Search

We present a multi-objective Bayesian active learning strategy, which greatly accelerates the discovery of super high-strength and high-ductility lead-free solder alloys. The active learning strategy demonstrates that a machine learning model will have high generalizability if experimental data uncertainty is included, which greatly improves the model prediction or the material design accuracy. The feature-point-start forward method in multi-objective optimization adopts two Gaussian process regression (GPR) models, one for strength and one for elongation, and their outputs build up the acquisition-function-modified objective space of strength and elongation. Then, Bayesian sampling is applied to design the next experiments by balancing exploitation and exploration. Seven multi-objective active learning iterations discovered two novel super high-strength and high-ductility lead-free solder alloys. After that, various material characterizations were conducted on the two novel solder alloys, and the results exhibited their high performances in melting properties, wettability, electrical conductivity, and shear strength of the solder joint and explored the mechanism of high strength and high ductility of the alloys. The present work systematically analyzes the important role of experimental uncertainty in machine learning, especially in the global optimization for material design, which demands high generalizability of predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Marital goals reflect individuals' understanding of the purpose of marriage and could influence the dyadic interactions and satisfaction in intimate relationships. The current study examines how each partner's marital goals and the concordance of marital goals between the partners influence dating couples' relationship satisfaction through dyadic coping. Method: The sample consisted of 200 heterosexual dating couples from Hong Kong. Both partners completed a survey that assessed three types of marital goals, dyadic coping, relationship satisfaction, and other background variables. Path analysis was conducted to estimate the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) with each partner's three types of marital goals and marital goal concordance between the two partners as the predictors, each partner's dyadic coping as the mediators, and each partner's relationship satisfaction as the outcomes. Results: Women's dyadic coping significantly mediated the effects of women's companionship goals and marital goal concordance on both partners' marital satisfaction. Meanwhile, men's dyadic coping significantly mediated the effects of men's companionship goals and marital goal concordance on their own relationship satisfaction. Conclusion: The current study offered the first evidence supporting the importance of marital goals, the goal concordance between the partners, and dyadic coping in dating relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal growth and self‐expressive goals have become increasingly important in modern marriages. In dual‐earner couples, sharing work‐related experiences with the partner can be particularly important in promoting mutual support for each other's personal growth. The current study examined dual‐earner couples' sharing of work‐related experiences and how it influenced both partners' relationship satisfaction and personal well‐being. A total of 102 heterosexual dual‐earner couples were recruited from communities in Hong Kong. They completed a pretest survey, a 14‐day daily diary study, and a follow‐up survey 1 year later. The Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model was adopted to analyze the dyadic effects of sharing positive and negative work‐related experiences on relationship satisfaction and personal well‐being on the same day and 1 year later. In general, the sharing of both positive and negative work‐related experiences had beneficial effects on the outcomes. Specifically, wives' sharing had more immediate effects on both partners' relational and personal well‐being, whereas husbands' sharing had more long‐term effects on the partner's personal well‐being. The findings highlight the importance of work‐related sharing in dual‐earner couples. Practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An October, 2021 review of Public Health Ontario's COVID-19 guidance for congregate settings such as shelters and long-term care homes demonstrated that this guidance did not include references to ventilation or filtration. In April 2022, an interdisciplinary team with expertise in indoor air quality (IAQ), engineering, epidemiology, community programming and knowledge translation launched a virtual ventilation and filtration consultation program for community spaces in Toronto, Ontario. The program gives people working in community spaces direct access to IAQ experts through 25-min online appointments. The program aims to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in community spaces, and was designed to help compensate for gaps in public health guidance and action. Methods: Representatives from participating organizations (n. 27) received a link to an online survey via email in April 2023. Survey questions explored the impacts of the program on topics such as: purchase and use of portable air filters; maintenance and use of bathroom fans; and, maintenance and modification of HVAC systems. Survey participation was anonymous, and no demographic information was collected from participants. Results: Representatives from 11 organizations completed the survey (40%). Of those who responded, nine (82%) made changes as a result of the program, with eight (73%) making two or more changes such as purchasing portable air filters and increasing routine maintenance of HVAC systems. Conclusions: When presented with brief access to expert support and tailored plain language guidance, people working in community spaces increased their use of ventilation and filtration strategies for COVID-19 infection prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Resilience during old age reflects the capacity to adapt to changes and challenges associated with normative aging and is an important component of successful aging. Belief in the incremental theory of intelligence and personality could help older adults maintain cognitive functioning and social engagement, which may further contribute to their resilience. The current study investigated how implicit theories of intelligence and personality affected older adults' resilience and examined cognitive functioning and social participation as two mediators. Method: A total of 108 older adults aged 60–92 were recruited and completed relevant scales and cognitive tasks. Path analyses were conducted to estimate the expected mediation model. Results: The incremental theory of intelligence, but not personality, was positively related to older adults' resilience. Both cognitive functioning and social participation mediated the effect of the implicit theory of intelligence in the model without covariates. When background variables were controlled, the mediation effect of cognitive functioning remained significant, while the link between the implicit theory of intelligence and social participation was weakened. Conclusion: Older adults' implicit theory of intelligence plays a significant role in fostering resilience in late adulthood, especially through maintaining older adults' cognitive functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional deep learning methods require a large amount of labeled data for model training, which is laborious and costly in real word. Few-shot learning (FSL) aims to recognize novel classes with only a small number of labeled samples to address these challenges. We focus on metric-based few-shot learning with improvements in both feature extraction and metric method. In our work, we propose the Pluralistic Attention Network (PANet), a novel attention-oriented framework, involving both a local encoded intra-attention(LEIA) module and a global encoded reciprocal attention(GERA) module. The LEIA is designed to capture comprehensive local feature dependencies within every single sample. The GERA concentrates on the correlation between two samples and learns the discriminability of representations obtained from the LEIA. The two modules are complementary to each other and ensure the feature information within and between images can be fully utilized. Furthermore, we also design a dual-centralization (DC) cosine similarity to eliminate the disparity of data distribution in different dimensions and enhance the metric accuracy between support and query samples. Our method is thoroughly evaluated with extensive experiments, and the results demonstrate that with the contribution of each component, our model can achieve high-performance on four widely used few-shot classification benchmarks of miniImageNet, tieredImageNet, CUB-200-2011 and CIFAR-FS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adults report higher marital satisfaction than younger adults even after negative interactions. The current study examined affect valuation as a potential moderator to explain age‐related differences in the relationship between negative interactions and marital satisfaction. We conducted a 14‐day daily diary study among 66 heterosexual couples (132 participants) aged from 21 to 80 years. At both person and daily levels, we found that valuing negative affect weakened the negative association between negative interactions and marital satisfaction in husbands. The moderating effect of negative affect valuation was stronger in older than younger husbands at the person but not daily level. Valuing positive affect more was associated with a stronger negative association between negative interactions and marital satisfaction in husbands at the person but not daily level. Such effect was again stronger in older than younger husbands. No significant results were found in wives. These findings shed light on the importance of affect valuation in understanding age‐related differences in marital dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cassava is one of three major potato crops and the sixth most important food crop globally. Improving yield remains a primary aim in cassava breeding. Notably, plant height significantly impacts the yield and quality of crops; however, the mechanisms underlying cassava plant height development are yet to be elucidated. Results: In this study, we investigated the mechanisms responsible for cassava plant height development using phenotypic, anatomical, and transcriptomic analyses. Phenotypic and anatomical analysis revealed that compared to the high-stem cassava cultivar, the dwarf-stem cassava cultivar exhibited a significant reduction in plant height and a notable increase in internode tissue xylem area. Meanwhile, physiological analysis demonstrated that the lignin content of dwarf cassava was significantly higher than that of high cassava. Notably, transcriptome analysis of internode tissues identified several differentially expressed genes involved in cell wall synthesis and expansion, plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis between the two cassava cultivars. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that internode tissue cell division, secondary wall lignification, and hormone-related gene expression play important roles in cassava plant height development. Ultimately, this study provides new insights into the mechanisms of plant height morphogenesis in cassava and identifies candidate regulatory genes associated with plant height that can serve as valuable genetic resources for future crop dwarfing breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of applying the new technology of atmospheric pressure multi-color bath dyeing on woven fabrics was verified from the aspects of yarn selection, fabric organization, color matching, dyeing process, and fabric performance evaluation, etc. According to the expected design requirements, fabric samples were first woven out and dyed, and then the air permeability, color fastness to rubbing and color fastness to soaping of the obtained fabrics were tested. The results show that woven fabrics interwoven with cationic modified polyester and other fibers of different structures can achieve atmospheric pressure multi-color one-bath dyeing, with a high dye uptake rate, and the residual dyeing liquid is clear and reusable. The color fastness to rubbing and color fastness to soap-washing of the fabric are both at grade 4 and above, and the sample cloth has good dyeing fastness. The fabric has good air permeability, and the novel atmospheric pressure cationic dyeable polyester fabric with a triangular cross-section microstructure is more conducive to air circulation than conventional polyester fabrics with a circular cross-section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Exploring the potential action mechanisms of reactive oxygen species during the callus inducing, they can activate specific metabolic pathways in explants to regulate callus development. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the regulation of plant growth and development, but the mechanism of their action on plant callus formation remains to be elucidated. To address this question, kiwifruit was selected as the explant for callus induction, and the influence of ROS on callus formation was investigated by introducing propyl gallate (PG) as an antioxidant into the medium used for inducing callus. The results have unveiled that the inclusion of PG in the medium has disturbed the equilibrium of ROS during the formation of the kiwifruit callus. We selected the callus that was induced by the addition of 0.05 mmol/L PG to the MS medium. The callus exhibited a significant difference in the amount compared to the control medium without PG. The callus induced by the MS medium without PG was used as the control for comparison. KEGG enrichment indicated that PG exposure resulted in significant differences in gene expression in related pathways, such as phytohormone signaling and glutathione in kiwifruit callus. Weighted gene co-expression analysis indicated that the pertinent regulatory networks of both ROS and phytohormone signaling were critical for the establishment of callus in kiwifruit leaves. In addition, during the process of callus establishment, the ROS level of the explants was also closely related to the genes for transmembrane transport of substances, cell wall formation, and plant organ establishment. This investigation expands the theory of ROS-regulated callus formation and presents a new concept for the expeditious propagation of callus in kiwifruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public Health Ontario (PHO) is mandated by legislation to share scientific advice during infectious disease outbreaks and help reduce health inequities in Ontario, Canada. PHO was founded in part to address the failures of Ontario's public health system during the 2003 outbreak of SARS-CoV-1, which included the failure to address airborne transmission. By January 2021, public health authorities had access to a body of literature suggesting SARS-CoV-2 was airborne, and had received urgent warnings from scientists. We set out to document how PHO responded to the likelihood – and, eventually, the certainty – of airborne transmission in the context of its guidance for congregate settings such as long-term care and shelters. In October 2021, we reviewed PHO's public, written COVID-19 guidance for these settings, with a focus on indoor air quality (IAQ) measures that mitigate airborne transmission, such as ventilation. We identified 11 PHO documents for congregate settings. They contained no references to IAQ measures. We did, however, find references to IAQ measures in parallel documents for schools, summer camps, and clinical offices. Our findings demonstrate PHO omitted key infection prevention measures from its COVID-19 guidance for congregate settings, putting workers and residents at greater risk of exposure, illness and death, and exacerbating health inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) typically have poor prognoses, and predicting survival is challenging. The present study aimed to identify prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with MPE in the time of immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Methods: Data of 344 consecutive NSCLC patients with MPE on clinical, radiological, and molecular characteristics and treatment options were collected. The risk factors in the training cohort were assessed using univariate and multivariate proportional hazards analyses. A clinical prognostic score was established and validated. Results: According to the results of the multivariable survival analysis, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score (PS), antiangiogenic therapy, immunotherapy, and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) in pleural fluid (CAIL) prognostic score was developed (n = 275) and subsequently validated (n = 69). Patients who underwent risk stratification into low‐, moderate‐, and high‐risk groups had median OS of 46.1, 23.1, and 9.6 months, respectively (P < 0.0001). The area under the curve (AUC) analysis showed the CAIL score to be superior at predicting survival compared with the LENT score at 6 (0.84 vs. 0.77, P < 0.01), 12 (0.87 vs. 0.82, P < 0.01), and 36 months (0.80 vs. 0.77, P < 0.01). Conclusions: For NSCLC patients with MPE, the validated CAIL prognostic score integrates clinical characteristics and therapeutic modalities to predict survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exchange orientation (EO) and communal orientation (CO) are two fundamental relationship orientations (ROs). We argue that state RO (i.e., the relative activation of the two ROs at a specific moment) varies across situations and should be differentiated from trait ROs. In two studies, we examined how state RO affected subsequent helping behaviors and how it was influenced by a situational factor (i.e., hunger). We also examined whether trait ROs moderated the above links. An eye-tracking paradigm (Study 1) and a scenario-based paradigm (Study 2) were adopted to assess state RO. The two studies consistently found that relatively more activation of state EO over state CO reduced helping tendency toward strangers (Study 1) and acquaintances (Study 2). High trait CO amplified the effect in Study 1. Moreover, hunger heightened the relative activation of state EO over state CO in both studies, but the effect was only significant for participants with high trait EO in Study 1. The results highlight the importance to study the momentary variation of ROs and open new research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mugagangri Group (MG), located at the southern margin of the Qiangtang terrane in Tibet, is a crucial research target for understanding the subduction and accretion history of the Meso-Tethys Ocean. Extensional crack-seal veins restricted within sandstone blocks from the broken formation in the MG (Gaize) formed synchronously in the mélange formation. The primary inclusions trapped in the veins recorded multiple pieces of information during the formation of the accretionary wedge. To precisely constrain the MG subduction–accretion processes, we investigated the trapping temperature, salinity, density, and composition of the fluid inclusions within the crack-seal veins derived from the broken formation in the MG (Gaize). The primary inclusions indicate that the crack was sealed at ~151–178 °C. The salinity of the primary inclusions exhibited a well-defined average of 3.3 ± 0.7 wt% NaCl equivalent, slightly lower than the average of seawater (3.5 wt%). There were no nonpolar gases, and only H2O (low salinity) was detectable in the primary inclusions. These characteristics suggest that the syn-mélange fluids were a type of pore fluid in the shallow subduction zone, with the principal source being pore water from sediments overlying the oceanic crust. Because of mineral dehydration and compaction, the pore fluids became more diluted with H2O and fluid overpressure owing to a pore fluid pressure that was greater than the hydrostatic pressure. Subsequently, the creation of cracks through hydraulic fracturing provided a novel pathway for the flow of fluids which, in turn, contributed to the décollement step-down and underthrusting processes. These fractures acted as conduits for fluid movement and played a crucial role in facilitating these peculiar occurrences of quartz veins. The depth (~5 km) and temperature estimates of the fluid expulsion align with the conditions of the décollement step-down, thereby leading to the trapping of fluids within the sandstone blocks and their subsequent underplating to the accretionary complex. In our preferred model, such syn-mélange fluids have the potential to provide valuable constraints on the subduction–accretion processes occurring in other accretionary complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration and noise of the permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is mainly caused by its electromagnetic force. Harmonic currents affect the vibration, and noise performance of PMSM by influencing its electromagnetic force. The regularity of electromagnetic force, vibration, and noise characteristics of PMSM for electric vehicles (EVs) under different working conditions influenced by the harmonic currents is studied. Firstly, the analytical model of electromagnetic force under the action of a harmonic current is derived, and the influence of harmonic currents on the electromagnetic force of PMSM is summarised. Secondly, a multi‐physical field coupled vibration, and noise calculation model considering harmonic currents is established using the finite element method, and the vibration, and noise characteristics of PMSM under different operating conditions are analysed. The results show that the harmonic currents have different patterns of influence on the vibration, and noise of the PMSM due to the different advance angles and the saturation degree of the magnetic material under different working conditions. Finally, the validity of the theoretical analysis is verified by experiments, which has academic significance for vibration, and noise reduction of PMSMs for EVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies in the past decade have shown that lipid droplets stored in liver cells under starvation are encapsulated by autophagosomes and fused to lysosomes via the endocytic system. Autophagy responds to a variety of environmental factors inside and outside the cell, so it has a complex signal regulation network. To this end, we first explored the role of Hedgehog (Hh) in autophagy and lipid metabolism. Treatment of normal mouse liver cells with SAG and GDC-0449 revealed elevated phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and increased lipidation of LC3. SAG, and GDC-0449 were agonist and antagonist of Smoothened (Smo) in canonical Hh pathway, respectively, but they played a consistent role in the regulation of autophagy in hepatocytes. Moreover, SAG and GDC-0449 did not affect the expression of glioma-associated oncogene (Gli1) and patched 1, suggesting the absence of canonical Hh signaling in hepatocytes. We further knocked down the Smo and found that the effects of SAG and GDC-0449 disappeared, indicating that the non-canonical Smo pathway was involved in the regulation of autophagy in hepatocytes. In addition, SAG and GDC-0449 promoted lipid degradation and inhibited lipid production signals. Knockdown of Smo slowed down the rate of lipid degradation rather than Sufu or Gli1, indicating that Hh signaling regulated the lipid metabolism via Smo. In summary, activates AMPK via Smo to promote autophagy and lipid degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous deep learning-based fault diagnosis methods for rotating machinery, the method of directly feeding one-dimensional data into convolutional neural networks can lead to the loss of important fault features. To address the problem, a novel rotating machinery fault diagnosis model based on a rainbow recursive plot (RRP) is proposed. Our main innovation and contributions are: First, a RRP is proposed to convert the one-dimensional vibration signal from the rotating machinery into a two-dimensional color image, facilitating the capturing of more significant fault information. Second, a new CNN based on LeNet-5 is devised, which extracts a feature that describes substantial fault information from the converted two-dimensional color image, thus performing fault diagnosis recognition accurately. The public rolling bearing datasets and the online fault diagnosis platform are adopted to verify proposed method performance. Experiments on public datasets show that the proposed method can improve the accurate rate of recognition to 97.86%. More importantly, online experiment on the self-made fault diagnosis platform demonstrates that our approach achieves the best comprehensive performance in terms of recognition speed and accuracy compared to mainstream algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most common malignant pediatric brain tumors. Metastasis and relapse are the leading causes of death in MB patients. The initiation of the SHH subgroup of MB (SHH-MB) is due to the aberrant activation of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling. However, the mechanisms for its metastasis are still unknown. Results: AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) restrains the activation of Shh signaling pathway, thereby impeding the proliferation of SHH-MB cells. More importantly, AMPK also hinders the growth and metastasis of SHH-MB cells by regulating NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, Vismodegib and TPCA-1, which block the Shh and NF-κB pathways, respectively, synergistically restrained the growth, migration, and invasion of SHH-MB cells. Conclusions: This work demonstrates that AMPK functions through two signaling pathways, SHH-GLI1 and NF-κB. AMPK-NF-κB axis is a potential target for molecular therapy of SHH-MB, and the combinational blockade of NF-κB and Shh pathways confers synergy for SHH-MB therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalised recommendation is a difficult problem that has received a lot of attention to academia and industry. Because of the sparse user–item interaction, cold-start recommendation has been a particularly difficult problem. Some efforts have been made to solve the cold-start problem by using model-agnostic meta-learning on the level of the model and heterogeneous information networks on the level of data. Moreover, using the memory-augmented meta-optimisation method effectively prevents the meta-learning model from entering the local optimum. As a result, this paper proposed memory-augmented meta-learning on meta-path, a new meta-learning method that addresses the cold-start recommendation on the meta-path furthered. The meta-path builds at the data level to enrich the relevant semantic information of the data. To achieve fast adaptation, semantic-specific memory is utilised to conduct the model with semantic parameter initialisation, and the method is optimised by a meta-optimisation method. We put this method to the test using two widely used recommended data set and three cold-start scenarios. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of our proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future time perspective has been found to significantly influence people's cognitive preferences, social choices, and subjective well-being across adulthood. While increasing chronological age is considered as a natural correlate of more limited future time perspective, few studies have investigated other factors related to individual differences in future time perspective. Based on a sample of 372 participants of a wide age range, the current study tested sense of control as an important determinant of future time perspective and a moderator of the association between age and future time perspective. Three different components of future time perspective, extension (FTE), opportunity (FTO), and constraint (FTC), were tested separately. Consistent with the expectation, higher sense of control was related to more open-ended future time perspective (higher FTE and FTO, lower FTC). More importantly, sense of control significantly moderated the associations between age and two components of future time perspective (FTE and FTC). For individuals with high sense of control, older age was no longer related to more limited future time perspective. The results highlight the importance of sense of control in maintaining a positive perception of future time and suggest that psychological resource can interact with chronological age to influence future time perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a type of novel composite structure coil applied in the coreless stator is proposed and studied to improve the output performance and efficiency of the axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) machine. In which the effective conductor is changed to be wedge-shaped by the rolling technology so that the turns of coils and filling factor can be further increased, and the ends are kept in the cylinder with a larger diameter to reduce the DC copper loss. Meanwhile, the air region between the double rotors of the machine is also modified to be wedge-shaped, which fully matches the proposed coils and shortens the air gap length. The advantages of performance can be verified by the three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis (FEA) and analytical method so that the output characteristics of no-load and load can be improved, and the DC copper loss and eddy current loss of coils can be reduced. The coreless AFPM machine finally performs a high efficiency of 95.34% according to these valuable optimizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalised recommendation is a difficult problem that has received a lot of attention to academia and industry. Because of the sparse user–item interaction, cold-start recommendation has been a particularly difficult problem. Some efforts have been made to solve the cold-start problem by using model-agnostic meta-learning on the level of the model and heterogeneous information networks on the level of data. Moreover, using the memory-augmented meta-optimisation method effectively prevents the meta-learning model from entering the local optimum. As a result, this paper proposed memory-augmented meta-learning on meta-path, a new meta-learning method that addresses the cold-start recommendation on the meta-path furthered. The meta-path builds at the data level to enrich the relevant semantic information of the data. To achieve fast adaptation, semantic-specific memory is utilised to conduct the model with semantic parameter initialisation, and the method is optimised by a meta-optimisation method. We put this method to the test using two widely used recommended data set and three cold-start scenarios. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of our proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed a method to build relationships between chemical fractionations of heavy metals in soils and their accumulations in rice and estimate the respective contribution of each geochemical speciation in the soils from the Yangtze River Delta, China. In contaminated areas, residue and humic acid-bound fractions in soils were the main phases for most heavy metals. The mobility of heavy metals was in this following order: Cd > Pb ≈ Zn > Ni > As ≈ Cr > Hg. Transfer factors calculated by the ratios of specific fractionations of heavy metals in the soil–rice system were used to assess the capability of different metal speciation transfer from soil to rice. The carbonate and Fe/Mn oxyhydroxides bound phase had significant positive correlations with total metal concentrations in rice. Hg uptake by rice might be related to the exchangeable and carbonate-bound fractions of soil Hg. Results of PCA analysis of transfer factors estimated that the labile fractions (i.e. water soluble, exchangeable and carbonate bound) contributed more than 40% of the heavy metal accumulations in rice. Effect of organic matter and residue fraction on metals transfer was estimated to be ~ 25 to ~ 30% while contribution of humic acid and Fe/Mn oxyhydroxides-bound fractions was estimated to be ~ 20 to ~ 30%. Modified risk assessment code (mRAC) and ecological contamination index (ECI) confirmed that the soil samples were polluted by heavy metals. Soil Cd contributed more than 80% of mRAC. Contrarily, the main contributors to ECI were identified as As, Hg, Pb and Zn. The average values of total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) and Risktotal were above 1 and 10–4 respectively, implying people living in the study area were exposed to both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk. As and Pb were the main contributor to high TTHQ value while As, Cd and Cr in rice contributed mostly to Risktotal value. Spatial changes of ecological risk indexes and human health risk indexes showed that the samples with high TTHQ values distributed in the area with high values of mRAC. Likewise, the area with high ECI values and with high carcinogenic risk overlapped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodegradation of organic pollutants is the main pathway for the natural dissipation and anthropogenic remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment. However, in the saline soils, the PAH biodegradation could be influenced by soil salts through altering the structures of microbial communities and physiological metabolism of degradation bacteria. In the worldwide, soils from oilfields are commonly threated by both soil salinity and PAH contamination, while the influence mechanism of soil salinity on PAH biodegradation were still unclear, especially the shifts of degradation genes and soil enzyme activities. In order to explain the responses of soils and bacterial communities, analysis was conducted including soil properties, structures of bacterial community, PAH degradation genes and soil enzyme activities during a biodegradation process of PAHs in oilfield soils. The results showed that, though low soil salinity (1% NaCl, w/w) could slightly increase PAH degradation rate, the biodegradation in high salt condition (3% NaCl, w/w) were restrained significantly. The higher the soil salinity, the lower the bacterial community diversity, copy number of degradation gene and soil enzyme activity, which could be the reason for reductions of degradation rates in saline soils. Analysis of bacterial community structure showed that, the additions of NaCl increase the abundance of salt-tolerant and halophilic genera, especially in high salt treatments where the halophilic genera dominant, such as Acinetobacter and Halomonas. Picrust2 and redundancy analysis (RDA) both revealed suppression of PAH degradation genes by soil salts, which meant the decrease of degradation microbes and should be the primary cause of reduction of PAH removal. The soil enzyme activities could be indicators for microorganisms when they are facing adverse environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intralesional diode laser pretreatment for facilitating surgery for orbital venous malformations (OVMs). Methods: This is a retrospective, non-comparative, interventional cohort involving 23 consecutive OVM patients undergoing intralesional laser pretreatment followed by surgical excision. The main outcome measures included volumetric changes, exophthalmometry, cosmesis, and symptom scores as well as treatment-related adverse events. Results: Following intralesional diode laser, the mean volume dropped significantly from 2366 ± 1887 to 129 ± 119 mm3 (t = 5.716; p < 0.001). After a single treatment session, a mean 90 ± 13% volume shrinkage was achieved in all 23 OVM. The mean Hertel exophthalmometry decreased significantly from 14 ± 3 to 13 ± 1 mm (t = 2.515; P < 0.02). The resolution of periocular dyschromasia and swelling were evident in 20 patients (87%). Symptom scores improved significantly from 6.5 ± 1.4 (very intense discomfort or effect on daily living) to 1.2 ± 1.0 (very mild discomfort or effect on daily living; p < 0.001). Short-term bruises and swelling were reported in 20 patients (87%). Conclusion: Intralesional laser pretreatment is effective to facilitate surgery especially for the deep involving orbital venous malformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Considering the interdependence between close partners, the present study examined how the amount of one's alone time was related to both one's own and the partner's relationship satisfaction in married couples. It also tested how attachment style moderated the within‐ and cross‐partner associations between the experience of solitude and marital satisfaction. Background: Solitude reflects a status of being alone without any active social interactions. It can be related to either positive or negative affects depending on the circumstances. The role that solitude plays in close relationships is understudied in previous research. Method: Using data from 105 married couples from mainland China, both actor and partner effects and the moderating effect of attachment style were tested using the moderated actor–partner interdependence model (MAPIM). Results: Two cross‐partner interactions between solitude and attachment style on husbands' marital satisfaction were identified. When wives reported high anxiety, the more husbands spent alone time, the lower was their reported marital satisfaction. When husbands reported high avoidance, the more wives spent time alone, the higher was their husbands reported marital satisfaction. No significant association between solitude and wives' marital satisfaction was found. Conclusions and Implications: The results reveal the intricate role that solitude plays in marital relationships and highlight the importance to consider cross‐partner effects when studying dyadic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-component auxetic yarns with helical wrapping structure showed negative Poisson's ratio under axial tension. It was the interaction force, especially the normal force, between the two filaments that led to the outer contour diameter of the complex yarn being expanded. Both the deformation behavior of structure and cross section presented greater effect on Poisson's ratio and auxetic effect. However, the previous geometrical model that has been reported was without considering the interaction force between the two components. Mechanical model with axial tension and the normal force was carried out to theoretically calculate Poisson's ratio of the complex yarn. The results showed that the cross section of the filament was from circular shape to elliptical shape under the normal force. Theoretical value from the mechanical model with considering the effect of normal force on the radial strain was in good accordance with the experimental results of Poisson's ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Long-term volunteering has been associated with better physical, mental, and cognitive health in correlational studies. Few studies, however, have examined the longitudinal benefits of volunteering with randomized experimental designs (e.g., intervention studies). Even fewer studies have examined whether such benefits can be shown after short-term volunteering. To fill this gap, we conducted four 1-hour volunteering intervention sessions to promote volunteering among a group of older adults with limited volunteering experience and examined the impact of volunteering on depressive symptoms, meaning in life, general self-efficacy, and perceived autonomy. Methods: A total of 384 participants aged 50–96 years were assigned at random to either an intervention group to promote volunteering behaviors or an active control group to promote physical activity. The participants' monthly volunteering minutes, depressive symptoms, meaning in life, general self-efficacy and perceived autonomy were measured at baseline and six weeks, three months, and six months after the intervention. Results: Being in the volunteering intervention condition was not directly associated with depressive symptoms, meaning in life, general self-efficacy, or perceived autonomy at the 6-week, 3-month, or 6-month follow-ups after the intervention. However, there was an indirect effect of the intervention on depressive symptoms: participants in the intervention group, who had increased their volunteering at the 3-month follow-up, reported fewer depressive symptoms at the 6-month follow-up. Discussion: Our randomized controlled trial suggests that short-term volunteering does not reliably lead to short-term changes in psychosocial health measures as correlational studies would suggest. Efforts need to be made to encourage older adults to maintain long-term volunteering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Older age has been found to relate to a higher level of empathic concern and prosocial tendencies in many studies, but there are also studies that found contradictory results. To fully understand the phenomenon, we propose that socioeconomic status (SES) is an important factor to consider when examining differences in empathic concern and prosocial tendencies. Method Two studies with Hong Kong Chinese participants were conducted to test the moderating effect of SES on the relationship between age and empathic concern. Both studies assessed participants' age, SES, empathic concern, and background information, while Study 2 also examined different indicators of prosocial tendencies. Results SES consistently moderated age differences in empathic concern in the two studies. The positive association between age and empathic concern was only significant for individuals with low SES, but not for those with high SES. Study 2 further revealed that the positive indirect effects from age to prosocial tendencies through a higher level of empathic concern were only significant for individuals with low SES as well. Discussion The results highlighted the importance to consider contextual factors when studying age-related differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) argues for a negative relationship between future time perspective (FTP) and subjective well-being (SWB), empirical studies have found contradictory results. The current study resolved the controversy by examining the indirect effect between FTP and SWB through preference of life goals. Age differences in the mediation effects were also tested. A total of 432 participants were surveyed for their FTP, life goals, depression, life satisfaction, and demographical background. The three components of FTP, extension (FTE), opportunity (FTO), and constraint (FTC), were examined respectively. Regression based mediation models were estimated to test the direct and indirect effects between FTP components and SWB. Moderated mediation models were adopted to test age differences in the above effects. Opposite direct and indirect effects between FTP components and SWB were identified. FTE and FTO were related to relatively fewer present-focused life goals, and then to lower life satisfaction and higher depression. However, FTE and FTO were directly related to higher life satisfaction. FTC was not significantly related to preference of life goals but had a direct positive effect with depression. Moreover, older age attenuated the positive direct effect between FTO and life satisfaction, as well as the negative effect between preference to present-focused goals and depression. The results highlight the critical role of life goal preference for understanding the complex relationship between FTP and subjective well-being. The differential effects of the three FTP components also suggest the importance to examine each component individually in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct fabrication of furan‐2,5‐dimethylcarboxylate (FDMC), a promising renewable monomer, from biomass‐derived 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a cutting‐edge process. In this contribution, an elaborately designed N‐doped carbon‐supported CoCu bimetallic catalyst (CoxCuy‐NC; x/y=9:1, 7:3, 4:6, which represents the designed molar ratio of Co and Cu in the catalyst), which could offer a desirable FDMC yield of 95 % under mild and base‐free conditions (Co7Cu3‐NC, 2 bar O2, 80 °C, 4 h) is described for the oxidative esterification of HMF. Notably, an FDMC formation rate of 6.1 molFDMC molCo−1 h−1 was achieved over Co7Cu3‐NC, which represents the highest catalytic efficiency so far among Co‐based catalytic systems. It has been demonstrated that Cu‐doping in Co7Cu3‐NC catalyst brings about more active sites (Co‐Nx species) with stronger molecular oxygen activation ability. The increase of surface N content of Co7Cu3‐NC also improves basicity of the catalyst, which favors the hydrogen abstraction process during the HMF oxidative esterification reaction. These findings may pave an efficient and green way for the synthesis of sustainable bio‐based polymer monomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Volunteering has consistently been associated with better mental, physical, and cognitive health in older adulthood. However, the volunteering rate of older adults in Hong Kong is much lower than in Western countries. Few studies have examined whether interventions can be effective in motivating older adults to volunteer in Hong Kong. To fill this gap, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of a theory-based social-cognitive intervention on volunteering. Research Design and Methods A total of 264 community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong (M age = 69.95 years, SD age = 6.90 years, 81.06% female) were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or an active control group. Participants in the experimental group received 4 weekly 1-hr face-to-face volunteering intervention sessions. Those in the active control group received parallel sessions targeting physical activity instead of volunteering. The time spent on volunteering per month was self-reported and measured at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after the intervention. Self-efficacy, intention, action planning, and self-monitoring of volunteering were measured as mediators. Results Monthly volunteering minutes increased among participants in the experimental group when compared with the active control group at 6-week, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups. Self-efficacy, intention, and action planning consistently mediated the effect of the intervention on volunteering minutes. Discussion and Implications The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention on volunteering behavior in older adults in Hong Kong through well-established behavior change techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle filters are used in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems to protect equipment and reduce exposure to airborne particles. Filtration standards such as ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 52.2 are used to evaluate filter performance in a laboratory setting. In this work, we examined the lab-tested performance of new filters with different nominal efficiencies as determined by ASHRAE Standard 52.2 and compared these results to the lab-tested and in-situ performance of filters deployed in 21 occupied residential environments. The lab-tested results comparison shows that the dust loading and conditioning procedure in ASHRAE Standard 52.2 provides a reasonable range of efficiencies for the used filters, but the target final pressure drop of 250 Pa is an overestimation of the realistic pressure drops. Moreover, the specified test dust was not a good representation of the dust in this sample of residential environments. The lab-tested and in-situ results comparison suggests that even for the same filter, its lab-tested performance could differ greatly from its in-situ performance because of variations in system and loading conditions, which are not captured in the laboratory setting. Overall, the lab-tested results are an overestimation of the in-situ efficiency and an underestimation of the in-situ pressure drop for both new and used filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auxetic textiles have been the focus of much attention due to their great promise for advanced protective clothing, flexible energy harvest devices, and functional textiles. Herein, plain fabric, basket fabric, and a derivative weave with the warp and weft yarns arrangement in a series of zigzags were prepared by incorporating different initial wrap density helical auxetic yarns in the weft direction using a commercial semi-automatic loom. The derivative weave using HAYs with a 150 m−1 initial wrap density as the weft yarn not only possesses superior auxetic behavior but also has good performance in strength and elasticity—essential properties useful for textile daily application. This fabric exhibits a high auxetic effect (ν = −0.585), low elastic deformation (total deformation of 8.4% at 20% strain), excellent flexibility, and high break load. Moreover, by taking account of the key geometric parameters, a systematic discussion of the fabrics has been completed to evaluate the effect on the auxetic behavior; this clarified that changing the fabric structure and initial wrap density of a HAY is an effective strategy to tailor auxetic behavior without compromising the intrinsic properties of components. On the basis of our research, auxetic textiles can be considered a promising candidate for next-generation smart textiles and advanced functional textiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐efficiency filtration in residential forced‐air heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems protects equipment and can reduce exposure to particulate matter. Laboratory tests provide a measure of the nominal efficiency, but they may not accurately reflect the in situ efficiency of the filters because of variations in system conditions and changes in filter performance over time. The primary focus of this paper is to evaluate the effective filtration efficiency, which is inclusive of any loading and system impacts, in 21 occupied residential homes through in‐duct concentration measurements. We considered the role of filter media by testing both electret and non‐electret media, as well as the role of loading by considering new and used filters. The results show that filters with higher nominal efficiency generally had higher effective filtration efficiency in the same home. In terms of performance change, there is no significant difference in efficiency between initial and 3‐month non‐electret filters, but the efficiency of electret filters generally decreased over time. However, both nominal efficiency and performance change were vastly overshadowed by the wide variety in loading and system conditions across homes, making it hard to predict filter efficiency in a given home without in situ measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have been conducted on changes in the amylose content and rapid visco‐analyzer (RVA) profile characteristics of noodle rice cultivars under different ecological conditions. This research was conducted in 2017 and 2018 to evaluate changes in amylose content and RVA profile characteristics of ten noodle rice cultivars at three test sites. The cultivars were planted in Nanning, Hengyang, and Nanchang in 2017. Four cultivars were planted at each site on seven sowing dates with an interval of 15 d in 2018. Grain amylose content and RVA profile characteristics were determined after the rice had been stored for three months. The results showed that there were significant differences between the cultivars in the amylose content and RVA profile characteristics. The RVA profile characteristics of the 10 rice cultivars did not exhibit a similar trend for the three test sites. The average coefficient of variation was 8.6% for the amylose content, greater than 25% for the breakdown (BD) and setback (SB); 10 to 20% for the consistency (CSV) and peak viscosity (PV); and less than 10% for the trough viscosity (TV), final viscosity (FV), peak time (PT), and pasting temperature (PaT). The correlation analysis showed that the amylose content was significantly correlated with the PT, TV, BD, PaT, SB, and FV. It was concluded that there were significant differences in the amylose content and RVA profile characteristics between the rice cultivars and significant genetic‐environment interaction effects. The amylose content of the special noodle rice cultivars was significantly correlated with the RVA profile characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orbital venous malformation (OVM) is a congenital vascular disease. As a common type of vascular malformation in the orbit, OVM may result in vision deterioration and cosmetic defect. Classification of orbital vascular malformations, especially OVMs, is carried out on the basis of different categories, such as angiogenesis, hemodynamics, and locations. Management of OVM is complicated and challenging. Treatment approaches include sclerotherapy, laser therapy, embolization, surgical resection, and radiotherapy. A satisfactory outcome can be achieved only by selecting the appropriate treatment according to lesion characteristics and following the sequential multi-method treatment strategy. This article summarizes the current classification and treatment advances in OVM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research proposed the concept of dynamic relationship orientation and tested it as a mediator accounting for the relation between the within-individual variations of perceived stress and interpersonal interactions in close relationships. Communal and exchange orientation were considered to be two interaction schemas that could be dynamically activated in different relationships across different situations. Participants' daily stress and interaction with their mother and romantic partner were measured for 14 consecutive days. Results confirmed that lower activation of the communal schema on a day significantly mediated the negative association between daily perceived stress and constructive interactions in both relationships. The findings supported the important role of dynamic relationship orientation in linking situational factors with interpersonal interactions. The concept of dynamic relationship orientation provides a new theoretical framework to integrate research on contextual factors and relationship dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Volunteering could be a win-win opportunity for older adults: Links between volunteering and societal improvements as well as older adults' own health and longevity are found in several observational studies. RCTs to increase volunteering in older adults are however sparse, leaving the question of causality unanswered. This study protocol describes a theory-based social-cognitive intervention with multiple behavior change techniques to increase volunteering among community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong.Methods: In a parallel group, two-arm, randomized controlled trial, an initial N = 360 are assigned to receive either the volunteering intervention or the active control intervention (parallel content targeting physical activity). The primarily outcome measure is self-reported volunteering minutes per month at baseline, six weeks, three months and six months after the intervention. Participants in the treatment group are expected to increase their weekly volunteering minutes over time as compared to participants in the control group. Possible active ingredients of the intervention as well as mental and physical health outcomes of increased volunteering are investigated by means of mediation analyses.Discussion: Like many industrialized nations, Hong Kong faces a rapid demographic change. An effective psychological intervention to encourage retirees to engage in formal volunteering would alleviate some of the societal challenges a growing proportion of older adults entails.Trial Registration: Primary Registry and Trial Identifying Number ChiCTR-IIC-17010349 , secondary CCRB trial number CUHK_CCRB00543, registration date 2016/12/28. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a novel and low-toxic anti-tumor drug used for various cancers. However, cancer cells usually develop mechanisms to acquire the resistance against TRAIL. Among these changes, dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) usually occurs in cancer cells and is responsible for induction of drug resistance. Methods: Expression of miR-494 in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines was detected by quantitative reverse transcriptase real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. Effect of miR-494 on regulating the TRAIL sensitivity to gastric cancer cell lines was evaluated by MTT assays. Bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the regulation of miR-494 on survivin. Mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in gastric cancer cells was tested by western blot and flow cytometry analysis. Results: Obvious downregulation of miR-494 was observed in gastric cancer cells. Furthermore, we found that expression profile of miR-494 was associated with TRAIL-sensitivity in gastric cancer. Enforced expression of miR-494 was found to sensitize the gastric cancer cells to TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity. Mechanically, Luciferase reporter assays proved that survivin was the target of miR-494 in gastric cancer cells. Enforced expression of miR-494 decreased the expression of survivin, and thus promoted the TRAIL-induced mitochondria collapse and apoptosis pathway. Conclusion: MiR-494/survivin axis represents a potential mechanism which is responsible for TRAIL resistance in gastric cancer cells. Increasing the miR-494 expression may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy to sensitize gastric cancer cells to TRAIL treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grandparents play a critical role in child-rearing both in the evolutionary history of human beings and in modern societies. The current study examined how grandparental involvement might contribute to young adults’ cognitive and social adjustment and whether grandchildren’s filial piety beliefs might moderate the impact of grandparental involvement. A total of 287 Hong Kong college students completed questionnaire measures of grandparental involvement, cognitive well-being, breadth and depth of friendships, and reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety beliefs. Results indicated that grandparental involvement was positively associated with young adults’ cognitive well-being and friendship quality even after controlling for parental influences, but only for young adults with strong filial piety beliefs. Moreover, reciprocal filial piety was a significant moderator for both cognitive well-being and friendship quality, whereas authoritarian filial piety only moderated the association between grandparental involvement and cognitive well-being. Findings highlighted the relevance of grandparental involvement in understanding youth development, and the importance of considering cultural values when investigating intergenerational interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li, J.; Song, Y.; Mao, C., and Li, T., 2018. Assessing the distribution characteristics of surface water geochemistry and pollution of heavy metals within soil in the Changjiang River Delta, China. In: Wang, D. and Guido-Aldana, P.A. (eds.), Select Proceedings from the 3rd International Conference on Water Resource and Environment (WRE2017). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 84, pp. 109–113. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. This study aimed to understand the spatial distribution and geochemical characteristics of heavy metals in soil in Changjiang River Delta, and also the impact of surface water geochemistry on the mobility of heavy metals in soil. The levels of Ca2+ and Na+ in surface water reached 80% of total cation level, ranging 33.00–97.50 mg/L and 9.00–334.90 mg/L, respectively. HCO3− was more than 50% of total anion concentration, making the type of surface water as Ca-HCO3 or Ca-Na-HCO3. The concentration of cations and anions followed the order: coastal > middle > inland. The soils were strongly polluted with Cd in this study. More than 50% of Cd concentration exceeded the standard. Spatial changes in As, Cd, and Pb levels followed the order: middle > coastal > inland, same as that for soil pH. Speciation results of heavy metals showed that more than 50% of Cd was exchangeable. Principal component analysis results showed that the change in exchangeable fraction of As, Hg, and Pb followed the same order: middle > coastal > inland. Exchangeable Cd followed a trend different from that of Cr. Three areas were characterized by the mobility of As, Hg, and Pb. Scores of samples from different areas implied the influence of surface water on the mobility of heavy metals in soil. Geochemical variation in surface water indicated the mobility of heavy metals through correlation and spatial analysis of geochemistry of surface water and speciation of heavy metals in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of crops grown in cadmium-contaminated soils is an important Cd exposure route to humans. The present study utilizes statistical analysis and in vitro digestion experiments to uncover the transfer processes of Cd from soils to the human body through rice consumption. Here, a model was created to predict the levels of bioaccessible Cd in rice grains using phytoavailable Cd quantities in the soil. During the in vitro digestion, a relatively constant ratio between the total and bioaccessible Cd in rice was observed. About 14.89% of Cd in soils was found to be transferred into rice grains and up to 3.19% could be transferred from rice grains to the human body. This model was able to sufficiently predict rice grain cadmium concentrations based on CaCl2 extracted zinc and cadmium concentrations in soils (R2 = 0.862). The bioaccessible Cd concentration in rice grains was also able to be predicted using CaCl2 extracted cadmium from soil (R2 = 0.892). The models established in this study demonstrated that CaCl2 is a suitable indicator of total rice Cd concentrations and bioaccessible rice grain Cd concentrations. The chain model approach proposed in this study can be used for the fast and accurate evaluation of human Cd exposure through rice consumption based on the soil conditions in contaminated regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the study that investigates the differences of differences of a person's understanding of power and wealth and its vital role in the future. The topics discussed include the reasons why power and wealth are deemed important to human societies, the implications of self-interests on societal sustainable development, and effects of age distribution of power holders and wealth on modern societies.

Uveal melanoma (UM) has a high mortality rate for primary intraocular tumors. Approximately half of UM patients present with untreatable and fatal metastases. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as potent regulatory RNAs that play key roles in various cellular processes and tumorigenesis. However, to date, their roles in UM are not well-known. Here, we identified a transcriptional variant transcribed from the P2RX7 gene locus, named P2RX7-V3 ( P2RX7 variant 3), which was expressed at a high level in UM cells. P2RX7-V3 silencing revealed that this variant acts as a necessary UM oncoRNA. Knockdown of P2RX7-V3 expression significantly suppressed tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. A genome-wide cDNA array revealed that a variety of genes were dysregulated following P2RX7-V3 silencing. These observations identified P2RX7-V3 that plays a crucial role in UM tumorigenesis and may serve as a useful biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis treatment of UM in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]