prognostic risk signature was created utilizing univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses. We employed independent and stratification survival analyses to investigate the predictive value of this model. The functional enrichment features, mutation signatures, immune profile, and response to immunotherapy of HCC patients were also investigated according to the two molecular subtypes and the prognostic signature. Results. We found that 17 CRGs significantly differed in HCC versus normal samples. Cluster analysis showed two distinct molecular subtypes of cuproptosis. Cluster 1 is preferentially related to poor prognosis, high activity of immune response signaling, high mutant frequency of TP53, and distinct immune cell infiltration versus cluster 2. Through univariate and LASSO Cox regression analyses, we created a cuproptosis-related prognostic risk signature containing LIPT1, DLAT, MTF1, GLS, and CDKN2A. High-risk HCC patients were shown to have a worse prognosis. The risk signature was proved to be an independent predictor of prognosis in both the TCGA and ICGC datasets, according to multivariate analysis. The signature also performed well in different stratification of clinical features. The immune cells, which included regulatory T cells (Treg), B cells, macrophages, mast cells, NK cells, and aDCs, as well as immune functions containing cytolytic activity, MHC class I, and type II IFN response, were remarkably distinct between the high-risk and low-risk groups. The tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) score suggested that high-risk patients had a higher response rate to immune checkpoint inhibitors than low-risk patients. Conclusion. This research discovered the potential prognostic and immunological significance of cuproptosis in HCC, improved the understanding of cuproptosis, and may deliver new directions for developing more efficacious therapeutic techniques for HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]