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The understanding on the growth mechanism of complex gold nanostructures both experimentally and theoretically can guide their design and fabrication toward various applications. In this work, we report a cysteine-directed overgrowth of penta-twinned nanorod seeds into jagged gold bipyramids with discontinuous stepped {hhk} facets. By monitoring the growth process, we find that {hhk} facets with large k/h values (∼7) are formed first at two ends of the nanorods, followed by the protrusion of the middle section exposing {hhk} facets with smaller indices (k/h ∼ 2–3). Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the strong adsorption of cysteine molecules on {110} facets is likely responsible for the formation of stepped {hhk} facets, and the stronger adsorption of cysteine molecules on {hhk} facets with smaller k/h compared to that on {hhk} facets with larger k/h is a possible cause of the discontinuity of {hhk} facets at the middle of gold bipyramids. The obtained jagged gold bipyramids display large field enhancement under illumination due to their sharp nanostructures, demonstrating their application potentials in surface-enhanced spectroscopy and catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-strength engineered cementitious composites (HS-ECCs) have garnered significant attention for their superior mechanical properties and ductility. However, their high autogenous shrinkage, caused by a low water-to-binder ratio, high cementitious content, and lack of coarse aggregate, often results in early-age cracking, limiting their broader use in civil engineering. Incorporating iron sand in HS-ECCs has enhanced their mechanical properties, reduced the carbon footprint, and moderately decreased shrinkage strain compared to traditional silica sand; however, the shrinkage strain remains substantial. This study aims to reduce the autogenous shrinkage of HS-ECCs further by incorporating united expanding admixtures (UEAs)—calcium oxide-based (CEA) and magnesium oxide-based (MEA) expansive agents—in varying amounts (3% to 10% by mass of cement). This study also examines the impact of these admixtures on the workability and mechanical properties of HS-ECCs. The results show that increasing the UEA content significantly reduces autogenous shrinkage strain, achieving a 40.66% reduction at 10% UEA, from 1007.31 με to 647.18 με. While higher UEA content decreases workability, as indicated by lower fluidity and penetration depth, the compressive strength remains largely unaffected. The tensile strength peaks at 12.38 MPa with 3% UEA but declines at higher contents, with higher UEA content effectively minimizing crack formation. The novelty of this research lies in the combined use of waste iron sand and UEA, optimizing the balance between workability, mechanical properties, and autogenous shrinkage reduction in HS-ECCs. These findings support the broader application of HS-ECCs in civil engineering projects requiring high mechanical properties and low shrinkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascorbic acid (AsA) can participate in the enzymatic and nonenzymatic clearance processes of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby enhancing stress tolerance in plants. GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase (GGP) is predicted to be a critical enzyme in the L-galactose route of plant AsA biosynthesis. However, information on the catalytic AsA synthesis and stress-resistance effect of the GGP gene in sweetpotato remains scarce. In this study, the IbGGP1 gene from sweetpotato was successfully isolated. The qRT-PCR determination revealed a distinctly higher expression level of IbGGP1 in sweetpotato flowers, and the gene was induced by multiple stresses, especially in drought, salt, and extreme temperatures. The seed germination, root elongation, and fresh weight were promoted in T3Arabidopsis IbGGP1-overexpressing lines as compared to wild-type plants under mannitol and salt stresses. The heterologous overexpression of IbGGP1 upregulated the mRNA level of the AtGME and AtGPP genes, and elevated the AsA content and AsA/DHA ratio under soil drought and salt stress. This stress-tolerance phenotype was associated with lower hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde content and higher antioxidant enzyme activity. These results indicate that the increased expression of IbGGP1 in Arabidopsis improves tolerance to multiple environmental stresses by promoting AsA biosynthesis and ROS-scavenging system. The functional identification of IbGGP1 provides a new approach for improving stress tolerance to drought and salt in sweetpotato and other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to explore the effects of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) H19 knockdown on angiogenesis and blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and elucidate their underlying regulatory mechanisms. Methods: A middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion model was used to induce cerebral I/R injury. The cerebral infarct volume and neurological impairment were assessed using 2,3,5‐triphenyl‐tetrazolium chloride staining and neurobehavioral tests, respectively. Relevant proteins were evaluated using western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Additionally, a bioinformatics website was used to predict the potential target genes of lncRNA H19. Finally, a rescue experiment was conducted to confirm the potential mechanism. Results: Silencing of H19 significantly decreased the cerebral infarct volume, enhanced the recovery of neurological function, mitigated BBB damage, and stimulated endothelial cell proliferation following ischemic stroke. Insulin‐like growth factor 2 mRNA‐binding protein 2 (IMP2) is predicted to be a potential target gene for lncRNA H19. H19 knockdown increased IMP2 protein expression and IMP2 inhibition reversed the protective effects of H19 inhibition. Conclusion: Downregulation of H19 enhances angiogenesis and mitigates BBB damage by regulating IMP2, thereby alleviating cerebral I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building safety has become a serious and important topic for the development of the construction industry, as well as for the preservation of contractors' and workers' lives and property. With the development and expansion of a sensitive and complex monitoring system for the safety of buildings, allowing accidents to occur is no longer acceptable. Therefore, risk management identifies potential hazards before any operations take place, and the safety system operates based on a planned, organized, and systematic process known as "pre-incident." This plan is based on the analysis-control method. Failure to utilize risk management methods and the acceleration of the construction industry can lead to a decrease in the safety of residents and introduce unpredictable risks. While nowadays risk management is less utilized for project control, contractors face numerous problems after construction. Lack of resources and facilities in this regard can be problematic, but emerging building technologies, which are slowly being identified, can solve and separate most of the industry's safety issues. Therefore, utilizing innovative building technologies not only enhances quality, speed, and cost reduction in construction but also contributes significantly to industrialization and the reduction of risks resulting from deteriorated structures towards building safety. In this study, the extraordinary effects of innovative technologies on building safety have been examined, and the relationship between risk management and innovative technologies has been investigated using a questionnaire. The impacts of all risk management and safety aspects are examined in this research, which ultimately resulted in clarifying the direct and meaningful connection between risk management and safety with modern technologies and determining the necessary corrective measures to improve building safety performance through the use of innovative building technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various environmental stresses induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have deleterious effects on plant cells. Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant used to counteract reactive oxygen species. Glutathione is produced by glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS) and glutathione synthetase (GS). However, evidence for the GCS gene in sweetpotato remains scarce. In this study, the full-length cDNA sequence of IbGCS isolated from sweetpotato cultivar Xu18 was 1566 bp in length, which encodes 521 amino acids. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed a significantly higher expression of the IbGCS in sweetpotato flowers, and the gene was induced by salinity, abscisic acid (ABA), drought, extreme temperature and heavy metal stresses. The seed germination rate, root elongation and fresh weight were promoted in T3 Arabidopsis IbGCS-overexpressing lines (OEs) in contrast to wild type (WT) plants under mannitol and salt stresses. In addition, the soil drought and salt stress experiment results indicated that IbGCS overexpression in Arabidopsis reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, enhanced the levels of GCS activity, GSH and AsA content, and antioxidant enzyme activity. In summary, overexpressing IbGCS in Arabidopsis showed improved salt and drought tolerance. Headings: •IbGCS gene was cloned from the sweetpotato cultivar Xu18. • The multiple abiotic stresses significantly increased the expression of IbGCS gene. • Overexpression of IbGCS significantly improved the salt and drought stress tolerance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyze the genetic evolution and molecular characteristics of the H5N6 avian influenza virus A/Changsha/1/2022(H5N6) in a human infection case in Changsha City, providing insights for the prevention and control of H5N6 avian influenza transmission to humans. Methods The sample underwent whole-genome sequencing on a third-generation sequencing platform. Reference sequences were downloaded from the NCBI and GISAID databases for comparison. The phylogenetic tree was constructed and key amino acid mutation sites were analyzed using MEGA7 software. Results The sequence analysis results revealed that the strain studied belongs to the H5 subtype Clade 2.3.4.4b branch. The PB1 gene shared 99.69% homology with the H5N6 virus A/duck/Hunan/S40199/2021(H5N6) from Hunan Province; PB2 had 98.58% homology with A/Whooper swan/Sanmenxia/Y36/2020(H5N8); and other sequences showed high homology with the strain A/Guangdong/1/2021(H5N6) discovered in Guangzhou in 2021. These results indicate that an infection with a recombinant H5N6 subtype avian influenza virus caused the case. The amino acid composition of the cleavage site was RERRRKR ↓GLF, consistent with high-pathogenicity avian influenza characteristics. The HA sequence showed no mutations at the Q226L and G228S sites, indicating the preservation of characteristics binding to avian receptors. However, mutations at the S127P, S137A, T160A, T192R, and A267T sites increased the virus's affinity for humans. A deletion found in positions 59-70 of the NA protein stalk implies enhanced viral virulence in mammals. Mutations were noted in the internal genes; S622G in PB1, K389R and V598T in PB2, N409S in PA, N30D and T215A in M1, and P42S in NS1, which may enhance the virulence of avian influenza virus in infecting mice. Conclusions The H5N6 virus strain detected in a human case in Changsha City in this study is highly pathogenic, prone to bind to avian receptors, but numerous mutations at key amino acid sites facilitate infection in humans. Continuous monitoring and research on H5N6 avian influenza virus should be strengthened [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In intrusion detection systems, deep learning has demonstrated its capability to effectively mine flow representations, significantly enhancing the ability to detect anomalies. However, current approaches still suffer from limitations in flow feature extraction and may require fine-tuning on different forms of data, and may even be nontransferable. The task of accurately and efficiently handling multiple forms of flow remains a challenging endeavor. In this work, we propose the Hypergraph Recurrent Neural Network (HRNN), a novel intrusion detection method that leverages the hypergraph higher-order structure and recurrent network. We construct flow data as hypergraph structures, which allow for more abundant information representation and implicitly incorporate more similar information in the model. The recurrent module extracts temporal features of the flow. Our design effectively fuses representations imbued with rich spatial and temporal semantics. Evaluations of several publicly available datasets portray that HRNN outperforms other state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) rupture rarely occurs, especially in skeletally immature adolescents, and poses a dilemma in appropriately managing the open physis with its vast growth potential. However, although many epiphyseal-protecting techniques for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have been reported, a similar problem in PCL reconstruction has received scant attention and needs more relevant research. So, this study aims to evaluate the short-term clinical and imaging results of the arthroscopic physeal-sparing reconstruction program. Method: All the 13 patients we reviewed in this study have accepted the arthroscopic physeal-sparing PCL reconstruction from January 2019 to December 2022 in our Department of Orthopedics. Primary demographic data collected include gender (8 males and 5 females), age (11–15 years, average 13.3 years), follow-up period (15–35 months, average 25.2 months), injury mechanism (nine non-contact injuries and four contact injuries), and days following injury (1–10 days, average 5.3 days). The assessment of clinical outcomes included pre- and postoperative physical examination, knee functional scores, and imaging data. Result: All patients in this study were followed up with an average 25.2-month (range 15–35 months) follow-up period. All the cases preoperatively had a positive posterior drawer test and turned negative at the final follow-up. The average ROM improved from 103.6° ± 11.4° to 132.6° ± 3.6° at the last follow-up (p < 0.05). The VAS score decreased from 5.8 ± 1.6 to 0.9 ± 0.5 (p < 0.05); the average KT-1000 healthy-side to affected-side difference decreased from 11.3 ± 1.6 to1.8 ± 0.5 mm. The comparison of all the knee functional scores (IKDC, Tegner scores, and Lysholm) at preoperative and last follow-up showed a significant difference (p < 0.05). None of the cases had operation-related complications, and all recovered to sports well. Conclusion: The arthroscopic physeal-sparing posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is a dependable and recommended treatment for posterior cruciate ligament rupture in adolescents with open physis, showing a striking improvement in knee function without growth arrest and angular deformity of the affected limb in the short-term follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new compounds (1–2, 4) along with ten known ones (3, 5–13), were isolated from the whole plant of Erigeron breviscapus. Compounds 1 and 2, two novel C10 acetylenic acids and compound 4, a jasmone glucoside were elucidated by the detailed analysis of 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS spectra, and experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD). Compounds 1–3 represent the first example of acetylenic acids incorporating C10 skeleton from E. breviscapus. In addition, the antioxidant effects of all compounds were evaluated by ferric reducing power, 2,2′-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate acid) (ABTS) and 2.2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays. Our results indicated the significant antioxidant activity of caffeoylquinic acids. Additionally, compounds 10–11 and 13 played protective role on alcoholic liver injury cells in a dose-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise in drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria greatly endangers public health in the post-antibiotic era, and drug-resistant bacteria currently pose a great challenge not only to the community but also to clinical procedures, including surgery, stent implantation, organ transplantation, and other medical procedures involving any open wound and compromised human immunity. Biofilm-associated drug failure, as well as rapid resistance to last-resort antibiotics, necessitates the search for novel treatments against bacterial infection. In recent years, the flourishing development of nanotechnology has provided new insights for exploiting promising alternative therapeutics for drug-resistant bacteria. Metallic agents have been applied in antibacterial usage for several centuries, and the functional modification of metal-based biomaterials using nanotechnology has now attracted great interest in the antibacterial field, not only for their intrinsic antibacterial nature but also for their ready on-demand functionalization and enhanced interaction with bacteria, rendering them with good potential in further translation. However, the possible toxicity of MNPs to the host cells and tissue still hinders its application, and current knowledge on their interaction with cellular pathways is not enough. This review will focus on recent advances in developing metallic nanoparticles (MNPs), including silver, gold, copper, and other metallic nanoparticles, for antibacterial applications, and their potential mechanisms of interaction with pathogenic bacteria as well as hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar greenhouses provide a favorable climate environment for the production of counter-seasonal crops in northern China. The greenhouse environment is a key factor affecting crop growth, so accurate prediction of greenhouse environment changes helps to precisely regulate the crop growth environment and helps to promote the growth of fruits and vegetables. In this study, an environmental prediction model based on the combination of a gradient boosting tree and the Harris hawk optimization algorithm (IHHO-Catboost) is constructed, and in response to the problems of the HHO algorithm, such as the fact that the adjustment of the search process is not flexible enough, it cannot be targeted to carry out a stage search, and sometimes it will fall into the local optimum to make the algorithm's search accuracy relatively poor, an algorithm based on the improved Harris hawk optimization (IHHO) algorithm-based parameter identification method is constructed. The model considers the internal and external environmental and regulatory factors affecting crop growth, which include indoor temperature and humidity, light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration, soil temperature and humidity, outdoor temperature and humidity, light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration, wind direction, wind speed, and opening and closing of upper and lower air openings of the cotton quilt, and is input into a prediction model with a time series for training and testing. The experimental results show that the MAE (mean absolute error) values of temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and light intensity of the model are reduced to 49.8%, 35.3%, 72.7%, and 32.1%, respectively, compared with LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory), which is a significant decrease in error. It shows that the proposed multi-parameter prediction model for solar greenhouse environments presents an effective method for accurate prediction of environmental data in solar greenhouses. The model not only improves prediction accuracy but also reduces dependence on large data volumes, reduces computational costs, and improves the transparency and interpretability of the model. Through this approach, an effective tool for greenhouse agriculture is provided to help farmers optimize the use of resources, reduce waste, and improve crop yield and quality, ultimately leading to a more efficient and environmentally friendly agricultural production system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the technological development of industrial automation, an increasing number of modern electronic components, which are very sensitive to voltage changes, are emerging in the distribution network as sensitive lodes. Enormous economic losses will be caused if voltage disturbance happens. Therefore, in this article, to support the voltage on these sensitive nodes in a targeted manner, an index denoted as vrc ~ is constructed to quantitatively describe the voltage recovery capability. Afterward, to satisfy the constraint of index vrc ~ , distributed wind turbines (DWTs) and distribution static compensators (D-STATCOMs) are optimized to the most beneficial capacities and locations, to provide the reactive power required by the sensitive nodes during voltage recovery process. The proposed mathematical model is relaxed from MINLP model into a second-order cone relaxation (SOCR) model and verified on IEEE 33-bus distribution network under scenarios with different vrc ~ values. The results prove that connecting sensitive loads to distribution network has large influences on the configuration scheme of DWTs and D-STATCOMs. Moreover, three algorithms named cuckoo search optimization(CSO), clustering cuckoo search optimization(CCSO) and Jaya are provided to compete with SOCR method in solving this mathematical model. Results show that SOCR method is superior than all the algorithms in robustness and effectiveness in terms of processing time and solution quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To analyze the clinical efficacy of K-wire placement guided technology in paediatric supracondylar humerus fractures. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 105 patients who underwent closed reduction and percutaneous pinning surgeries in our hospital from June 2019 to August 2022. 54 patients treated with a assisted reduction fixation device to assist in closed reduction and percutaneous K-wire cross-fixation were allocated into the Non-guided group, and 51 patients with K-wire placement guided technology to guide K-wire placement were assigned into the Guided group. The operation duration, number of disposable K-wire placement, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, Baumann angle, carrying angle, fracture healing time and Flynn score of elbow joint function at the final follow-up were compared between two groups. The postoperative complications of two groups were recorded. Results: There were significant differences between two groups in terms of operation duration, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, and disposable K-wire placement rate (p < 0. 05), while no significant differences of Baumann angle, carrying angle and the fracture healing time between two groups were observed (p > 0. 05). In the control group, ulnar nerve injury in 2 case, pin site infection in 4 cases, mild cubitus varus in 2 cases and loss of reduction in 4 cases were detected. In the study group, ulnar nerve injury in 1 case, pin site infection in 2 cases and loss of reduction in 1 case was observed. There was no significant difference in Flynn scores between two groups. Conclusion: K-wire placement guided technology is simple and convenient. The application of K-wire placement guided technology could relatively improved disposable K-wire placement rate, shorten the intraoperative fluoroscopy frequencies and reduce complication rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic dimension opens new horizons in quantum physics and topological photonics by enabling new dimensions for field and particle manipulations. The most appealing property of the photonic synthetic dimension is its ability to emulate high-dimensional optical behavior in a unitary physical system. Here we show that the photonic synthetic dimension can transform technical problems in photonic systems between dimensionalities, providing unexpected solutions to technical problems that are otherwise challenging. Specifically, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a fully reconfigurable photonic Galton board (PGB) in the temporal synthetic dimension, in which the temporal high-speed challenge is translated into a spatial fiber-optic length matching problem, leading to the generation of tera-sample-per-second arbitrary waveforms with ultimate flexibility. In the experiments, an arbitrary waveform with a widely tunable sampling rate, ranging from 10.42 GSa/s to a record high of 1.64 TSa/s, is demonstrated. The concept of dimension conversion offers possible solutions to various physical dimension-related problems, such as super-resolution imaging, high-resolution spectroscopy, and high-precision time measurement. Synthetic dimensions have drawn a lot of attention in photonics recently, where many physical phenomena have been explored. This work, on the other hand, utilizes the temporal synthetic dimension to solve a technical problem that is otherwise challenging, and showcases the generation of tera-sample-per-second arbitrary waveforms with extreme flexibility, which offers new possible solutions in many application-related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Grille‐type steel plate composite (GSPC) shear wall is an innovative wall system consisting of concrete cores, steel faceplates, steel tie plates, and steel channels with more advantages than conventional reinforced concrete (RC) walls, including better ductility, higher bearing capacity, and easy‐modular characteristics. This paper mainly discusses the seismic performance and damage resistance of GSPC walls to the entire structure from the aspect of the structural level. Three nonlinear numerical models of high‐rise structures with different structural heights and types were established by PERFORM‐3D software to study the influence of GSPC walls on the change in structural internal forces and deformations compared with RC walls. One of these structures was selected to conduct the seismic fragility analysis based on the incremental dynamic analysis and to assess the structure's seismic performance with GSPC walls. Finally, the seismic damage prediction method was used to evaluate the damage levels of the GSPC wall structure. Results indicate that the structures with GSPC walls suffer more significant seismic forces than those with RC walls, although they experience lesser structural deformations. Moreover, GSPC walls can effectively improve the structure's collapse and seismic damage resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba (E. superba), is a key organism in the Antarctic marine ecosystem and has been widely studied. However, there is a lack of transcriptome data focusing on temperature responses. Methods: In this study, we performed transcriptome sequencing of E. superba samples exposed to three different temperatures: −1.19 °C (low temperature, LT), − 0.37 °C (medium temperature, MT), and 3 °C (high temperature, HT). Results: Illumina sequencing generated 772,109,224 clean reads from the three temperature groups. In total, 1,623, 142, and 842 genes were differentially expressed in MT versus LT, HT versus LT, and HT versus MT, respectively. Moreover, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that these differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in the Hippo signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and Toll−like receptor signaling pathway. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR revealed that ESG037073 expression was significantly upregulated in the MT group compared with the LT group, and ESG037998 expression was significantly higher in the HT group than in the LT group. Conclusions: This is the first transcriptome analysis of E. superba exposed to three different temperatures. Our results provide valuable resources for further studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying temperature adaptation in E. superba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although inhibition of neprilysin (NEP) might be a therapeutic strategy with the potential to improve the outcome of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the versatile function of NEP with its mechanism remains obscure in kidney fibrosis. In the study, we found that NEP was abnormally increased in tubular epithelial cells of CKD patients, as well as unilateral ureteral obstruction and adenine diet‐induced mice. Treatment with a United States Food and Drug Administration‐approved NEP inhibitor Sacubitrilat (LBQ657) could alleviate ferroptosis, tubular injury, and delay the progression of kidney fibrosis in experimental mice. Similarly, genetic knockdown of NEP also inhibited tubular injury and fibrosis in transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1 ‐induced tubular cells. Mechanically, NEP overexpression aggravated the ferroptotic and fibrotic phenotype, which was restored by acyl‐CoA synthetase long‐chain family member 4 (ACSL4) knockdown. The NEP silencing attenuated TGF‐β1‐induced tubular cell ferroptosis and was exacerbated by ACSL4 overexpression. Collectively, for the first time, a novel aspect of NEP was explored in kidney fibrosis through ACSL4‐mediated tubular epithelial cell ferroptosis. Our data further confirmed that NEP inhibition exerted a promising therapeutic against fibrotic kidney diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulating neutrophils are activated shortly after stroke and in turn affect the fate of ischemic brain tissue, and microRNAs (miRNA) participate in regulating neuroinflammation. We probed the role of neutrophilic miRNA in ischemic stroke. miR-193a-5p was decreased in circulating neutrophils of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients and healthy controls. In another set of AIS patients treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, higher neutrophilic miR-193a-5p levels were associated with favorable outcomes at 3 months and non-symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. An experimental stroke model and human neutrophil-like HL-60 cells were further transfected with agomiR-193a-5p/antagomiR-193a-5p or ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme V2 (UBE2V2)-siRNA prior to model induction for in vivo and in vitro studies. Results of 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining and neurological function evaluations at post-experimental stroke showed that intravenous agomiR-193a-5p transfusion protected against ischemic cerebral injury in the acute stage and promoted neurological recovery in the subacute stage. This protective role was suggested to correlate with neutrophil N2 transformation based on the N2-like neutrophil proportions in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and spleen of the experimental stroke model and the measurement of neutrophil phenotype-associated molecule levels. Mechanistically, analyses indicated that UBE2V2 might be a target of miR-193a-5p. Cerebral injury and neuroinflammation aggravated by miR-193a-5p inhibition were reversed by UBE2V2 silencing. In conclusion, miR-193a-5p protects against cerebral ischemic injury by restoring neutrophil N2 phenotype-associated neuroinflammation suppression, likely, in part, via UBE2V2 induction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal arterial diseases remains controversial. We conducted a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials aiming to investigate the efficacy differences between paclitaxel- or sirolimus-eluting stents, covered stents, drug-coated balloons, bare metal stents, and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. Method: MEDLINE, Embase, Ovid, and other relevant online material were searched up to October 21, 2020. Primary endpoints were primary patency and target lesion revascularization at 6, 12, and more than 24 months. Results: Thirty-eight eligible trials included 6026 patients. In terms of primary patency, drug eluting stents were ranked as the most effective treatment based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve values at 6 (80.6), 12 (78.4), and more than 24 months (96.5) of follow-ups. In terms of target lesion revascularization, drug eluting stents were ranked as the most effective treatment based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve values at 6 (90.3), 12 (71.3), and more than 24 months (82.1) of follow-ups. Covered stents and bare metal stents had higher ranks in target lesion revascularization than those in primary patency. Sirolimus stents had a higher rank than paclitaxel stents. Conclusion: Drug eluting stents showed encouraging results in primary patency rates and freedom from target lesion revascularization at all phases of follow-up for femoropopliteal arterial diseases. Sirolimus stents appear to be more effective in femoropopliteal segment than paclitaxel stent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rosa laevigata Michx., a member of the Rosaceae family, is a famous traditional Chinese medicine and edible food in Asian countries. The major active ingredient is triterpenoid, which has anti‐Alzheimer's Disease (AD), antioxidant and neuroprotection properties. However, the properties of "multi‐component structure" and "multi‐directional target" make it impossible to explain the molecular mechanism by conventional ways. The present study aimed to predict the multi‐target mechanisms of triterpenoids in R. laevigata against AD using high performance liquid chromatography equipped with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (HPLC‐Q‐TOF MS) approach, network pharmacology analysis, dynamics simulation (MDs) and validation of the predicted results with straight‐target tests as well as neuroprotection model. Firstly, bioassay‐guided fractionation of R. laevigata integrated with LC‐MS/MS analysis of the most prospective enriched fractions in terms of anti‐AD efficacy was commenced. Subsequently, multi‐level network model of "multi components‐multi‐targets‐multiple pathways" was established based on the identification of 69 triterpenoids. Complementarily, 64 AD‐related targets were identified through various databases. Network structure analysis illuminated that the intricate pharmacological mechanisms improving cognitive dysfunction of AD was superiorly combined with the crucial targets of APP, APOE, VEGFA, IL1B, MAPT, PSEN1 and BACE and further regulation of principal pathways as HIF‐1 and Calcium signaling pathways. In addition, AChE, BChE and BACE inhibitory activities in vitro showed that nine compounds exhibited potential inhibitory activities. The neuroprotective effects also had a similar effect on H2O2‐induced SH‐SY5Y cell injury. The results show that R. laevigata and its bioactive triterpenoids can pave the way for potential application as inhibitors for treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since China declared that the post-epidemic era would begin in April 2020, the prevention and control of epidemics have become routine. The capacity of cities to respond to future public health emergencies will be enhanced if the resilience of cities is accurately measured and an emphasis is placed on improving resilience levels. Under the 4R framework, this study quantifies and analyzes the level of resilience of the cities in Jiangsu Province from both subjective and objective perspectives. By selecting explanatory variables and developing a GWR model, the spatial distribution characteristics of the quantified scores of resilience and the spatial characteristics of the influencing factors are analyzed. The results indicate that cities in southern Jiangsu should invest more in economic development and medical resources in the post-epidemic period. Northern Jiangsu should prioritize boosting the health and social work sector's gross domestic product. Coastal cities must enhance their capacity for innocuous waste treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It remains unclear whether there is an association between posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) rupture and the medial posterior tibial slope (MTS) or lateral posterior tibial slope (LTS). The present case–control study aimed to investigate a possible association between primary PCL rupture and MTS or LTS measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: A retrospective case–control study was conducted. Patients with primary PCL ruptures but not with anterior cruciate ligament injuries, were 1:1 matched by age and sex to a control group with no evidence of knee ligament injuries. Knee MRI was used to measure the MTS and LTS. In addition, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify an optimal cut-off value of the MTS and/or LTS. Results: In total, 46 patients with PCL ruptures (32 males, 14 females) and 46 controls (32 males, 14 females) were included in this study. The MTS was significantly lower in the patients with PCL ruptures (3.0° ± 2.2°) than in the control group (5.1° ± 2.3°, p < 0.001). The mean LTS/MTS ratio was significantly higher in patients with PCL ruptures (2.6 ± 2.5) than in the control group (1.3 ± 1.3, p = 0.001). However, the LTS was not significantly different between patients with PCL ruptures and the controls (4.4° ± 2.3° vs. 5.3° ± 2.6°, n.s.). After the MTS was determined to be a significant predictor, the ROC analysis was performed. The ROC analysis revealed the most accurate MTS cut-off of < 3.9°, with a sensitivity of 76.1% and a specificity of 73.9%. Conclusion: A decreased MTS and an increased LTS/MTS ratio are associated with an increased risk of primary PCL rupture. People with MTS < 3.9° are particularly at risk for PCL ruptures, and prevention and intervention programs for PCL ruptures should be developed and targeted towards them. Levels of evidence: Level III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Traffic congestion, air pollution, fuel wastage, and car accidents are all exacerbated by increased traffic. Thus, vehicular communications, which refer to information transmission between cars, pedestrians, and infrastructures, have lately gained popularity and been extensively explored due to their enormous potential to enable intelligent transportation and various safety applications. Manually piloted cars and automated vehicles can acquire relevant information via vehicular communications to enhance traffic security and boost entertainment services. The basic concept of automobile clouds was originally published in the literature not long ago, and several suggested structural approaches have been presented in this study thus far. Several academics have concentrated on the structural layout to address various problems and, as a result, satisfy user expectations in order to give dependable services. We examined various vehicular cloud topologies in this study. We also offered a complete summary of current network layer research on allowing efficient vehicle communications and examined specific security, architectural, and reliability concerns in vehicular clouds. Also, the taxonomy of vehicular networks was discussed in terms of the service link between vehicular networks and cloud computing. Ultimately, we discussed the research prospects available. The results showed that security and privacy challenges are among the most important challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apoptosis of kidney tubular epithelial cells contributes to diabetic kidney disease (DKD) pathophysiology, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. Zinc transporter protein member 8 (ZnT8, SLC30A8) is a susceptive gene in diabetes. Here, we aim to investigate whether ZnT8 has effects on pathophysiology of DKD. The animal groups include control, ZnT8KO mice, STZ-induced, and ZnT8-KO-STZ. STZ-induced DKD was performed in male C57BL/6 J mice and in ZnT8-KO mice. High glucose (HG)–induced apoptosis in a normal rat kidney tubular epithelial cell line (NRK-52E cells) was performed in vitro. Transfection of hZnT8-EGFP or TNFAIP3 siRNA was done in NRK-52E cells. Flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining and TUNEL analysis was performed for the detection of apoptosis. Gene expression at mRNA and protein levels was examined with real-time RT-PCR and Western blot. Urine albumin to creatinine ratio, proinflammatory cytokines, and apoptosis were enhanced in kidneys of STZ and ZnT8-KO-STZ mice compared to control or ZnT8-KO mice. ZnT8 overexpression after hZnT8-EGFP transfection decreased HG-stimulated inflammatory activity and apoptosis in NRK-52E cells. Furthermore, treatment with ZnSO4 blunted HG-induced apoptosis and NF-κB activation. ZnSO4 increased the abundance of zinc-finger protein TNF-α-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3). Also, ZnT8 over-expression after hZnT8-EGFP transfection significantly ameliorates HG-induced NF-κB-dependent transcriptional activity and apoptotic protein expressions in NRK-52E cells, but the inhibitory effect of ZnT8 was significantly abolished with TNFAIP3 siRNA. Our study provides evidence that ZnT8 has protective effects against apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells through induction of TNFAIP3 and subsequent suppression of the NF-κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neutrophil serine proteinases (NSPs), released by activated neutrophils, are key proteins involved in the pathophysiologic processes of stroke. NSPs are also implicated in the process and response of thrombolysis. This study aimed to analyze three NSPs (neutrophil elastase, cathepsin G, and proteinase 3) in relation to acute ischemic stroke (AIS) outcomes and in relation to the outcomes of patients treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV-rtPA). Methods: Among 736 patients prospectively recruited at the stroke center from 2018 to 2019, 342 patients diagnosed with confirmed AIS were included. Plasma neutrophil elastase (NE), cathepsin G (CTSG), and proteinase 3 (PR3) concentrations were measured on admission. The primary endpoint was unfavorable outcome defined as modified Rankin Scale score 3–6 at 3 months, and the secondary endpoints were symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) within 48 h, and mortality within 3 months. In the subgroup of patients who received IV-rtPA, post-thrombolysis early neurological improvement (ENI) (defined as National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score = 0 or decrease of ≥ 4 within 24 h after thrombolysis) was also included as the secondary endpoint. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between NSPs levels and AIS outcomes. Results: Higher NE and PR3 plasma levels were associated with the 3-month mortality and 3-month unfavorable outcome. Higher NE plasma levels were also associated with the risk of sICH after AIS. After adjusting for potential confounders, plasma NE level > 229.56 ng/mL (odds ratio [OR] = 4.478 [2.344–8.554]) and PR3 > 388.77 ng/mL (OR = 2.805 [1.504–5.231]) independently predicted the 3-month unfavorable outcome. Regarding rtPA treatment, patients with NE plasma concentration > 177.22 ng/mL (OR = 8.931 [2.330–34.238]) or PR3 > 388.77 ng/mL (OR = 4.275 [1.045–17.491]) were over 4 times more likely to suffer unfavorable outcomes after rtPA treatment. The addition of NE and PR3 to clinical predictors of unfavorable functional outcome after AIS and the outcome after rtPA treatment improved discrimination as well as reclassification (integrated discrimination improvement = 8.2% and 18.1%, continuous net reclassification improvement = 100.0% and 91.8%, respectively). Conclusions: Plasma NE and PR3 are novel and independent predictors of 3-month functional outcomes after AIS. Plasma NE and PR3 also possess predictive value to identify patients with unfavorable outcomes after rtPA treatment. NE is probably an important mediator of the effects of neutrophils on stroke outcomes, which worth further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aging of the social population structure, the number of empty-nesters is also increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to manage empty-nesters with data mining technology. This paper proposed an empty-nest power user identification and power consumption management method based on data mining. Firstly, an empty-nest user identification algorithm based on weighted random forest was proposed. Compared with similar algorithms, the results indicate that the performance of the algorithm is the best, and the identification accuracy of empty-nest users is 74.2%. Then a method for analyzing the electricity consumption behavior of empty-nest users based on fusion clustering index adaptive cosine K-means was proposed, which can adaptively select the optimal number of clusters. Compared with similar algorithms, the algorithm has the shortest running time, the smallest Sum of the Squared Error (SSE), and the largest mean distance between clusters (MDC), which are 3.4281 s, 31.6591 and 13.9513, respectively. Finally, an anomaly detection model with an Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) algorithm and an isolated forest algorithm was established. The case analysis shows that the recognition accuracy of abnormal electricity consumption for empty-nest users was 86%. The results indicate that the model can effectively detect the abnormal behavior of empty-nest power users and help the power department to better serve empty-nest users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) is one of the main vegetable crops grown under protected cultivation in northern China. Low-temperature (LT) stress severely inhibits the growth of zucchini seedlings, resulting in reductions in yield and quality. Here, using three kinds of different humic acids, including coal-based humic acid (CHA), fulvic acid (FA), and biochemical humic acid (BHA), we investigated the effects of humic acids against LT stress (5 °C) in zucchini seedlings. Treatment with all three kinds of humic acids improves LT stress tolerance by decreasing oxidative damage through increases in antioxidative enzyme activities and the contents of soluble sugar and proline in zucchini seedlings, especially after BHA application. Comparative transcriptomic analysis revealed that a total of 17 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were commonly induced in the leaves of FA-, CHA-, and BHA-treated zucchini seedlings under LT stress, including calmodulin, ethylene-responsive transcription factors (TFs), peroxidases, and 10 TFs, including two NAC and seven WRKY genes. Altogether, these results indicated that supplementation with humic acids reprograms plant metabolism and modulates the expression of genes involved in ROS scavenging, phytohormone metabolism, or signaling pathways, finally improving LT stress tolerance in zucchini seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To combat climate change and meet energy conservation and emission reduction goals, the building sector must adopt low-carbon technologies and low-carbon management methods. To systematically explore existing research areas and track future research trends of carbon emission in the construction stage (CECS), this study conducts a bibliometric and content analysis of CECS studies. 563 relevant publications published between 2000 and 2022 are examined and analyzed using data from the Web of Science (WoS) core collection database. The findings reveal that studies of CECS have evolved through three stages: preliminary exploratory period, stable development period, and rapid development period. In addition, the literature co-citation network and content analysis classify the 13 found co-citation clusters into four knowledge domains: sources definition, data statistics, assessment methods, and carbon reduction strategies. Finally, a knowledge map of CECS studies is presented, outlining significant aspects of research, existing gaps in knowledge, and directions for future study. This work will make it easier for academics and professionals to pinpoint promising areas of study, fill in knowledge gaps, and broaden the scope of existing research on CECS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonreciprocal light transmission in an all-fiber platform is critical in modern optical communication systems, which can avoid the packaging and integration process required in current devices based on magneto-optical or nonlinear materials. Here we propose and demonstrate an all-fiber device with remotely tunable isolation ratio and switchable isolation direction by constructing two mutually coupled Fabry-Perot (FP) resonators with identical geometry and balanced gain and loss. By controlling the pumping power, strong optical nonreciprocity is achieved due to gain saturation nonlinearity that is enhanced by the broken parity-time symmetry. Nonreciprocal light transmission with an isolation ratio of 8.58 dB at 1550 nm and an insertion loss of 2.5 dB is demonstrated. The isolation bandwidth is 125 MHz, which is determined by the bandwidths of the two coupled FP resonators. The proposed approach provides an all-fiber solution for a remotely tunable and optically controlled isolator, which may find applications in software-defined optical networks. Optical nonreciprocity is of fundamental importance for signal processing in modern optical communication systems but is still facing issues on either high energy consumption, complicated design or on-chip integration. Here, an all-fiber device, containing two mutually coupled Fabry-Perot resonators to realize broken parity-time (PT) symmetry is demonstrated, which may find applications in software-defined optical networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Stroke has a high incidence and is a disabling condition that can lead to severe cognitive, motor, and sensory dysfunction. In this study, we employed a drug repurposing strategy to investigate the neuroprotective effect of lomitapide on focal ischemic brain injury and explore its potential mechanism of action. Methods: Experimental cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in adult male C57BL/6 mice and simulated by oxygen–glucose deprivation in N2a‐BV2 cells in co‐cultivation. Results: Lomitapide significantly increased the survival rate, reduced the neuronal tissue loss, and improved the neurological function after MCAO. Furthermore, lomitapide could increase the expression of LC3‐II, reduce the expression of P62 and LAMP2, promote autophagic flux, and inhibit apoptosis by increasing and inhibiting the expression of the apoptosis‐associated proteins Bcl‐2 and Bax, respectively. In addition, lomitapide inhibited the migration of pro‐inflammatory microglia. Conclusion: Lomitapide is a lipid‐lowering drug, and this is the first study to explore its protective effect on ischemic nerve injury in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that lomitapide can be repositioned as a potential therapeutic drug for the treatment of stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative degradation by using reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an effective method to treat pollutants. The synthesis of artificial oxidase for the degradation of dyes is a hot spot in molecular science. In this study, a nanoscale sandwich-type polyoxometalate (POM) on the basis of a tetra-nuclear cobalt cluster and trivacant B-α-Keggin-type tungstoarsenate {[Co(C8H20N4)]4}{Co4(H2O)2[HAsW9O34]2}∙4H2O (abbreviated as CAW, C8H20N4 = cyclen) has been synthesized and structurally examined by infrared (IR) spectrum, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS), single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD), and bond valence sum (Σs) calculation. According to the structural analysis, the principal element of the CAW is derived from modifying sandwich-type polyanion {Co4(H2O)2 [HAsW9O34]2}8– with four [Co(Cyclen)]2+, in which 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) is firstly applied to modify POM. It is also demonstrated that CAW is capable of efficiently catalyzing the production of ROS by the synergistic effects of POM fragments and Co–cyclen complexes. Moreover, CAW can interfere with the morphology and proliferation of sensitive cells by producing ROS and exhibits ability in specifically eliminating methylene blue (MB) dyes from the solution system by both adsorption and catalytic oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental context: Photocatalytic TiO2 materials are good prospects in water quality treatment due to their stable chemical properties and limited secondary pollution. TiO2 photocatalytic material prepared with biochar as a carrier can greatly improve the photocatalytic efficiency of CrVI, and the removal rate of CrVI can reach 84.4%. This study shows that biochar-supported TiO2 photocatalytic composites are feasible for the green and efficient removal of CrVI from an aqueous phase. Rationale: TiO2 has great application prospects in the treatment of chromium-containing wastewater due to its photochemical stability and low toxicity. Loading TiO2 on solid adsorption materials can improve the photocatalytic efficiency and solve the problem of difficult separation and recovery of TiO2. Methodology: In this study, biochar-supported TiO2 (BC-TiO2) and acid-washed biochar-supported TiO2 (HBC-TiO2) were prepared by a sol–gel method using biochar (BC) and acid-washed biochar (HBC) as adsorption carriers. The effects of various experimental parameters such as ultraviolet irradiation conditions, catalyst dose and pH on the removal efficiency of CrVI by BC, HBC, BC-TiO2 and HBC-TiO2 were investigated. The structure and morphology of the four materials were characterised. Results: The results indicated that under the optimal reaction conditions (pH = 6, dosage of biochar materials/photocatalytic composites = 5 g/6 g), the removal percentage of CrVI changed as BC-TiO2 (Light) (84.43%) > HBC-TiO2 (Light) (80.19%) > BC-TiO2 (Dark) (57.9%) > HBC-TiO2 (Dark) (52.94%) > HBC (30.06%) > BC (14.66%). Loading TiO2 on biochar materials improved the specific surface area and increased the reaction sites when compared with BC and HBC. Discussion: This study shows that BC-TiO2 is more suitable to remove CrVI from an aqueous system because of its high removal efficiency. The enrichment of CrVI on the biochars and the close contact between the biochar and TiO2 through the Ti–O–C dense heterojunction promote the interfacial transfer of CrVI, which is the key to the removal of CrVI. This study has great significance for the treatment of chromium-containing wastewater by photocatalytic composites. Environmental context. Photocatalytic TiO2 materials are good prospects in water quality treatment due to their stable chemical properties and limited secondary pollution. TiO2 photocatalytic material prepared with biochar as a carrier can greatly improve the photocatalytic efficiency of CrVI, and the removal rate of CrVI can reach 84.4%. This study shows that biochar-supported TiO2 photocatalytic composites are feasible for the green and efficient removal of CrVI from an aqueous phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with various skill sets and backgrounds are usually found working on projects and thus, group decision-making (GDM) is one of the most important functions within any project. However, when projects concern healthcare or other critical services for proletariat or general public (especially during COVID19), the importance of GDM can hardly be overstated. Measuring the performance of healthcare construction projects is a critical activity and should be gauged based on the input from a large number of stakeholders. Such problems are usually recognized as large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM). In the current study, we aim to propose a decision support system for measuring the performance of healthcare construction projects against a large number of experts using ordinal data. The study identifies several key indicators from literature and recorded the observations of a large number of experts about these indicators. After that, the acceptable range of complexity is specified, the Silhouette plot is provided to find the optimal number of clusters, and the ordinal K-means method is employed to cluster the experts' opinions. Later, the confidence level is measured using a novel Weighted Kendall's W for the optimal number of the clusters, and the threshold is checked. Finally, the conventional problem is solved using the Group Weighted Ordinal Priority Approach (GWOPA) model in multiple attributes decision making (MADM), and the performance of the projects is determined. The validity of the proposed approach is confirmed through a comparative analysis. Also, a real-world case is solved, and the performance of some healthcare construction projects in China is gauged with a comprehensive sensitivity analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building effective and resilient emergency response networks (ERNs) is essential for the rapid recovery of interrupted infrastructure during extreme events. Aiming at providing critical benchmarking and implementable strategies for improving ERN resilience, this study proposed a novel framework to systematically quantify ERN resilience through an enhanced metanetwork analysis (MNA)–based approach. This framework first applied the MNA approach to conceptualize the complex emergency response as three-stage "agent-task-resource-knowledge" (A-T-R-K) metanetworks, representing connections among stakeholders, response tasks, emergency resources, and professional knowledge. Then, suitable metanetwork measures (i.e., natural connectivity, average speed, overall task completion, and the integrative metric of task resource and knowledge needs and task resource and knowledge waste) generated accordingly were used to quantify ERN resilience capacities—robustness, rapidity, resourcefulness, and redundancy. This proposed framework was validated through a case study of the emergency response to the Manchester Arena attack in the United Kingdom. The dynamic change of ERN resilience over time as well as possible causes within the case scenario were analyzed. Additionally, resilience improvement strategies and the advantages of the MNA approach are discussed. Overall, this enhanced MNA-based framework promotes an understanding of emergency response performance through systematically conceptualizing the complex ERN structure and dynamically quantifying ERN resilience capacities. Lessons learned from historical disasters provide decision-makers with implementable support to advance their collaboration and knowledge sharing and optimize resources and tasks for enhancing resilience in future infrastructure operation and emergency response activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keloid is a fibroproliferative disorder in the skin, which manifested with extensive deposition of collagen and extracellular matrix. Its etiology remains a mystery and its recurrence rate remains high despite combinative treatment regimens. Current hypotheses of its pathogenesis centered on the role of inflammatory processes as well as immune infiltration in the microenvironment. However, there are a lot of discrepancies when it comes to the verification of certain well-recognized pathways involved in the dysfunctional fibroblast. Further exploration and characterization are required to reveal the driving force and even leading genes responsible for keloid formation. In this study, we provided supportive evidence of the immunologic nature of keloids distinct from normal fibroblasts and physiological scars by incorporating multiple available expressional profiles in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Through differential analyses and functional analyses, we identified a set of genes that successfully captures the dissimilarities between keloid lesions and nonlesions. They were differentially regulated in keloid samples and had opposite behavior in exposure to hydrocortisone. A key signature of six genes featuring FGF11 not only was highly correlated with significantly dysregulated fibroblast activation but also reflected various levels of immune cell infiltration. FGF11, in particular, revealed the heterogenous immunologic nature of keloid lesions. This study further supported that aberrant fibroblast was one of the main contributing factors and shed some light on investigating immune properties in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a case study of a 72-year-old woman with pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), a rare benign disorder of the synovium. The woman underwent a [68Ga]Ga-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI)-04 PET/CT scan, which revealed intense and inhomogeneous FAPI uptake in both knees, indicating PVNS. The study highlights the potential value of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI in detecting PVNS, although further research is needed to determine its specificity. The article emphasizes the need to consider other bone or joint diseases in the differential diagnosis. [Extracted from the article]

Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world, and it plays a very important role in building modern infrastructures that stand the test of time. X. Peng et al. [[25]] studied the size effects on compressive and tensile strengths of recycled aggregate concrete. According to experimental results, both compressive and tensile strengths of recycled concrete have obvious size effects as the strength value decreases gradually with increased specimen size. A. M. Song et al. [[36]] investigated the static and fatigue properties of steel concrete composite beams under the hogging moment via experimental tests and analytical models and the structural deformation were also discussed. [Extracted from the article]

The high speed and high manoeuvrability of a hypersonic gliding vehicle (HGV) pose a severe challenge to the existing early warning detection system. Optimising the search resources of a phased array radar to improve the HGV detecting efficiency has become a practical problem. In this study, a HGV search method based on a hybrid optimisation algorithm is proposed with the early warning information guidance as a priori condition. Firstly, the HGV priority judgement model is established, and the priority quantification equations for height, velocity and distance are designed. Secondly, the search parameters of the radar are optimised with the maximum cumulative detection probability, the shortest average discovery time and the highest priority level as the objective functions, and a radar search model is established. Finally, to overcome the problem that particle swarm optimisation (PSO) is easy to fall into local optimal solution, a hybrid optimisation algorithm based on differential evolution (DE) and PSO is proposed. The performance of the proposed method is verified in two simulation scenarios, and the results show that the proposed method outperforms existing mainstream search methods and can reasonably allocate search resources according to the priority of HGV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural discontinuities in the form of air gaps in transformer cores cause the concentration of electromagnetic force, which is an important source of transformer vibration and noise. In this paper, an engineering model of magnetic flux density and electromagnetic force density on transformer core discontinuities is analytically developed. Based on a reasonable structural simplification and assumptions, magnetic flux density and electromagnetic force density are deduced as explicit functions of the geometric, material, and electrical excitation characteristics of the gap region and the transformer core. The accuracy of the established model is validated by the finite element method (FEM) combined with a magnetic measurement experiment. According to this engineering model, the electromagnetic force density can be reduced by decreasing the gap ratio and increasing the gap thickness to a reasonable level. The outcome of this paper can help to understand the physical mechanism of the electromagnetic force generated by core air gap discontinuities, which is meaningful for noise control and the condition monitoring of transformers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For design for safety (DFS), automated compliance checking methods have received extensive attention. Although many research efforts have indicated the potential of BIM and ontology for automated compliance checking, an efficient methodology is still required for the interoperability and semantic representation of data from different sources. Therefore, a natural language processing (NLP)-based semantic framework is proposed in this paper, which implements rules-based automated compliance checking for building information modeling (BIM) at the design stage. Semantic-rich information can be extracted from safety regulations by NLP methods, which were analyzed to generate conceptual classes and individuals of ontology and provide a corpus basis for rule classification. The data on BIM was extracted from Revit to a spreadsheet using the Dynamo tool and then mapped to the ontology using the Cellfie tool. The interoperability of different source data was well improved through the isomorphism of information in the framework of semantic integration, causing data processed by the semantic web rule language to be transformed from safety regulations to achieve the purpose that automated compliance checking is implemented in the design documents. The practicability and scientific feasibility of the proposed framework was verified through a 95.21% recall and a 90.63% precision in compliance checking of a case study in China. Compared with traditional compliance checking methods, the proposed framework had high efficiency, response speed, data interoperability, and interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anteromedial tibial plateau fracture with posterolateral corner (PLC) injury is a relatively rare combined injury in the clinic. In addition, there is no unified treatment scheme for this combined injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and imaging results of single-stage arthroscopic-assisted surgery for anteromedial tibial plateau fracture with PLC injury, and to explore the advantages of this surgical technique.Method: In this retrospective study, a total of 9 patients (7 males and 2 females) were included, aged 24-64 years (average 40.7 years), treated in our Department of Orthopedics from January 2016 to January 2021. In the preoperative evaluations, there were 9 cases of anteromedial tibial plateau fractures with PLC injuries, 6 cases of concomitant PCL injuries, 6 cases of concomitant medial or lateral meniscus injuries, and 2 cases of concomitant fibular head avulsion fractures. All patients underwent single-stage arthroscopic-assisted surgery.Results: All patients were followed up, and the average follow-up period was 15.2 months (range 12-18 months). The average operation time was 135.6 min (range 100-160 min), and the average surgical blood loss was 87.2 ml (range 60-110 ml). The anatomical reduction was achieved in 9 cases, and the anatomical reduction rate was 100%. The average fracture healing time was 13.1 weeks (range 12-16 weeks). At the last follow-up, the average VAS score was 1 (range 0-2); the average Lysholm function score was 90.7 (range 86-95), and the average IKDC score was 91.4 (range 88-95); the average knee extension angle of all patients was 0° and the average knee flexion angle was 128.3° (average 120-135°); The posterior drawer test, the Lachman test and the dial test were negative for all cases. None of the patients had operation-related complications.Conclusion: Single-stage arthroscopy-assisted surgery in the treatment of anteromedial tibial plateau fracture with PLC injury can achieve good clinical outcomes, restore the stability of the knee joint, and reduce the risk of severe lower extremity dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In routine surveillance for avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in the environments of live poultry markets (LPMs), certain samples were positive for AIVs type A while negative for subtypes (e.g., H5, H7, and H9). However, little attention has been paid to these unsubtyped AIVs samples. To reveal the dynamic distribution and molecular characteristics of AIVs, especially the unsubtyped AIVs, we reported and analyzed 1969 samples collected from the water environments of LPMs in Changsha, China, from January 2014 to November 2018. Our results revealed that 1504 (76.38%) samples were positive for AIV type A. Of these samples, the predominant hemagglutinin (HA) subtype was H9, followed by H5 and H7 (P < 0.05). The positive rate of H5 subtype in water environmental samples exhibited seasonality, which reached a peak in each winter–spring season from January 2014 to March 2017. The positive rates of AIVs (including type A, subtype H9, and mixed subtype H5/H7/H9) in non-central-city regions were higher than that in the central-city regions (P < 0.05). Notably, 161 unsubtyped AIVs samples were detected during the routine surveillance. However, subtyping with the commercial kit further identified eight different HA and seven different neuraminidase subtypes. Analyses unraveled that further subtyped AIVs H1, H6, and H11 had only one basic amino acid (R or K) at the cleavage site and residues Q226 and G228 at the receptor-binding associated sites. Overall, in addition to H5, H7, and H9 subtypes, we should also pay attention to unsubtyped AIVs samples during the routine surveillance for AIVs in the environments of LPMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence suggested that gut microbiota played critical roles in developing autoimmune diseases. This study investigated the correlation between gut microbiota and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) with kidney injury. We analyzed the fecal samples of 23 AAV patients with kidney injury using a 16s RNA microbial profiling approach. The alpha-diversity indexes were significantly lower in AAV patients with kidney injury than healthy controls (Sobs P < 0.001, Shannon P < 0.001, Chao P < 0.001). The beta-diversity difference demonstrated a significant difference among AAV patients with kidney injury, patients with lupus nephritis (LN), and health controls (ANOSIM, p = 0.001). Among these AAV patients, the Deltaproteobacteria, unclassified_o_Bacteroidales, Prevotellaceae , Desulfovibrionaceae Paraprevotella , and Lachnospiraceae _NK4A136_group were correlated negatively with serum creatinine, and the proportion of Deltaproteobacteria, unclassified_o_Bacteroidales, Desulfovibrionaceae , Paraprevotella, and Lachnospiraceae _NK4A136_group had a positive correlation with eGFR. In conclusion, the richness and diversity of gut microbiota were reduced in AAV patients with kidney injury, and the alteration of gut microbiota might be related with the severity of kidney injury of AAV patients. Targeted regulation of gut microbiota disorder might be a potential treatment for AAV patients with kidney injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obese subjects have a high baseline of genotoxic stress, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Given that obesity is associated with high bile acids (BA) and low folate, we aimed to determine the interactive effect of folate deficient or supplementation to the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of BA in human colon and liver cells. NCM460 and L-02 cells were cultured in folate-deficient (22.6 nM) and replete (2260 nM) Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI)-1640 medium with or without 50 μM deoxycholic acid (DCA) or lithocholic acid (LCA) for 7 days. Moreover, these cells were cultured in folate supplemented (5.65, 11.3 and 22.6 μM) and standard (2.26 μM) medium with 200 μM DCA or LCA for 7 days. Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity were measured using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay. Our results showed that under folate-replete condition, 50 μM DCA or LCA significantly increased the rate of micronuclei (MN) in NCM460 and L-02 cells. Significantly, the MN-inducing effect of 50 μM DCA or LCA was further enhanced by folate deficiency. Interestingly, folate supplementation exerted a dose-dependent manner to significantly decrease the rates of MN, nucleoplasmic bridges, nuclear buds, apoptosis, and necrosis induced by 200 μM DCA or LCA in NCM460 and L-02 cells. In conclusion, the genotoxicity of moderate BA (50 μM) was exacerbated by folate deficiency and folate supplementation could efficiently protect cells against the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of high BA (200 μM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]