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Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) pneumonia can have serious physiological consequences, particularly when P. aeruginosa biofilms are formed. Although inhaled therapy is preferred, inhaled drugs tend to get trapped by pulmonary mucus, which hinders efficient antibiotic permeability through mucus and biofilms. In this study, we prepare poly[2-(pentamethyleneimino)ethyl methacrylate]-block-poly[2- (N-oxide-pentamethyleneimino)ethyl methacrylate] (PPEMA-b-PPOEMA) micelles loaded with azithromycin (AZM) using reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to achieve effective treatment of P. aeruginosa pneumonia. The zwitterionic structure on the surface of the micelle facilitates the successful traversal of the mucus and optimal concentration within the biofilm. Furthermore, the protonation of piperidine in the polymer enables the micelles to exhibit a positive charge in the acidic environment of a bacterial infection, enhancing AZM’s interaction with the bacterium. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrate that this transmucosal zwitterionic polymer, in combination with a charge reversal strategy, effectively promotes the enrichment of micelles at the site of bacterial infection, thereby increasing the number of antibiotics reaching the bacterial interior and demonstrating remarkable antibacterial synergy. Overall, this work offers a promising approach for trans-airway drug delivery in the treatment of pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a group of rapidly growing technology-based entrepreneurial enterprises have emerged in China, playing an increasingly important role in the national economy. However, small and mediumsized technology startups have low profitability and high risk, making it difficult to obtain sufficient funds from traditional financing channels. At present, research on venture capital evaluation mainly focuses on the evaluation of projects before venture capital, and empirical methods are mostly used to study the promoting effect of venture capital on performance after investment, ignoring the issue of continuous evaluation after investment. The performance evaluation of risk investment in small and medium-sized high-technology venture enterprises is MADM. In such study, the generalized weighted geometric Bonferroni mean (GWGBM) technique is illustrated for MADM under single-valued neutrosophic sets (SVNSs). We begin by constructing the single-valued neutrosophic number GWGBM (SVNNGWGBM) operator, followed by the introduction of the MADM based on this technique. Subsequently, we provide an illustrative example that evaluates the performance of risk investment in small and medium-sized high-technology venture enterprises, supplemented by some comparative analyses to demonstrate the SVNNGWGBM technique. The principal contributions of this research are highlighted: (1) The maximizing deviation method is employed to derive the weight; (2)The GSVNNWBM technique is developed, setting the stage for the introduction of MADM methods based on GSVNNWBM technique; (3) Numerical example is presented that focuses on the performance evaluation of risk investment in small and medium-sized high-technology venture enterprises, along with a comparative decision analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is on the rise globally, particularly in the Western world, with etiology gradually shifting from virus-related liver diseases to metabolic disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Early detection of HCC is challenging, and effective prognostic indicators are currently lacking, urgently necessitating reliable markers to assist in treatment planning and clinical management. Here, we introduce hepatocellular carcinoma senescence genes (HSG) to assess cellular senescence in HCC and devise a hepatocellular carcinoma senescence score (HSS) for prognostic prediction. Higher HSS levels signify poorer prognosis and increased tumor proliferation activity. Additionally, we observe alterations in the tumor immune microenvironment with higher HSS levels, such as increased infiltration of Treg, potentially providing a basis for immunotherapy. Furthermore, we identify key genes, such as PTTG1, within the senescence gene set and demonstrate their regulatory roles in HCC cells and Treg through experimentation. In summary, we establish a scoring system based on hepatocellular carcinoma senescence genes for prognostic prediction in HCC, potentially offering guidance for clinical treatment planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in females, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized as one of the main subtypes of breast cancer, with poor prognosis and limited treatments. Investigating the molecular basis or discovering relevant oncogenes will greatly help in developing effective targeted therapies. In this study, we ascertained that RAB5A depletion in TNBC cells suppresses the secretion of exosomes and blocks the polarization of macrophages toward an M2 phenotype. By scanning miRNAs associated with macrophage polarization, we identified that miR-21 was the pivotal component in tumor cell-derived exosomes and played a key role in RAB5A-mediated macrophage polarization. The enhanced expression of miR-21 in macrophages is able to potentiate the M2 polarization of macrophages in the presence of tumor cells. Pellino-1 (PELI1) was subsequently identified as the target of miR-21, and forced PELI1 expression partially abrogated the M2 polarization of macrophages induced by miR-21 overexpression. Macrophages stimulated with RAB5A-depleted TNBC cells (coculture, conditioned medium or exosomes) impaired their capability to promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells. In vivo xenograft experiments further confirmed that RAB5A knockdown TNBC cells exhibited reduced tumor formation and impaired tumor-associated macrophage recruitment. These studies shed light on the potential underlying mechanism of RAB5A-mediated macrophage polarization in an exosomal miR-21-dependent manner and provide an experimental basis for the development of RAB5A-or exosome-based tumor therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Mollisols are renowned for their fertility and high-productivity, high carbon (C) losses pose a substantial challenge to the sustainable provision of ecosystem services, including food security and climate regulation. Protecting these soils with a specific focus on revitalizing their C sequestration potential emerges as a crucial measure to address various threats associated with climate change. In this study, we employed a modeling approach to assess the impact of different fertilization strategies on crop yield, soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, and C sequestration efficiency (CSE) under various climate change scenarios (baseline, RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5). The process-based SPACSYS model was calibrated and validated using data from two representative Mollisol longterm experiments in Northeast China, including three crops (wheat, maize and soyabean) and four fertilizations (no-fertilizer (CK), mineral nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK), manure only (M), and chemical fertilizers plus M (NPKM or NM)). SPACSYS effectively simulated crop yields and the dynamics of SOC stock. According to SPACSYS projections, climate change, especially the increased temperature, is anticipated to reduce maize yield by an average of 14.5% in Harbin and 13.3% in Gongzhuling, and soybean yield by an average of 10.6%, across all the treatments and climatic scenarios. Conversely, a slight but not statistically significant average yield increase of 2.5% was predicted for spring wheat. SOC stock showed a decrease of 8.2% for Harbin and 7.6% for Gonghzuling by 2,100 under the RCP scenarios. Future climates also led to a reduction in CSE by an average of 6.0% in Harbin (except NPK) and 13.4% in Gongzhuling. In addition, the higher average crop yields, annual SOC stocks, and annual CSE (10.15-15.16%) were found when manure amendments were performed under all climate scenarios compared with the chemical fertilization. Soil CSE displayed an exponential decrease with the C accumulated input, asymptotically approaching a constant. Importantly, the CSE asymptote associated with manure application was higher than that of other treatments. Our findings emphasize the consequences of climate change on crop yields, SOC stock, and CSE in the Mollisol regions, identifying manure application as a targeted fertilizer practice for effective climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By analysing the results of ab initio simulations performed for Mn3Si2X6 (X = Se, Te), we first discuss the analogies and the differences in electronic and magnetic properties arising from the anion substitution, in terms of size, electronegativity, band widths of p electrons and spin--orbit coupling strengths. For example, through mean-field theory and simulations based on density functional theory, we demonstrate that magnetic frustration, known to be present in Mn3Si2Te6, also exists in Mn3Si2Se6 and leading to a ferrimagnetic ground state. Building on these results, we propose a strategy, electronic doping, to reduce the frustration and thus to increase the Curie temperature (TC). To this end, we first study the effect of electronic doping on the electronic structure and magnetic properties and discuss the differences in the two compounds, along with their causes. Secondly, we perform Monte-Carlo simulations, considering from the first to the fifth nearest--neighbor magnetic interactions and single-ion anisotropy, and show that electron doping efficiently raises the TC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hostile sexism is a blatant and explicit form of sexism consisting of antagonistic attitudes toward women. We hypothesized that men's personal relative deprivation, a subjectively perceived disadvantage, would predict their hostile sexism toward women. In addition, we expected that, if this effect occurs, a sense of control would act as a mediator. Five studies (N = 1352) confirmed these hypotheses. Study 1 showed that personal relative deprivation predicted hostile sexism only for men, but not for women among Chinese college students. In addition, we observed the effect of personal relative deprivation only on hostile sexism, but not on benevolent sexism. Study 2, which employed participants from the United States, directly replicated the findings of Study 1. Studies 3 and 4 further showed that a sense of control acted as a mediator in this process. As such, increased hostile sexism attitude (Study 3) and hostile sexism behavior (Study 4) predicted by personal relative deprivation could result from a reduced sense of control. Study 5 further provided causal evidence that a temporarily induced state of personal relative deprivation resulted in a higher level of hostile sexism via a reduced sense of control. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for relative deprivation, gender inequality, and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of engineering rock mass quality is fundamental work for the engineering activities of rock mass. The increasing scale of rock mass engineering necessitates higher intelligence, timeliness, and accuracy in engineering rock mass quality evaluation. As the core aspects of engineering rock mass quality evaluation, the structural characteristics, mechanical characteristics, and quality classification of rock mass have been innovated in recent years. The non-contact measurement technology for rock mass structure and rapid interpretation of rock mass structure information enables the intelligent extraction and analysis of rock mass structure parameters. The modular backpack laboratory system of rock mechanics provides an effective means to acquire rock mechanical parameters on-site conveniently. The theory of statistical mechanics of rock mass (SMRM) integrates various factors such as the rock mass properties, geological environment, and engineering disturbance, providing a theoretical basis for accurately evaluating the weakening and anisotropy of rock mass. The cloud computing platform established based on SMRM can provide technical support for the rapid calculation of rock mass parameters and instant evaluation of the rock mass quality. The development of intelligent evaluation method and technology is altering the conventional technical state of qualitative and semi-quantitative evaluation of engineering rock mass quality, supporting the realization of rock mass engineering construction with intellectualization and informatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer and current therapeutic strategies are limited in their effectiveness. The expressions of Rab5 and the M2 tumor-associated macrophage marker CD163 in tissues were detected by Western blot. The migration and invasion of cells were determined using a Transwell assay. The expressions of the exosome markers were evaluated by Western blot. The polarization of human macrophages (THP-1) was determined by incubation of THP-1 cells with conditioned medium or exosomes collected from MDA-MB-231 cells with indicated transfections or by a coculture system of THP-1 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The M1 and M2 macrophage markers were evaluated by qRT-PCR. The expression of Rab5 in TNBC was significantly higher than that in normal breast tissue. Rab5 expressions in triple-negative and luminal A breast cancer were higher than those in other molecular subtypes. Higher CD163 expression was observed in triple-negative breast cancer and in triple-negative and luminal B subtypes. Rab5 knockdown suppressed but Rab5 overexpression promoted the migration and invasion capacity of MDA-MB-231 cells. The levels of CD63 and CD9 in the medium of Rab5 knockdown cells were lower than those in control cells, whereas higher levels of CD63 and CD9 were observed in Rab5 overexpression cells. Rab5 knockdown decreased the excretion but did not alter the diameter of the exosomes. Knockdown of Rab5 facilitated the anti-tumor polarization of macrophages, which was partially reversed by Rab5 overexpression. Therefore, Rab5 is expected to be a potential therapeutic target for triple-negative breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scanners are commonly applied for detecting vulnerabilities in web applications. Various scanners with different strategies are widely in use, but their performance is challenged by the increasing diversity of target applications that have more complex attack surfaces (i.e., website paths) and covert vulnerabilities that can only be exploited by more sophisticated attack vectors (i.e., payloads). In this paper, we propose Scanner++, a framework that improves web vulnerability detection of existing scanners through combining their capabilities with attack intent synchronization. We design Scanner++ as a proxy-based architecture while using a package-based intent synchronization approach. Scanner++ first uses a purification mechanism to aggregate and refine attack intents, consisting of attack surfaces and attack vectors extracted from the base scanners’ request packets. Then, Scanner++ uses a runtime intent synchronization mechanism to select relevant attack intents according to the scanners’ detection spots to guide their scanning process. Consequently, base scanners can expand their attack surfaces, generate more diverse attack vectors and achieve better vulnerability detection performance. For evaluation, we implemented and integrated Scanner++ together with four widely used scanners, BurpSuite, AWVS, Arachni, and ZAP, testing it on ten benchmark web applications and three well-tested real-world web applications of a critical financial platform from our industry partner. Working under the Scanner++ framework helps BurpSuite, AWVS, Arachni, and ZAP cover 15.26%, 37.14%, 59.21%, 68.54% more pages, construct 12.95×, 1.13×, 15.03×, 52.66× more attack packets, and discover 77, 55, 77, 176 more bugs, respectively. Furthermore, Scanner++ detected eight serious previously unknown vulnerabilities on real-world applications, while the base scanners only found three of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depressive symptoms play an essential role in cognition decline, while the benefit and acceptability of treatments for depressive symptoms in cognitive impairment are still unknown. Objective: To comprehensively evaluate the comparative efficacy and acceptability of treatments for depressive symptoms in cognitive impairment based on the quantitative Bayesian network meta-analysis method (NMA). Method: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsycINFO from inception until August 2022 to identify randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating treatments for depressive symptoms in cognitive impairment. Efficacy was evaluated by the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) for depression; the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and the Cohen--Mansfeld Agitation Inventory (CMAI) for behavior; and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognition. Safety was evaluated by total adverse events (AEs), serious AEs, diarrhea, headache, and nausea. Results: In this study, 13,043 participants from 107 RCTs were included, involving 28 treatments and the discontinuation of antidepressants. On CSDD, aerobic exercise (MD -4.51, 95% CrI -8.60 to -0.37), aripiprazole (MD -1.85, 95% CrI -3.66 to -0.02), behavioral training (MD -1.14, 95% CrI -2.04 to -0.34), electrical current stimulation (MD -3.30, 95% CrI -5.94 to -0.73), massage (MD -12.67, 95% CrI -14.71 to -10.59), music therapy (MD -2.63, 95% CrI -4.72 to -0.58), and reminiscence therapy (MD -2.34, 95% CrI -3.51 to -1.25) significantly outperformed the placebo. On MMSE, cognitive stimulation therapy (MD 1.42, 95%CrI 0.49 to 2.39), electrical current stimulation (MD 4.08, 95% CrI 1.07 to 7.11), and reminiscence therapy (MD 1.31, 95% CrI 0.04 to 2.91) significantly outperformed the placebo. Additionally, no treatments showed a significantly higher risk than the placebo. Conclusion: Our NMAs indicated that non-pharmacological interventions were more efficacious and safe than pharmacological treatments for reducing depressive symptoms as well as improving cognitive impairment. Electrical current stimulation, aerobic exercise, and reminiscence therapy could be first recommended considering their beneficial performance on both depression and cognition. Hence, non-pharmacological treatments deserve more attention and extensive application and should at least be considered as an alternative or assistance in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Bacteroides vulgatus is one of the predominant Bacteroides species in the human gut and exerts a series of beneficial effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of B. vulgatus Bv46 in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) induced colitis mouse model. Methods: Female C57BL/6J mice were given 3% DSS in drinking water to induce colitis and simultaneously treated with B. vulgatus Bv46 by gavage for 7 days. Daily weight and disease activity index (DAI) of mice were recorded, and the colon length and histological changes were evaluated. The effects of B. vulgatus Bv46 on gut microbiota composition, fecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration, transcriptome of colon, colonic cytokine level and cytokine secretion of RAW 264·7 macrophage cell line activated by the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were assessed. Results and Discussion: B. vulgatus Bv46 significantly attenuated symptoms of DSS-induced colitis in mice, including reduced DAI, prevented colon shortening, and alleviated colon histopathological damage. B. vulgatus Bv46 modified the gut microbiota community of colitis mice and observably increased the abundance of Parabacteroides, Bacteroides, Anaerotignum and Alistipes at the genus level. In addition, B. vulgatus Bv46 treatment decreased the expression of colonic TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in DSS-induced mouse colitis in vivo, reduced the secretion of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in macrophages stimulated by LPS in vitro, and downregulated the expression of Ccl19, Cd19, Cd22, Cd40 and Cxcr5 genes in mice colon, which mainly participate in the regulation of B cell responses. Furthermore, oral administration of B. vulgatus Bv46 notably increased the contents of fecal SCFAs, especially butyric acid and propionic acid, which may contribute to the anti-inflammatory effect of B. vulgatus Bv46. Supplementation with B. vulgatus Bv46 serves as a promising strategy for the prevention of colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A disintegrin and metalloprotease domain family protein 17 (ADAM17) is a new member of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) but its role in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is obscure. To test the hypothesis that ADAM17 knockdown mitigates while ADAM17 overexpression aggravates cardiac fibrosis via regulating ACE2 shedding and myofibroblast transformation in diabetic mice, ADAM17 gene was knocked down and overexpressed by means of adenovirus-mediated short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) and adenovirus vector carrying ADAM17 cDNA, respectively, in a mouse model of DCM. Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography, histopathology and immunohistochemistry were performed in all mice and in vitro experiments conducted in primary cardiofibroblasts. The results showed that ADAM17 knockdown ameliorated while ADAM17 overexpression worsened cardiac dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis in diabetic mice. In addition, ADAM17 knockdown increased ACE2 while reduced AT1R expression in diabetic hearts. Mechanistically, ADAM17 knockdown decreased while ADAM17 overexpression increased cardiac fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transformation through regulation of TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway. In conclusion, ADAM17 knockdown attenuates while ADAM17 overexpression aggravates cardiac fibrosis via regulating ACE2 shedding and myofibroblast transformation through TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway in diabetic mice. Targeting ADAM17 may provide a promising approach to the prevention and treatment of cardiac fibrosis in DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root system architecture is influenced by gravity. How the root senses gravity and directs its orientation, so-called gravitropism, is not only a fundamental question in plant biology but also theoretically important for genetic improvement of crop root architecture. However, the mechanism has not been elucidated in most crops. We characterized a rice agravitropism allele, wavy root 1 (war1), a loss-of-function allele in OsPIN2, which encodes an auxin efflux transporter. With loss of OsPIN2 function, war1 leads to altered root system architecture including wavy root, larger root distribution angle, and shallower root system due to the loss of gravitropic perception in root tips. In the war1 mutant, polar auxin transport was disrupted in the root tip, leading to abnormal auxin levels and disturbed auxin transport and distribution in columella cells. Amyloplast sedimentation, an important process in gravitropic sensing, was also decreased in root tip columella cells. The results indicated that OsPIN2 controls gravitropism by finely regulating auxin transport, distribution and levels, and amyloplast sedimentation in root tips. We identified a novel role of OsPIN2 in regulating ABA biosynthesis and response pathways. Loss of OsPIN2 function in the war1 resulted in increased sensitivity to ABA in seed germination, increased ABA level, changes in ABA-associated genes in roots, and decreased drought tolerance in the seedlings. These results suggest that the auxin transporter OsPIN2 not only modulates auxin transport to control root gravitropism, but also functions in ABA signaling to affect seed germination and root development, probably by mediating crosstalk between auxin and ABA pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotherapy is currently an irreplaceable strategy for cancer treatment. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) is a clinical first-line drug for cancer chemotherapy. While its efficacy for cancer treatment is greatly compromised due to invalid enrichment or serious side effects. To increase the content of intracellular targets and boost the antitumor effect of DOX, a novel biotinylated hyaluronic acidguided dual-functionalized CaCO3-based drug delivery system (DOX@BHNP) with target specificity and acid-triggered drug-releasing capability was synthesized. The ability of the drug delivery system on enriching DOX in mitochondria and nucleus, which further cause significant tumor inhibition, were investigated to provide a more comprehensive understanding of this CaCO3-based drug delivery system. After targeted endocytosis by tumor cells, DOX could release faster in the weakly acidic lysosome, and further enrich in mitochondria and nucleus, which cause mitochondrial destruction and nuclear DNA leakage, and result in cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. Virtually, an effective tumor inhibition was observed in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, the batch-to-batch variation of DOX loading level in the DOX@BHNP system is negligible, and no obvious histological changes in the main organs were observed, indicating the promising application of this functionalized drug delivery system in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although cyanogen ion (CN−) plays important role in industry which also bring acute environmental pollution. More serious, trace CN− enters the human body can cause serious consequences and even death. Therefore, it is of great significance to detect trace CN− with high sensitivity. Herein, a novel aggregation-induced emission (AIE) probe C-BH was synthesized based on coumarin matrix. Probe C-BH showed high selectivity and sensitivity toward CN− by dual channel response due to the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). The low detection limit was calculated to be 0.05 µM. Moreover, probe C-BH was successfully used for imaging CN− in living cells and zebrafish due to its low toxicity and excellent optical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PolarFS is a distributed file system developed by Alibaba with ultra-low latency and high availability. It implements a variant of the Raft consensus protocol, called ParallelRaft. ParallelRaft breaks Raft's strict serialization restrictions in the commitment and execution of log entries and enables state machines to commit and execute log entries in an out-of-order way. However, ParallelRaft is not open-sourced. It has only a brief description, lacking formal specification. Moreover, the correctness of ParallelRaft has not been manually proven or formally checked. The purpose of the study is to provide a precise formal specification for ParallelRaft and to prove its correctness. Specifically, the following main contributions are accomplished. First, to clarify the relationship between Raft and ParallelRaft, ParallelRaft-SE (Sequential Execution) is proposed, which allows out-of-order commitment but prohibits out-of-order executions. Also, a refinement mapping from ParallelRaft-SE to Multi-Paxos is established. Second, it is discovered that ParallelRaft, according to its brief description in the literature, neglects the so-called "ghost log entries" phenomenon, which may violate the consistency among state machines. Therefore, based on ParallelRaft-SE, ParallelRaft-CE (Concurrent Execution) is proposed. ParallelRaft-CE avoids the "ghost log entries" phenomenon and ensures the consistency among state machines when executing concurrently by limiting parallelism in the commitment of log entries. The correctness of ParallelRaft-CE is proved manually. Finally, the formal specifications of ParallelRaft-SE and ParallelRaft-CE are provided by TLA+ (TLA stands for temporal logic of actions), and the refinement mapping from ParallelRaft-SE to Multi-Paxos and the correctness of ParallelRaft-CE are verified using the TLC model checker when the number of participants of the protocols is small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parallel tasks have been paid growing attention in recent years, and the scheduling with shared resources is of significant importance to real-time systems. As an efficient mechanism to provide mutual exclusion for parallel processing, spin-locks are ubiquitous in multi-processor real-time systems. However, the spin-locks suffer the scalability problem, and the intra-task parallelism further exacerbates the analytical pessimism. To overcome such deficiencies, we propose a Hierarchical Hybrid Locking Protocol (H2LP) under federated scheduling. The proposed H2LP integrates the classical Multiprocessor Stack Resource Policy (MSRP) and uses a token mechanism to reduce global contentions. We provide a complete analysis framework supporting both heavy and light tasks under federated scheduling and develop a blocking analysis with the state-ofthe- art linear optimization technique. Empirical evaluations showed that the H2LP outperformed the other state-of-the-art locking protocols in at least 85.9% configurations when considering exclusive clustering. Furthermore, our partitioned approach for light tasks can substantially improve schedulability by mitigating the over-provisioning problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this paper is to determine the role of port efficiency in determining a port's associated maritime transport costs using direct and disaggregate measures, such as average truck turnaround time, berth utilization, and vessel turnaround time. Ports are complex places difficult to characterize by a single measure of efficiency. Port efficiency is better assessed by measuring the performance of a port's constituent activities. Prior studies on port efficiency have primarily relied on indirect and aggregate measures of port efficiency, such as scores from the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report or from data envelopment analysis. In the work presented herein, 11 port utilization indicators, collected over 6 years at Canada's three leading container ports (Vancouver, Montreal, and Halifax), are used to econometrically estimate the unique impact and elasticity of each indicator on import and export container freight rates. Results suggest that higher berth utilization, longer truck turnaround times, longer container dwell times, and longer vessel turnaround times are associated with higher container freight rates (with elasticities ranging from 0.05 to 0.49). On the other hand, higher container throughputs, more vessel calls, and more containers, loaded and unloaded, per vessel are associated with lower container freight rates (with elasticities ranging from −0.07 to −0.53). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel frequency splitter is proposed based on the spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) coplanar waveguide (CPW). The proposed frequency splitter uses the semi-circular holes etched on the both sides of the middle line of the CPW to realize mode conversion and frequency splitting. The operating principles of the proposed frequency splitter have been analyzed by the dispersion curves, electric field distributions, and equivalent circuit. Moreover, the splitting frequency of the splitter can be easily controlled by changing the corresponding parameters. Furthermore, full-wave simulation along with the measured results are given to describe the performance of the proposed frequency splitter. The highly consistent between simulated and measured results validates the design conception, which means that the proposed design is of importance to develop surface-wave integrated circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wuhan MST radar is a 53.8 MHz monostatic Doppler radar, located in Chongyang, Hubei Province, China, which has the capability to observe the dynamics of the mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere region in the subtropical latitudes. The system is composed of 576 Yagi antennas with square distribution, and the maximum peak power is 192 kW. The Wuhan MST radar is efficient and cheap, which applies simplifier and more flexible architecture. It includes 24 big TR modules, and the row/column data port of each big TR module connects 24 small TR modules via the corresponding row/column feeding network. Each antenna is driven by a small TR module with peak output power of 300 W. The arrangement of the antenna field, the functions of the timing signals, the structure of the TR modules, and the clutter suppression procedure are described in detail in this manuscript. We compared the MST radar observation results with other instruments and related models in the whole MST region for validation. Firstly, we made a comparison of the Wuhan MST radar observed horizontal winds in the troposphere and low stratosphere with the radiosonde in the short term, as well as the ERA-interim data sets (2016 and 2017) in the long term. Then, we made a comparison of the observed horizontal winds in the mesosphere with the meteor radar and the HWM-07 model in the same way. In general, good agreements can be obtained, and it indicates that the Wuhan MST is an effective tool to measure the three-dimensional wind fields of the MST region in the short-term and long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reproductive characteristics of Dazu black goats (1056 kidding, 584 adult does and 224 adult bucks) have been researched in this study. The results showed that the age of puberty, sex maturity and breeding for male and female kids were 102.0±4.2 days vs. 117.0±8.7 days; 216.0±28.5 days vs. 195.0±22.4 days; 490.0±38.5 days vs. 355.0±27.5 days, respectively. Estrous cycle was 20.1±0.5 days. The duration of the natural estrous period of Dazu black goat (41.4±8.6 h) was longer than these reported goat breeds and was not significant difference among the different litter sizes does in the breed. The semen quality was high in different seasons. Dazu black goats might have shorter gestation period (147.9±1.7 days) and have longer kidding interval (237.8±4.6 days). The percentages of singletons, twins, triplets and quadruplets born were 1.98, 47.27, 40.02 and 10.29 %, respectively. The mean litter sizes (2.60±0.72) were the highest among the reported meat goat breeds in China. Dazu black goat reached the highest litter sizes (2.74±0.71) in the fourth kidding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing evidence that serum adipokine levels are associated with higher risks of cardiovascular diseases. As an important adipokine, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has been demonstrated to be associated with atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). However, circulating level of FGF21 in patients with angina pectoris has not yet been investigated. Circulating FGF21 level was examined in 197 patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP, n=66), unstable angina pectoris (UAP, n=76), and control subjects (n=55) along with clinical variables of cardiovascular risk factors. Serum FGF21 concentrations on admission were significantly increased more in patients with UAP than those with SAP (Ln-FGF21: 5.26 ± 0.87 compared with 4.85 ± 0.77, P<0.05) and control subjects (natural logarithm (Ln)-FGF21: 5.26 ± 0.87 compared with 4.54 ± 0.72, P<0.01). The correlation analysis revealed that serum FGF21 concentration was positively correlated with the levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) (r2  =  0.026, P=0.027) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) (r2  =  0.023, P= 0.04). Furthermore, FGF21 level was identified as an independent factor associated with the risks of UAP (odds ratio (OR): 2.781; 95% CI: 1.476-5.239; P=0.002), after adjusting for gender, age, and body mass index (BMI). However, there were no correlations between serum FGF21 levels and the presence of SAP (OR: 1.248; 95% CI: 0.703-2.215; P=0.448). The present study indicates that FGF21 has a strong correlation and precise predictability for increased risks of UAP, that is independent of traditional risk factors of angina pectoris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumor in adults, and it carries a high risk of metastasis and mortality. Various proinflammatory cytokines have been found to be significantly increased in the aqueous humor or vitreous fluid of UM patients; however, the role of these cytokines in UM metastasis remains elusive. In the present study, we found that long-term interleukin (IL)-6 exposure promoted the migration and invasion of UM cells, diminished cell--cell adhesion, and enhanced focal adhesion. Moreover, IL-6 treatment decreased the membranous epithelial marker TJP1 and increased the cytoplasmic mesenchymal marker Vimentin. Further investigation demonstrated that JunB played a critical role in IL-6-induced UM epithelial--mesenchymal transition (EMT). In UM cells, the expression of JunB was significantly up-regulated during the IL-6-driven EMT process. Additionally, JunB induction occurred at the transcriptional level in a manner dependent on phosphorylated STAT3, during which activated STAT3 directly bound to the JunB promoter. Importantly, the knockdown of STAT3 prevented the IL-6-induced EMT phenotype as well as cell migration and invasion, whereas JunB overexpression recovered the attenuated aggressiveness of UM cells. Similarly, with IL-6 stimulation, the stable overexpression of JunB strengthened the migratory and invasive capabilities of UM cells and induced the EMT-promoting factors (Snail, Twist1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-14, and MMP-19). Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database indicated that JunB was positively correlated with IL-6 and STAT3 in UM tissues. The present study proposes an IL-6/STAT3/JunB axis leading to UM aggressiveness by EMT, which illustrates the negative side of inflammatory response in UM metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass chars (bio-chars) prepared under two pyrolysis modes and with four particle size ranges were investigated. The pyrolysis modes included isothermal pyrolysis and non-isothermal pyrolysis with three heating rates (5 °C/min, 10 °C/min, and 15 °C/min). The particle size ranges were 58- 75 μm, 75-106 μm, 106-150 μm, and 150-270 μm. The pyrolysis characteristics, pore structures, surface morphologies, and functional groups of the bio-chars were characterized by TGA, specific surface area and porosity analyses, SEM, and FTIR. The mercury adsorption was further explored by the adsorption kinetics. The results established the optimum pyrolysis conditions for mercury adsorption: pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C, heating rate of 10 °C/min, and particle size of 58- 75 μm. In addition, the mercury adsorption processes were affected by both physical adsorption and chemical adsorption. Furthermore, the rate constants of the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models gradually increased with decreasing particle size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our aim in this paper is to prove the cylindrical Carleman's formula for subharmonic functions in a truncated cylinder. As an application, we prove that if the positive part of a harmonic function in a cylinder satisfies a slowly growing condition, then its negative part can also be dominated by a similar slowly growing condition, which improves some classical results about harmonic functions in a cylinder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we initially propose a stochastic SIRI epidemic model. The existence, uniqueness, and boundedness of the positive solution of the stochastic system are derived. By using some novel Lyapunov functions and stochastic analysis tools, we mainly investigate asymptotical behaviors of the SIRI model under stochastic perturbations according to the basic reproduction number. That is, when(or) and some conditions on white noise are satisfied, the solution of stochastic model will oscillate around the disease-free equilibrium (or endemic equilibrium) of the deterministic model and the estimate for the oscillation amplitude is obtained. Furthermore, the existence of a stationary distribution and the ergodicity of solutions are studied for the stochastic system. Finally, some numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study was designed to investigate the mechanical performance of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) reinforced by silver nanoparticles. The Ag/UHMWPE nanocomposites were prepared by a plate vulcanizing machine and tested with a contact angle micrometer, UMT friction tester, electronic universal testing machine and MicroXAM three-dimensional profilometer to characterise the wettability, ball indentation hardness, creep resistance, compression properties, and friction and wear performance. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was employed to describe the morphology of the Ag/UHMWPE nanocomposites surfaces following the friction and wear tests. These results demonstrate that the compressive yield strength, ball indentation hardness and creep resistance increased with an increase in the content of silver nanoparticles. The contact angle of the Ag/UHMWPE nanocomposites with bovine calf serum decreases with an increase in the content of silver nanoparticles and this change increases the wettability of the Ag/UHMWPE nanocomposites. Therefore, the friction coefficient decreases, but the wear mechanism changes from scratch and furrow to fatigue flakes when the mass fraction of silver nanoparticles exceeds 0.3%. The composite with a silver nanoparticles mass fraction of 0.3% exhibits a low friction coefficient and good wear resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Continuous infusion of doxorubicin has been a strategy to reduce cardiotoxicity. Epirubicin is another anthracycline in common clinical use. However, evidence is lacking regarding whether this strategy can reduce cardiotoxicity of epirubicin without compromising antineoplastic efficacy. Design and methods: Healthy rats were randomized into groups: epirubicin (8 mg/kg) delivered intraperitoneally via micro osmotic pumps (MOP), epirubicin (8 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal (IP) bolus injection, and placebo control. Blood samples were collected for analyzing biomarkers of myocardial injury and pharmacokinetics. At chosen times, sub-groups of animals were sacrificed for histopathology. A mouse breast cancer cell line (4T1), stably transfected with luciferase, was orthotopically allografted in female mice, and treated in three groups as described above for the rats. Tumor growth was monitored by measuring tumor size as well as bioluminescence. Results: Delivery by IP bolus and by MOP achieved essentially the same area under the curve of epirubicin plasma concentration time profile. Blood biomarkers showed that the degree of myocardial injury in MOP group was lower than that of IP group. Histopathology showed that there was less eosinophilic enhancement, interstitial hemorrhage and necrotizing muscle atrophy in MOP group than IP group. In the orthotopic breast cancer allograft mouse model, the antineoplastic effect of epirubicin by MOP was not different from that by IP as measured by tumor weights or by in vivo bioluminescence. Conclusion: Slow delivery of epirubicin by MOP reduced cardiotoxicity without compromising the antineoplastic effect compared to IP bolus delivery. These in vivo data support our previous clinical data that continuous intravenous infusion of epirubicin using micro infusion pumps over 48–96 hours had less cardiotoxicity than intravenous bolus injections. However, whether multiple doses of epirubicin given by MOP result in a lower magnitude of long term cardiomyopathy remains to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive flexibility forms the core of the extraordinary ability of humans to adapt, but the precise neural mechanisms underlying our ability to nimbly shift between task sets remain poorly understood. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies employing multivoxel pattern analysis (MVP A) have shown that a currently relevant task set can be decoded from activity patterns in the frontoparietal cortex, but whether these regions support the dynamic transformation of task sets from trial to trial is not clear. Here, we combined a cued task-switching protocol with human (both sexes) fMRI, and harnessed representational similarity analysis (RSA) to facilitate a novel assessment of trial-by-trial changes in neural task-set representations. We first used MVPA to define task-sensitive frontoparietal and visual regions and found that neural task-set representations on switch trials are less stably encoded than on repeat trials. We then exploited RSA to show that the neural representational pattern dissimilarity across consecutive trials is greater for switch trials than for repeat trials, and that the degree of this pattern dissimilarity predicts behavior. Moreover, the overall neural pattern of representational dissimilarities followed from the assumption that repeating sets, compared with switching sets, results in stronger neural task representations. Finally, when moving from cue to target phase within a trial, pattern dissimilarities tracked the transformation from previous-trial task representations to the currently relevant set. These results provide neural evidence for the longstanding assumptions of an effortful task-set reconfiguration process hampered by task-set inertia, and they demonstrate that frontoparietal and stimulus processing regions support "dynamic adaptive coding," flexibly representing changing task sets in a trial-by-trial fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a lipid-driven disease in which macrophage foam cells play a critical role by increasing vascular lipid accumulation and contributing to plaque instability. Ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1), the most abundant active component of ginseng, has been found potently to promote lipid metabolism and attenuate lipid accumulation. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the effects of Rb1 on lipid accumulation and plaque stability were investigated both in vitro and in vivo by using primary peritoneal macrophages isolated from C57BL/6 mice and an AS model in ApoE-/- mice. The results showed that Rb1 reduced lipid accumulation both in macrophage foam cells and atherosclerotic plaques. Rb1 treatment promoted plaque stability by modifying plaque composition via the activation of autophagy both in vitro and in vivo. Transmission electron microscopy further showed an increased accumulation of autophagolysosomes in Rb1-treated macrophage foam cells. However, the modulation of lipid accumulation by Rb1 was attenuated by autophagy blockage using autophagy-related gene 5 (Atg5) small interfering RNA (siRNA) in vitro. In addition, Rb1 notably increased AMPK phosphorylation both in vitro and in vivo, and the AMPK inhibitor compound C abolished the Rb1-induced autophagy in macrophage foam cells. In conclusion, ginsenoside Rb1 reduced lipid accumulation in macrophage foam cells and enhanced atherosclerotic plaque stability by the induction of macrophage autophagy. Our study provides new evidence for the possible use of Rb1 in the prevention and treatment of AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first aim in this paper is to deal with asymptotic behaviors of Green-Sch potentials in a cylinder. As an application we prove the integral representation of nonnegative weak solutions of the stationary Schrödinger equation in a cylinder. Next we give asymptotic behaviors of them outside an exceptional set. Finally we obtain a quantitative property of rarefied sets with respect to the stationary Schrödinger operator at +∞ in a cylinder. Meanwhile we show that the reverse of this property is not true. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an adaptive non-singular integral terminal sliding mode control (ANITSMC) scheme for trajectory tracking of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with dynamic uncertainties and time-varying external disturbances. The ANITSMC is first proposed for a first-order uncertain non-linear dynamic system to eliminate the singularity problem in conventional terminal sliding mode control (TSMC) and avoid the requirement of the bound information of the lumped system uncertainty. The time taken to reach the equilibrium point from any initial error is guaranteed to be finite. The proposed ANITSMC is then applied to trajectory tracking control of AUVs. It guarantees that the velocity tracking errors locally converge to zero in finite time and after that the position tracking errors locally converge to zero exponentially. The designed ANITSMC of AUVs avoids the requirement of the prior knowledge of the lumped system uncertainty bounds as opposite to the existing globally finite-time stable tracking control (GFTSTC), provides higher tracking accuracy than the existing GFTSTC and adaptive non-singular TSMC (ANTSMC) and offers faster convergence rate and better robustness against dynamic uncertainties and time-varying external disturbances than the adaptive proportional-integral sliding mode control (APISMC). Comparative simulation results are presented to validate the superiority of the ANITSMC over the APISMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stroke is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, which is associated with serious physical deficits that affect daily living and quality of life and produces immense public health and economic burdens. Both clinical and experimental data suggest that early physical training after ischemic brain injury may reduce the extent of motor dysfunction. However, the exact mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on neuroprotection and understand the underlying mechanisms. Materials and methods: Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was conducted to establish a rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury to mimic ischemic stroke. Experimental animals were divided into the following three groups: sham (n=34), MCAO (n=39), and MCAO plus treadmill exercise (n=28). The effects of aerobic exercise intervention on ischemic brain injury were evaluated using functional scoring, histological analysis, and Bio-Plex Protein Assays. Results: Early aerobic exercise intervention was found to improve motor function, prevent death of neuronal cells, and suppress the activation of microglial cells and astrocytes. Furthermore, it was observed that aerobic exercise downregulated the expression of the cytokine interleukin-1β and the chemokine monocyte chemotactic protein-1 after transient MCAO in experimental rats. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that treadmill exercise rehabilitation promotes neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via the downregulation of proinflammatory mediators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous research provides converging evidence for the role of posterior regions of the brain (including temporal, occipital, and parietal regions) involved in inhibition on creative thinking, it remains unclear as to how these regions influence individual differences in creative thinking. Thus, we explored the relationship between posterior regions (i.e., hippocampal, parahippocampal, lingual gyrus, precuneus, and cuneus), inhibition function, and divergent thinking (DT) in 128 healthy college students. The results revealed that lower inhibition was associated with larger gray matter volume (GMV) in the lingual gyrus, which in turn was associated with higher DT. In addition, GMV in the lingual gyrus mediated the association between inhibition and DT. These results provide new evidence for the role of inhibition in creative thinking. Inhibition may affect the amount of information stored in long-term memory, which, in turn influences DT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]