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A Conductor on Round Core (CORC) cable wound with a high-temperature superconductor is an important cable concept for high-current density applications. It is widely used in large power systems because of its advantages of good flexibility and high engineering current density. However, the complex design structure of CORC cable makes it very difficult to understand its electromagnetic properties (such as AC loss). In particular, the different winding directions of each layer in multi-layer cable have a great influence on its electromagnetic characteristics. In this paper, the H-method is used to solve the electromagnetism and mechanics equations. The influence of the winding direction of CORC cable on its electromagnetic field distribution characteristics, AC loss, and mechanical variation under the action of external magnetic field is investigated. The AC loss study of single-layer cable reveals that when the applied magnetic field is increased from 0.01 to 0.02 and 0.03 T, the AC loss peak of the cable increases by 107 and 103 orders of magnitude, respectively, indicating that the effect of low applied magnetic field on the AC loss of the cable is more significant. For multi-layer cables, cables with opposite winding directions have a greater depth of current density penetration than cables with the same winding direction. In addition, the mechanical variations of multi-layer cables with different winding orientations are explored. The results show that the Mises stress in the cable with the same winding direction is about 32% higher than that of the cable with the opposite winding direction, which indicates that the method of winding the cable in the opposite direction between adjacent layers of tape can avoid excessive mechanical stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica aerogels (SA) have exceptional thermal insulation capabilities, however, their superhydrophobic nature hinders the formation of a uniform composite when combined with cement slurry. To address this issue, an aqueous solution was employed to disperse SA particles using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Subsequently, the dispersed micelles were coated with polydopamine (PDA) through in situ polymerization. This approach effectively enhanced the dispersion of SA in cement slurry and improved its connection force with the cement hydration products, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of aggregated SA on the mechanical properties of the cement composite. The successful PDA coating led to the formation of smaller aggregated micelles, resulting in a 30% improvement in compressive strength of cement composites containing modified SA compared to those using unmodified SA, while maintaining the desired thermal conductivity properties. With a strategic increase in the quantity of modified SA, a remarkable thermal conductivity of 0.1351 W/m·K was achieved without significantly compromising the compressive strength, which reached about 13.94 MPa. This enhanced compressive strength surpassed that of conventional thermal insulation materials like expanded polystyrene (EPS) and foam concrete. Consequently, this novel technique has the potential to markedly enhance the thermal insulation of cement composites without excessively impacting their compressive strength, thus contributing to the development of green insulation and energy-saving building materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a common malignancy whose incidence is three times greater in females than in males. The prognosis of ageing patients is poor. This research was designed to construct models to predict the overall survival of elderly female patients with PTC. Methods: We developed prediction models based on the random survival forest (RSF) algorithm and traditional Cox regression. The data of 4539 patients were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Twelve variables were analysed to establish the models. The C-index and the Brier score were selected to evaluate the discriminatory ability of the models. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were also drawn to evaluate the accuracy of the models. The clinical benefits of the two models were compared on the basis of the DCA curve. In addition, the Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) plot was used to visualize the contribution of the variables in the RSF model. Results: The C-index of the RSF model was 0.811, which was greater than that of the Cox model (0.781). According to the Brier score and the area under the ROC curve (AUC), the RSF model performed better than the Cox model. On the basis of the DCA curve, the RSF model demonstrated fair clinical benefit. The SHAP plot showed that age was the most important variable contributing to the outcome of PTC in elderly female patients. Conclusions: The RSF model we developed performed better than the Cox model and might be valuable for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Si anode is implemented in lithium-ion cells, prelithiation is a prerequisite for improving the Si anode's electrochemical performance. In this situation, there is a great need to deeply understand the mechanisms related to prelithiation. Herein, the essence of electrochemical prelithiation of Si anode is revealed through combined studies of full cells against a NCM523 cathode. After 100 cycles against the NCM523 cathode, SEI formation makes up for 924.2 mA h g−1 of the capacity loss for the Si anode without prelithiation. After prelithiation, the lithium consumption from SEI growth is significantly reduced by 61.4%. More importantly, prelithiation plays a significant role in stabilizing the bulk phase of the Si anode, which is realized by the mitigated volume change with the prestored Li and the construction of a stable mosaic nanostructure by LiF and lithium silicate doping. For the full cell after 100 electrochemical cycles, the 858.5 mA h g−1 theoretical specific capacity of the trapped Li within the Si particles without prelithiation was reduced down to 414.9 mA h g−1 after prelithiation. These results shed new light on the prominent roles of prelithiation on the interface and the bulk Si phase, which is of key importance for optimizing Si-based anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

F-P (Fabry–Perot) pressure sensors have a wide range of potential applications in high-temperature, high-pressure, and high-dynamic environments. However, existing demodulation methods commonly rely on spectrometers, which limits their application to high-frequency pressure signal acquisition. To solve this problem, this study developed a self-compensated, three-wavelength demodulation system composite with an F-P pressure sensor and a thermocouple to construct a comprehensive sensing system. The system produces accurate pressure measurements in high-temperature, high-pressure, and high-dynamic environments. In static testing at room temperature, the sensing system shows excellent linearity, and the pressure sensitivity is 158.48 nm/MPa. In high-temperature testing, the sensing system maintains high linearity in the range of 100 °C to 700 °C, with a maximum pressure-indication error of about 0.13 MPa (0~5 MPa). In dynamic testing, the sensor exhibits good response characteristics at 1000 Hz and 5000 Hz sinusoidal pressure frequencies, with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) greater than 37 dB and 45 dB, respectively. These results indicate that the sensing system proposed in this study has significant competitive advantages in the field of high-temperature, high-speed, and high-precision pressure measurements and provides an important experimental basis and theoretical support for technological progress in related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the influence of variable thickness on the mechanical properties of thin-walled twelve right-angle section tubes (TTRSTs) through numerical characterization. This paper introduced the TTRSTs with different thicknesses for sides and webs. The three-point bending finite element model correlated with the physical test was built up and modified to find the lowest initial peak force (IPF), maximum specific energy absorption (SEA), and highest mean crushing force (MCF). Effects of variable thickness as well as impact location on the energy absorption performance of TTRSTs were investigated, suggesting that the energy absorption performance was more sensitive to side plate thickness changes than web plate thickness changes in web plate impacts. In addition, the TTRSTs with about 2.5 mm thickness demonstrated the highest SEA. Optimal Latin hypercube design (Opt LHD), response surface method (RSM), and NSGA-II were employed to optimize the TTRST multiobjectively under different impact loadings. The optimized results highlight that the TTRSTs can reach a 46.92% lower initial peak force or 2.61% higher MCF with minor SEA by selecting the appropriate thickness for impacts at different locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of rock‐socketed piles highlights the importance of developing a suitable design method for their bearing capacity. This study quantifies the shear behavior of the rock–pile interface, which generally dominates the bearing capacity of rock‐socketed piles under service load. A micromechanics‐based rock–pile interface model with idealized nonuniform profile is proposed with two enhancements: (1) the slip line method together with nonlinear Hoek–Brown failure criteria is integrated to identify the critical shear displacement of rock asperity; and (2) the residual stage of shear behavior is properly considered with the rounding progress of sheared rubbles. The enhanced interface model is first validated by the direct shear test results under constant normal stiffness. Then, the interface model is implemented via user‐defined FRIC into the finite element code ABAQUS without the need of explicitly building the rock–pile interface profile. Accordingly, the model is applied to simulate and analyze two field cases involving rock‐socketed piles. Comparison between the predictions and field observed results shows this method can well capture the axial load transfer behavior of pile socket into weak rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure sensors prepared from sapphire exhibit excellent characteristics, including high-temperature resistance, high hardness, and resistance to electromagnetic interference. A Fast Fourier Transform and Mean Square Error (FFT-MSE) demodulation algorithm was employed to demodulate a sapphire sandwich-structure Fabry–Perot (F-P) pressure sensor. Through simulation analysis, the experimental results indicated that the demodulation error of the air cavity length in the range of 206 μm to 216 μm was less than 0.0008%. Compared to single demodulation methods and combined demodulation methods based on FFT or Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE), the method proposed in this work reduced the demodulation error by more than three times and increased accuracy by more than six times. The algorithm was utilized to demodulate the sapphire sandwich-structure F-P pressure sensor, and the test results indicated that the fitting error of the sensor was less than 0.025% within the pressure range of 0 MPa to 10 MPa. The repeatability error was less than 0.066%, the zero-point deviation was 1.26%, and the maximum stability deviation was 0.0063% per 30 min. The algorithm effectively demodulated the actual cavity length variation in the sapphire sandwich-structure F-P pressure sensor, providing a solution for the performance evaluation of the sapphire sandwich-structure F-P pressure sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involves chronic joint inflammation. Combining acupuncture and medication for RA treatment faces challenges like spatiotemporal variability, limited drug loading in acupuncture needles, and premature or untargeted drug release. Here, we designed a new type of tubular acupuncture needles, with an etched hollow honeycomb-like structure to enable the high loading of therapeutics, integrating the traditional acupuncture and drug repository into an all-in-one therapeutic platform. In these proof-of-concept experiments, we fabricated injectable hollow honeycomb electroacupuncture needles (HC-EA) loaded with melittin hydrogel (MLT-Gel), enabling the combination treatment of acupuncture stimulation and melittin therapy in a spatiotemporally synchronous manner. Since the RA microenvironment is mildly acidic, the acid-responsive chitosan (CS)/sodium beta-glycerophosphate (β-GP)/ hyaluronic acid (HA) composited hydrogel (CS/GP/HA) was utilized to perform acupuncture stimulation and achieve the targeted release of injected therapeutics into the specific lesion site. Testing our therapeutic platform involved a mouse model of RA and bioinformatics analysis. MLT-Gel@HC-EA treatment restored Th17/Treg-mediated immunity balance, reduced inflammatory factor release (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β), and alleviated inflammation at the lesion site. This novel combination of modified acupuncture needle and medication, specifically melittin hydrogel, holds promise as a therapeutic strategy for RA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are various indoor fingerprint localization techniques utilizing the similarity of received signal strength (RSS) to discriminate the similarity of positions. However, due to the varied states of different wireless access points (APs), each AP's contribution to RSS similarity varies, which affects the accuracy of localization. In our study, we analyzed several critical causes that affect APs' contribution, including APs' health states and APs' positions. Inspired by these insights, for a large-scale indoor space with ubiquitous APs, a threshold was set for all sample RSS to eliminate the abnormal APs dynamically, a correction quantity for each RSS was provided by the distance between the AP and the sample position to emphasize closer APs, and a priority weight was designed by RSS differences (RSSD) to further optimize the capability of fingerprint distances (FDs, the Euclidean distance of RSS) to discriminate physical distance (PDs, the Euclidean distance of positions). Integrating the above policies for the classical WKNN algorithm, a new indoor fingerprint localization technique is redefined, referred to as FDs' discrimination capability improvement WKNN (FDDC-WKNN). Our simulation results showed that the correlation and consistency between FDs and PDs are well improved, with the strong correlation increasing from 0 to 76% and the high consistency increasing from 26% to 99%, which confirms that the proposed policies can greatly enhance the discrimination capabilities of RSS similarity. We also found that abnormal APs can cause significant impact on FDs discrimination capability. Further, by implementing the FDDC-WKNN algorithm in experiments, we obtained the optimal K value in both the simulation scene and real library scene, under which the mean errors have been reduced from 2.2732 m to 1.2290 m and from 4.0489 m to 2.4320 m, respectively. In addition, compared to not using the FDDC-WKNN, the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the localization errors curve converged faster and the error fluctuation was smaller, which demonstrates the FDDC-WKNN having stronger robustness and more stable localization performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitazoxanide (NTZ) is an effective antiparasitic drug with potent antiviral and antimicrobial activity. This randomized, open‐label, 2‐sequence, 2‐period crossover trial was designed to evaluate the bioequivalence (BE) of the NTZ dry suspension in healthy subjects and investigated the effect of food intake on the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of tizoxanide (an active metabolite of NTZ, TIZ). Sixty healthy Chinese subjects were enrolled and received a single dose of 500 mg/25 mL of preparations on days 1 and 4 under overnight fasting or fed conditions, respectively. The plasma concentration of TIZ was determined using high‐performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. PK parameters were calculated using WinNonlin 8.2 and BE was evaluated using SAS 9.4. The 90% confidence intervals for the geometric mean ratio (test/reference) of maximum concentration (Cmax), the area under the curve from time 0 to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0‐t), and the area under the curve from time 0 to extrapolation to infinity (AUC0‐∞) were all within the equivalent interval of 80%‐125%, compliant with BE requirements. In comparison with fasting, on taking the reference and test preparations of the NTZ dry suspension after a meal, the AUC0‐t increased by 48.9% and 47.3%, respectively, the AUC0‐∞ increased by 48.4% and 48.3%, respectively, and the post‐meal Tmax was prolonged by 1.8‐2 hours. Our results demonstrate that the test and reference preparations were bioequivalent. High‐fat meals significantly improve the degree of drug absorption and delay the rate of drug absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine has revealed the potential of ChatGPT as a pivotal tool in medical diagnosis and treatment. This study assesses the efficacy of ChatGPT versions 3.5 and 4.0 in addressing renal cell carcinoma (RCC) clinical inquiries. Notably, fine-tuning and iterative optimization of the model corrected ChatGPT's limitations in this area. Methods: In our study, 80 RCC-related clinical questions from urology experts were posed three times to both ChatGPT 3.5 and ChatGPT 4.0, seeking binary (yes/no) responses. We then statistically analyzed the answers. Finally, we fine-tuned the GPT-3.5 Turbo model using these questions, and assessed its training outcomes. Results: We found that the average accuracy rates of answers provided by ChatGPT versions 3.5 and 4.0 were 67.08% and 77.50%, respectively. ChatGPT 4.0 outperformed ChatGPT 3.5, with a higher accuracy rate in responses (p < 0.05). By counting the number of correct responses to the 80 questions, we then found that although ChatGPT 4.0 performed better (p < 0.05), both versions were subject to instability in answering. Finally, by fine-tuning the GPT-3.5 Turbo model, we found that the correct rate of responses to these questions could be stabilized at 93.75%. Iterative optimization of the model can result in 100% response accuracy. Conclusion: We compared ChatGPT versions 3.5 and 4.0 in addressing clinical RCC questions, identifying their limitations. By applying the GPT-3.5 Turbo fine-tuned model iterative training method, we enhanced AI strategies in renal oncology. This approach is set to enhance ChatGPT's database and clinical guidance capabilities, optimizing AI in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eukaryotic genes contain introns that are removed by the spliceosomal machinery during mRNA maturation. Introns impose a huge energetic burden on a cell; therefore, they must play an essential role in maintaining genome stability and/or regulating gene expression. Many genes (> 50%) in Plasmodium parasites contain predicted introns, including introns in 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTR). However, the roles of UTR introns in the gene expression of malaria parasites remain unknown. Methods: In this study, an episomal dual-luciferase assay was developed to evaluate gene expression driven by promoters with or without a 5′UTR intron from four Plasmodium yoelii genes. To investigate the effect of the 5′UTR intron on endogenous gene expression, the pytctp gene was tagged with 3xHA at the N-terminal of the coding region, and parasites with or without the 5′UTR intron were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Results: We showed that promoters with 5′UTR introns had higher activities in driving gene expression than those without 5′UTR introns. The results were confirmed in recombinant parasites expressing an HA-tagged gene (pytctp) driven by promoter with or without 5′UTR intron. The enhancement of gene expression was intron size dependent, but not the DNA sequence, e.g. the longer the intron, the higher levels of expression. Similar results were observed when a promoter from one strain of P. yoelii was introduced into different parasite strains. Finally, the 5′UTR introns were alternatively spliced in different parasite development stages, suggesting an active mechanism employed by the parasites to regulate gene expression in various developmental stages. Conclusions: Plasmodium 5′UTR introns enhance gene expression in a size-dependent manner; the presence of alternatively spliced mRNAs in different parasite developmental stages suggests that alternative slicing of 5′UTR introns is one of the key mechanisms in regulating parasite gene expression and differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-convex tubes that have superior energy absorption potential may expand and deform unstable during impact, limiting energy absorption. The bamboo node can strengthen bamboo by resisting expansion. Therefore, bulkhead proportional distribution of bionic non-convex (BPDBN) tubes, an integrator of them, may present more efficient energy absorption performance. This research proposed to investigate the effect of geometrical parameters on the crashworthiness characteristics of BPDBN tubes. The position of bulkheads was assumed to vary according to the positive proportional function primarily determined by proportional coefficient k. The dynamic response was evaluated by the initial peak force (IPF), specific energy absorption (SEA), and crush force efficiency (CFE). Multi-objective optimization method was utilized to further improve the energy absorption performance. The optimal design lowered the IPF (34.00%), increased the SEA (37.16%) and the CFE (42.95%). This paper emphasizes that optimizing the geometrical parameters and the bulkhead distance proportion can significantly improve the crashworthiness performance of BPDBN tubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct‐current (DC) distribution lines are mostly underground cables, with the highest probability of single pole to ground fault among various faults. However, the topology of DC distribution networks is flexible and variable, and existing fault location technologies cannot achieve both high accuracy and good adaptability. A fault section location method for single pole to ground fault in DC distribution lines based on steady‐state zero‐mode current direction is proposed. First, a unified zero‐mode equivalent model for the DC distributed system in the non‐effectively grounded system is established. Then the directional difference in zero‐mode current between the fault and non‐fault sections in the zero‐mode network is fully explored when a single pole to ground fault occurs. Next, a fault section location criterion based on the direction of the steady‐state zero‐mode current is proposed to effectively identify the single‐pole grounded fault section. The feasibility of the proposed fault section location method under different fault conditions is verified based on the PSCAD/EMTDC software. In addition, the simulations show that the proposed method is suitable in the non‐effectively grounded system, and has low requirements for sampling frequency and data processing, with strong resistance to transition resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the unique structures, van der Waals (vdW) materials have advantages over traditional magnetothermal materials in manipulating magnetothermal properties through structural modification and in cooling applications in nanodevices. Here, we study the magnetothermal properties of vdW ferromagnet Fe5GeTe2 with Curie temperature around room temperature. The results show that Fe5GeTe2 is a second-order magnetic phase transition material, and its in-plane and out-of-plane values of relative cooling power are large up, respectively, to 299.3 and 269.2 J/kg for a field change of 5 T. Compared to other vdW materials reported, Fe5GeTe2 has the greatest potential for room-temperature magnetic cooling applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction for 'Super-adsorbent hydrogel for removal of methylene blue dye from aqueous solution' by Xiao-Sai Hu et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018, 6, 17612–17624, https://doi.org/10.1039/C8TA04722G. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical implementation of massive multi-user multi-input–multi-output (MU-MIMO) downlink communication systems power amplifiers that are energy efficient; otherwise, the power consumption of the base station (BS) will be prohibitive. Constant envelope (CE) precoding is gaining increasing interest for its capability to utilize low-cost, high-efficiency nonlinear radio frequency amplifiers. Our work focuses on the topic of CE precoding in massive MU-MIMO systems and presents an efficient CE precoding algorithm. This algorithm uses an alternating minimization (AltMin) framework to optimize the CE precoded signal and precoding factor, aiming to minimize the difference between the received signal and the transmit symbol. For the optimization of the CE precoded signal, we provide a powerful approach that integrates the majorization-minimization (MM) method and the fast iterative shrinkage-thresholding (FISTA) method. This algorithm combines the characteristics of the massive MU-MIMO channel with the second-order Taylor expansion to construct the surrogate function in the MM method, in which minimizing this surrogate function is the worst-case of the system. Specifically, we expand the suggested CE precoding algorithm to involve the discrete constant envelope (DCE) precoding case. In addition, we thoroughly examine the exact property, convergence, and computational complexity of the proposed algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed CE precoding algorithm can achievean uncoded biterror rate (BER) performance gain of roughly 1 dB compared to the existing CE precoding algorithm and has an acceptable computational complexity. This performance advantage also exists when it comes to DCE precoding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Acute visual impairment is the most feared complication of giant cell arteritis (GCA) but is challenging to predict. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluates orbital pathology not visualized by an ophthalmologic examination. This study combined orbital and cranial vessel wall MRI to assess both orbital and cranial disease activity in patients with GCA, including patients without visual symptoms. Methods: Patients with suspected active GCA who underwent orbital and cranial vessel wall MRI were included. In 14 patients, repeat imaging over 12 months assessed sensitivity to change. Clinical diagnosis of ocular or nonocular GCA was determined by a rheumatologist and/or ophthalmologist. A radiologist masked to clinical data scored MRI enhancement of structures. Results: Sixty‐four patients with suspected GCA were included: 25 (39%) received a clinical diagnosis of GCA, including 12 (19%) with ocular GCA. Orbital MRI enhancement was observed in 83% of patients with ocular GCA, 38% of patients with nonocular GCA, and 5% of patients with non‐GCA. MRI had strong diagnostic performance for both any GCA and ocular GCA. Combining MRI with a funduscopic examination reached 100% sensitivity for ocular GCA. MRI enhancement significantly decreased after treatment (P < 0.01). Conclusion: In GCA, MRI is a sensitive tool that comprehensively evaluates multiple cranial structures, including the orbits, which are the most concerning site of pathology. Orbital enhancement in patients without visual symptoms suggests that MRI may detect at‐risk subclinical ocular disease in GCA. MRI scores decreased following treatment, suggesting scores reflect inflammation. Future studies are needed to determine if MRI can identify patients at low risk for blindness who may receive less glucocorticoid therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the radioactivity of uranium, the discharged nuclear wastewater not only causes certain damage to the ecology, but also causes certain harm to human life and health. Adsorption is considered to be one of the most effective ways to remove uranium. In this paper, a kind of MoS2 adsorbent was prepared by the solid phase synthesis method and functionalized with NiCo-LDH. The raw materials of MoS2 are cheap and easy to obtain, and the preparation conditions are simple, and large quantities can be obtained without limitations. MoS2 functionalized with NiCo-LDH provides more adsorption sites for the adsorbent and at the same time improves the hydrophilicity of the adsorbent, so that the active sites can fully combine with uranyl ions. The maximum adsorption capacity of the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model is 492.83 mg g−1. The selective adsorption capacity of uranium can reach 76.12% in the multi-ion coexistence system. By analyzing the adsorption mechanism with FT-IR and XRD, it is believed that on the one hand, UO22+ forms a covalent bond with Mo in MoS2 and coordinates with S on the surface of MoS2. On the other hand, UO22+ enters the NiCo-LDH layer for ion exchange with NO3− and coordinates with –OH on the surface of NiCo-LDH. The successful preparation of the MoS2/NiCo-LDH composite provides a certain application prospect for the uranium adsorption field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylariomycetidae comprises extremely diverse taxa that are widespread on decaying wood worldwide. An investigation of the diversity of microfungi on oil tree plantations in Sichuan Province was conducted during 2020–2021. Twelve saprobic taxa representing five species were identified as members of Amphisphaeriales and Xylariales through morphological comparisons. Phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, rpb2, tub2 and tef1 sequence data indicated a distinct clade formed by three strains within Xylariomycetidae, unrelated to any currently recognized families. Thus, a novel anthostomella-like genus, Bicellulospora, is proposed and treated as Xylariales genera incertae sedis. Bicellulospora is characterized by dark brown to black, immersed, subglobose ascomata with a clypeus, cylindrical asci, and hyaline to yellowish brown, inequilaterally ellipsoidal ascospores with a large upper cell and a dwarf lower cell. Two new species of Amphisphaeria, namely A. oleae and A. verniciae, are introduced based on multi-gene phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, rpb2 and tub2) coupled with morphological characteristics. Amphisphaeria micheliae and Endocalyx ptychospermatis are reported as new host records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pleckstrin homeolike domain, family A, member 1 (PHLDA1) is a multifunctional protein that plays diverse roles in A variety of biological processes, including cell death, and hence its altered expression has been found in different types of cancer. Although studies have shown a regulatory relationship between p53 and PHLDA1, the molecular mechanism is still unclear. Especially, the role of PHLDA1 in the process of apoptosis is still controversial. In this study, we found that the expression of PHLDA1 in human cervical cancer cell lines was correlated with the up-expression of p53 after treatment with apoptosis-inducing factors. Subsequently, the binding site and the binding effect of p53 on the promoter region of PHLDA1 were verified by our bioinformatics data analysis and luciferase reporter assay. Indeed, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to knockout the p53 gene in HeLa cells and further confirmed that p53 can bind to the promoter region of PHLDA1 gene, and then directly regulate the expression of PHLDA1 by recruiting P300 and CBP to change the acetylation and methylation levels in the promoter region. Finally, a series of gain–of–function experiments further confirmed that p53 re-expression in HeLap53-/- cell can up-regulate the reduction of PHLDA1 caused by p53 knockout, and affect cell apoptosis and proliferation. Our study is the first to explore the regulatory mechanism of p53 on PHLDA1 by using the p53 gene knockout cell model, which further proves that PHLDA1 is a target-gene in p53-mediated apoptosis, and reveals the important role of PHLDA1 in cell fate determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in a Plasmodium de-ubiquitinase UBP1 have been linked to antimalarial drug resistance. However, the UBP1-mediated drug-resistant mechanism remains unknown. Through drug selection, genetic mapping, allelic exchange, and functional characterization, here we show that simultaneous mutations of two amino acids (I1560N and P2874T) in the Plasmodium yoelii UBP1 can mediate high-level resistance to mefloquine, lumefantrine, and piperaquine. Mechanistically, the double mutations are shown to impair UBP1 cytoplasmic aggregation and de-ubiquitinating activity, leading to increased ubiquitination levels and altered protein localization, from the parasite digestive vacuole to the plasma membrane, of the P. yoelii multidrug resistance transporter 1 (MDR1). The MDR1 on the plasma membrane enhances the efflux of substrates/drugs out of the parasite cytoplasm to confer multidrug resistance, which can be reversed by inhibition of MDR1 transport. This study reveals a previously unknown drug-resistant mechanism mediated by UBP1 through altered MDR1 localization and substrate transport direction in a mouse model, providing a new malaria treatment strategy. Here, the authors show that two mutations in the Plasmodium de-ubiquitinase UBP1 alter the ubiquitination level, membrane localization, and ligand transport direction of multidrug resistance transporter 1 (MDR1), leading to multiple drug resistances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermally conductive polymer nanocomposites integrated with lightweight, excellent flexural strength, and high fracture toughness (KIc) would be of great use in many fields. However, achieving all of these properties simultaneously remains a great challenge. Inspired by natural nacre, here we demonstrate a lightweight, strong, tough, and thermally conductive boron nitride nanosheet/epoxy layered (BNNEL) nanocomposite. Because of the layered structure and enhancing the interfacial interactions through hydrogen bonding and Si–O–B covalent bonding, the resulting nacre-inspired BNNEL nanocomposites show high fracture toughness of ∼ 4.22 MPa·m1/2, which is 7 folds as high as pure epoxy. Moreover, the BNNEL nanocomposites demonstrate sufficient flexural strength (∼ 168.90 MPa, comparable to epoxy resin), while also being lightweight (∼ 1.23 g/cm3). Additionally, the BNNEL nanocomposites display a thermal conductivity (κ) of ∼ 0.47 W/(m·K) at low boron nitride nanosheet loading of 2.08 vol.%, which is 2.7 times higher than that of pure epoxy resin. The developed nacre-inspired strategy of layered structure design and interfacial enhancement provides an avenue for fabricating high mechanical properties and thermally conductive polymer nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of in situ measurement of high-temperature pressure, fiber-optic Fabry–Perot pressure sensors have been extensively studied and applied in recent years thanks to their compact size and excellent anti-interference and anti-shock capabilities. However, such sensors have high technological difficulty, limited pressure measurement range, and low sensitivity. This paper proposes a fiber-optic Fabry–Perot pressure sensor based on a membrane-hole-base structure. The sensitive core was fabricated by laser cutting technology and direct bonding technology of three-layer sapphire and develops a supporting large-cavity-length demodulation algorithm for the sensor's Fabry–Perot cavity. The sensor exhibits enhanced sensitivity, a simplified structure, convenient preparation procedures, as well as improved pressure resistance and anti-harsh environment capabilities, and has large-range pressure sensing capability of 0–10 MPa in the temperature range of 20–370 °C. The sensor sensitivity is 918.9 nm/MPa, the temperature coefficient is 0.0695 nm/(MPa∙°C), and the error over the full temperature range is better than 2.312%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With severe environmental degradations around the world, green innovation is currently considered an important initiative to promote firms' competitive advantages. It is critically important to identify the drivers and the mechanisms for promoting corporate green innovation conjugating unprecedented technology progress. Employing a questionnaire survey of Chinese manufacturing firms, we proposed and tested a holistic framework for comprehending the role of big data and external institutions on corporate green innovation and competitive advantage. Based on a moderated mediation analysis, the empirical results showed that both formal (e.g. government support) and informal (e.g. social legitimacy) institutions positively influenced corporate competitive advantage. Green innovation acted as a mediator in the relationship between external institutions and competitive advantage. The adoption of big data and predictive analytics positively moderated this mediation effect. These findings not only exhibit that the power from external institutions could forcefully drive firms to initiate green innovation, but also discover the role of big data in conquering technological challenges and attaining competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of HNK, I5, and I6 on the expression of protein in hippocampus of depressed mice were studied by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) to explore the mechanism of their antidepressant action. HNK, I5, and I6 were administered intragastric administration once a day in the morning for 7 days. The drug was subsequently discontinued for 7 days (without any treatment). On the 15th day, mice in each group were given the drug (1.0, 10.0, 30.0 mg/kg) intragastric stimulation and mouse hippocampal tissues were taken to perform iTRAQ to identify differentially expressed proteins, and bioinformatics was used to analyze the functional enrichment of the differentially expressed proteins. Compared with Ctr group, the number of differentially expressed proteins in HNK, I5, and I6 treatment groups was 158, 88, and 105, respectively. The three groups shared 29 differentially expressed proteins. In addition, compared with HNK group, the number of differentially expressed proteins in I5 and I6 groups was 201 and 203, respectively. A total of 47 and 56 differentially expressed proteins were co-expressed in I5 and I6 groups. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these differentially expressed proteins mainly had the functions of binding, biocatalysis, and transport, and mainly participated in cellular process, biological regulation process, biological metabolism process, and stress reaction process. GO and KEGG pathway analysis found that these differentially expressed proteins were involved long-term potentiation, G13 pathway, platelet activation pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway. HNK, I5, and I6 antidepressants are closely related to sudden stress sensitivity, stress resistance, neurotransmitter, and metabolic pathways. This study provides a scientific basis to further elucidate the mechanism and clinical application of HNK, I5, and I6 antidepressants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Interferon (IFN)‐1 signatures are a hallmark of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). However, its significance in clinical stratification and contribution to deterioration still need to be better understood. Methods: For hypothesis generation, we performed single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) on skin biopsies (four patients with SSc and two controls) using the BD Rhapsody platform. Two publicly available data sets of skin scRNA‐seq were used for validation (GSE138669: 12 patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc [dcSSc] and 10 controls; GSE195452: 52 patients with dcSSc and 41 patients with limited cutaneous SSc [lcSSc] and 54 controls). The IFN‐1 signature was mapped, functionally investigated in a bleomycin plus IFNα‐2 adenovirus‐associated virus (AAV)–induced model and verified in an SSc cohort (n = 61). Results: The discovery and validation data sets showed similar findings. Endothelial cells (ECs) had the most prominent IFN‐1 signature among dermal nonimmune cells. The EC IFN‐1 signature was increased both in patients with SSc versus controls and in patients with dcSSc versus those with lcSSc. Among EC subclusters, the IFN‐1 signature was statistically higher in the capillary ECs of patients with dcSSc, which was higher than those in patients with lcSSc, which in turn was higher than those in healthy controls (HCs). Endothelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) scores increased in parallel. Deteriorated bleomycin‐induced dermal fibrosis, EndoMT, and perivascular fibrosis and caused blood vessel loss with EC apoptosis. Vascular myxovirus resistance (MX) 1, an IFN‐1 response protein, was significantly increased both in total SSc versus HC skin and in dcSSc versus lcSSc skin. Baseline vascular MX1 performed similarly to skin score in predicting disease progression over 6 to 34 months in total SSc and was superior in the dcSSc subpopulation. Conclusion: The EC IFN‐1 signature distinguished SSc skin subtypes and disease progression and may contribute to vasculopathy and fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rectangular-hole-type crush initiators have attracted much attention due to their exceptional advantages in improving crashworthiness performance. Unfortunately, undesired deformation buckling modes, i.e. bifurcation buckling, can occur and challenge optimisation processes. This paper aims remedies to this limitation and proposes a machine learning based optimisation method that removes these undesired deformation modes to effectively evaluate the effect of initiators' parameters in improving crush response. First, finite element models of square tubes with different numbers and positions of initiators were built and computed. Second, the complex proportional assessment (COPRAS) method was adopted to rank the crashworthiness characteristics. The results demonstrated that square tubes with two sets of four corner holes along the axial direction were the best choice. Finally, the optimisation method based on machine learning was employed to evaluate the influence of the initiator's size on the crushing behaviours for minimizing the initial peak force (IPF), maximizing the energy absorption (EA), and crushing force efficiency (CFE). The results illustrated that the IPF of the optimised design Pareto front upper limit is about 21.94% lower, with 0.08% and 36.67% higher EA and CFE, respectively, than those of the best choice observed from COPRAS. This study highlights the ability of the proposed machine learning based optimisation method to improve crashworthiness performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic inflammation promotes pancreatic β-cell decompensation to insulin resistance because of local accumulation of supraphysiologic interleukin 1β (IL-1β) levels. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. We show that miR-503-5p is exclusively upregulated in islets from humans with type 2 diabetes and diabetic rodents because of its promoter hypomethylation and increased local IL-1β levels. β-Cell–specific miR-503 transgenic mice display mild or severe diabetes in a time- and expression-dependent manner. By contrast, deletion of the miR-503 cluster protects mice from high-fat diet–induced insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. Mechanistically, miR-503-5p represses c-Jun N-terminal kinase–interacting protein 2 (JIP2) translation to activate mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascades, thus inhibiting glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and compensatory β-cell proliferation. In addition, β-cell miR-503-5p is packaged in nanovesicles to dampen insulin signaling transduction in liver and adipose tissues by targeting insulin receptors. Notably, specifically blocking the miR-503 cluster in β-cells effectively remits aging-associated diabetes through recovery of GSIS capacity and insulin sensitivity. Our findings demonstrate that β-cell miR-503-5p is required for the development of insulin resistance and β-cell decompensation, providing a potential therapeutic target against diabetes. Article Highlights: Promoter hypomethylation during natural aging permits miR-503-5p overexpression in islets under inflammation conditions, conserving from rodents to humans. Impaired β-cells release nanovesicular miR-503-5p to accumulate in liver and adipose tissue, leading to their insulin resistance via the miR-503-5p/insulin receptor/phosphorylated AKT axis. Accumulated miR-503-5p in β-cells impairs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion via the JIP2-coordinated mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascades. Specific blockage of β-cell miR-503-5p improves β-cell function and glucose tolerance in aging mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rothmund–Thomson syndrome (RTS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that has been reported in all ethnicities, with several identifiable pathogenic variants. There have been reported cases indicating that RTS may lead to low birth weight in fetuses, but specific data on the fetal period are lacking. Genetic testing for RTS II is currently carried out by identifying pathogenic variants in RECQL4. Methods: In order to determine the cause, we performed whole‐genome sequencing (WGS) analysis on the patient and his parents. Variants detected by WGS were confirmed by Sanger sequencing and examined in family members. Results: After analyzing the WGS data, we found a heterozygous nonsense mutation c.2752G>T (p.Glu918Ter) and a novel frameshift insertion mutation c.1547dupC (p.Leu517AlafsTer23) of RECQL4, which is a known pathogenic/disease‐causing variant of RTS. Further validation indicated these were compound heterozygous mutations from parents. Conclusion: Our study expands the mutational spectrum of the RECQL4 gene and enriches the phenotype spectrum of Chinese RTS patients. Our information can assist the patient's parents in making informed decisions regarding their future pregnancies. This case offers a new perspective for clinicians to consider whether to perform prenatal diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Sarcopenia is an important prognostic factor, but its optimal screening methods remain challenging. Several new indices developed based on serum creatinine (Cr) and cystatin C (CysC) have been proposed to be diagnostic biomarkers for sarcopenia screening. Objective This review aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of serum Cr- and CysC-based indices for sarcopenia diagnosis. Methods We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCIE and SCOPUS from inception to 2 April 2023. Methodological quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. A bivariate random-effects model was used to synthesise the pooled sensitivity, specificity and area under the curves of the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC-AUC). Results We retrieved 936 publications and included 16 studies with 5,566 participants (mean age ranged: 51.0–78.4 years, 50.2% men). The prevalence of sarcopenia ranged from 7.8 to 69.5%. All included studies presented a moderate to high risk of bias. The serum Cr- and CysC-based indices showed moderate diagnostic accuracy for sarcopenia (pooled sensitivity: 0.67, 95% CI 0.57–0.75; pooled specificity: 076, 95% CI 0.67–0.83; pooled SROC-AUC: 0.78, 95% CI 0.74–0.81). The Cr/CysC ratio is the most widely studied index, followed by the Cr × eGFRcys index. Overall, both indicators had satisfactory and comparable performance in screening sarcopenia. Conclusion Serum Cr- and CysC-based indices showed moderate diagnostic accuracy for sarcopenia. The most studied indices—the Cr/CysC ratio and Cr × eGFRcys index—had comparable diagnostic accuracy for evaluating sarcopenia and may serve as surrogate markers for sarcopenia. However, further validation is required to verify these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies investigating the association between the geriatric nutrition risk index (GNRI) and sarcopenia either lacked longitudinal evidence or narrowly focused on specific populations. Aims: We aimed to reveal longitudinal associations of GNRI with sarcopenia risk in community-dwelling Chinese. We also investigated interaction effects of potential factors on such associations. Methods: We included participants aged ≥ 50 years with sufficient data from the WCHAT study who did not have sarcopenia at baseline and completed sarcopenia assessment during follow-up. GNRI was calculated according to the formula based on serum albumin, height and weight. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the 2019 AWGS consensus. Longitudinal associations between GNRI and sarcopenia were estimated by logistic regression with GNRI as either a continuous or categorical variable by tertiles, using generalized estimating equations (GEE) as sensitivity analyses. Subgroup analyses by potential covariates were conducted to detect interaction effects. Results: A total of 1907 participants without baseline sarcopenia were finally included, of whom 327 (17.1%) developed incident sarcopenia during 5-year follow-up. After controlling for confounders, sarcopenia risk decreased with each one standard deviation increase in GNRI (ORadjusted=0.36, 95% CI 0.31–0.43), and it also decreased successively from the lowest (< 111.2) through middle (111.2-117.7) to the highest (≥ 117.8) tertile of the GNRI level (P for trend < 0.001). Similar results were yielded by GEE. Such associations generally remained robust across subgroups with distinct characteristics, while significant differences were observed between different age groups (≥ 65 vs. <65 years) (interaction P-value < 0.05). Conclusion: GNRI is longitudinally associated with sarcopenia risk with possibly age-specific differences in association magnitude, which holds implications for policymakers to conduct population-based risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal severely restricted the sludge agricultural use. Therefore, it is imperative to seek a novel and proficient method removal heavy metal from sludge. In this study, it proposed that a coupled with biodegradable chelating ligand iminodisuccinic acid and electrolyte circulation technology, which was used to enhance electrokinetic (EK) remediation removing heavy metal from the sludge. Electrical current, electrical conductivity and electrolyte pH, electrical conductivity and sludge pH, the toxic metal concentration with different time and remediation room section were evaluated in this work. Results demonstrated the combined iminodisuccinic acid and electrolyte circulation technology could enhance electrokinetic remediation removal toxic metal from sludge. Also, it can increase the cation and anion dissolution and electric current, and the cathode obtained a higher electrical conductivity of electrolyte and sludge than anode, and maintained a low pH of catholyte and sludge, the enhanced electrokinetic treatments obtained a higher removal efficiency than unenhanced electrokinetic remediation treatment, and the coupled with iminodisuccinic acid and electrolyte circulation enhanced electrokinetic treatment achieved the highest toxic metal extraction efficiency, Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, Ni and Mn removal efficiencies were 55.0 ± 3.78%, 66.8 ± 2.23%, 64.6 ± 3.87%, 49.3 ± 3.25%, 61.6 ± 4.22% and 57.2 ± 2.67%, respectively, which indicated that iminodisuccinic acid and electrolyte circulation technology can effectively enhance EK remediation removal heavy metals from sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal content and speciation of sludge, physicochemical properties of sludge, and the correlation between heavy metal content and speciations were investigated in this work. Results demonstrated that organic matter content of sludge ranged from 158.4 to 474.5 g kg−1, total nitrogen content from 9.95 to 27.45 g kg−1, total phosphorus content from 22.72 to 41.45 g kg−1, and total potassium content from 5.04 to 11.20 g kg−1. The sludge contains high content of organic matter, phosphorus and potassium and low content of nitrogen, it indicated that the sludge has a big prospect of agricultural use, and it could improve and increase soil fertility. Cu and Zn content exceed the agricultural use standard. Heavy metal speciations analysis indicated that Cu mainly exists in oxidizable speciation; Zn and Cd mainly exist in exchangeable and reducible speciation; Mn and Pb mainly exist in residual speciation; Cr, Ni, As and Hg mainly exist in oxidisable and residual speciations. These results indicated that Zn and Cd migration and bioavailability are strong in the environment, whereas Cu, Cr, Ni, As and Hg are weak. Mn and Pb are most stable in the sludge in these heavy metals. The correlation analysis indicated that heavy metal content and physicochemical properties obtained a positive correlation, such as with the heavy metal content, and total carbon, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen content obtained a positive correlation with heavy metal content, heavy metal had the same source and synergistic effect, and heavy metal content obtained a positive correlation with speciation in the sludge sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To test the hypothesis that dysregulated wound healing is associated with Urogynecologic mesh complications, we collected vaginal cell secretions using vaginal swabs after polypropylene mesh implantation in patients with (N = 39) and without (N = 40) complication. A customized multiplex immunoassay measured markers of inflammation (MCP-1, IGFBP-1, IL-2, IL-10, IL-17, PDGF-BB, bFGF, IL-1b, IL-6, IL-12p70, TNF-α), neuroinflammation (IL-1RA, TGF-β, IL-15, IL-18, IL-3, M-CSF), angiogenesis (VEGF), and matrix proteins (fibronectin, tenasin c, thrombospondin-2, lumican) between groups. Patients with complications were younger, heavier, implanted with mesh longer, and more likely to be ever smokers. A 5 kg/m2 BMI increase and ever-smoking were associated with a 2.4-fold and sixfold increased risk of complication, respectively. Patients with the highest tertile of bFGF, fibronectin, thrombospondin-2, TNF-β, or VEGF had an odds ratio (OR) of 11.8 for having a mesh complication while ≥ 3 elevated had an OR of 237 while controlling for age, BMI, and smoking. The highest tertile of bFGF, thrombospondin-2, and fibronectin together perfectly indicated a complication (P < 0.0001). A receiver-operator curve for high bFGF, thrombospondin-2, and fibronectin showed excellent discrimination between complications and controls (AUC 0.87). These data provide evidence of dysregulated wound healing in mesh complications. Modifiable factors provide potential targets for patient counseling and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle collisions may result in severe injuries to child passengers. These accidents are of concern to the automotive community; hence child restraint systems are now subjected to legislative requirements. New foldable child safety seats are a new technology that has the potential for space-saving whilst protecting children from injuries. For the first time, this paper proposes to evaluate the safety of such a foldable seat, considering multiple frontal impact directions. The research created a baseline 6-year-old HybridIII child sled test computer model, built from a correlated vehicle rear seat cabin interior environment model and including its crash pulse characteristics, in which various seat safety configurations were evaluated. A total of seven scenarios were investigated, considering no booster seat, a traditional booster seat, and a foldable booster seat, combined with different impact angles, including frontal impact (0°), near and far side impacts (15° and 30°). In each scenario, the child kinematics, seatbelt to neck interaction, head acceleration, HIC15, and chest acceleration were extracted as metrics to determine the safety effectiveness of the foldable booster seat. The study concluded that the foldable booster seat reduced the risk of neck entrapment as well as better restrained the dummy in its seat. While the head acceleration, HIC15, and chest acceleration may slightly increase, injury responses caused by the foldable booster seat are still well within safe margins. This study suggests that foldable booster seats are innovative and practical and have the potential, pending more research, to protect children in frontal collisions better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to promote the further practical application of rock mass explosivity classification in engineering, regression analysis method was used to analyze the correlation of explosivity indicators, and finally determine the four basically unrelated parameters of rock mass tensile strength, density, brittleness index, and integrity coefficient as rating indicators. The sensitivity of each rating index and its weight were determined using orthogonal design experiments. By using the method of fuzzy decision-making, the explosivity of rock mass was rated, and based on the rating index and the basic quality index of rock mass, a formula for predicting the explosive unit consumption of shallow hole blasting in underground mining was derived. The corresponding explosive unit consumption prediction interval for the explosivity level was further derived. This research shows that the fuzzy decision-making method provides a new approach for rock mass explosivity rating, and also proves the correctness of weight allocation and rating index selection. The on-site blasting test has proven the rationality of the predicted range of explosive unit consumption, which can provide certain guiding significance for production blasting and similar engineering practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a meta-analysis to compare the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in treating nephrolithiasis ≥ 2 cm in patients with solitary kidneys. This systematic review was registered on PROSPERO (registration ID: CRD42021270519). The search time was set from the establishment of the databases until April 30, 2021. A systematic search was performed in the PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. Stata 16 was used to perform the statistical analysis of the extracted data. After screening using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, five studies with a total of 474 patients were included in the final meta-analysis. According to the literature quality assessment scale statistics, the five studies included were of high quality. The results of the meta-analysis showed that RIRS had lesser hemoglobin loss (HL), shorter length of hospital stay (LOS), lower initial (OR = 3.39, 95% CI [1.97, 5.83], P = 0.02) and final stone-free rates (OR = 2.24, 95% CI [1.24, 4.06], P = 0.03), but a higher incidence of grade III-IV complications (OR = 0.29, 95% CI [0.08, 0.97], P = 0.04) than PCNL. The difference between the two surgical methods was not statistically significant in terms of operation time (OT), grade I–II complication rate, and total complication rate. For nephrolithiasis ≥ 2 cm in patients with a solitary kidney, RIRS has the advantage of less HL and shorter LOS, while PCNL benefits from its higher SFR (both initial and final). Both RIRS and PCNL are effective treatments for nephrolithiasis in patients with a solitary kidney, and clinicians should choose the most appropriate option to achieve the best treatment outcome, taking into account the patient's underlying conditions and medical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most full-scale fatigue tests of wind turbine blades, only longitudinal strains are considered in the calculation of damage, while the effects of transverse and tangential strains are ignored, which will lead to varied damage inflicted on different parts of the blade. To analyze this problem, this paper conducted uniaxial and biaxial fatigue tests on a 52.5-meter wind turbine blade and recorded the strain response at each cross section. The test results show that transverse and tangential strains are greater than longitudinal strains in some cross sections of the blade. Then, a cross section of the blade was modeled and simulated using ABAQUS to analyze the strain relationships at other locations on the blade. The strain response at different locations on the blade was also examined, and the simulation results showed that both the transverse and longitudinal strain values for this cross section varied significantly. In addition, the multiaxial strain varies greatly with different loading methods. The strain pattern in the trailing edge panel region is very complex. Therefore, the damage calculation and life prediction of the blade should consider the effect of multiaxial strain, which provides a powerful reference for the subsequent improvement of the multiaxial fatigue damage calculation method and the design of the fatigue test program for large wind turbine blades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: As the most common internal post‐transcriptional RNA modification in eukaryotic cells, N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) performs a dynamic and reversible role in a variety of biological processes mediated by methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and m6A binding proteins (readers). M6A methylation enables transcriptome conversion in different signals that regulate various physiological activities and organ development. Over the past few years, emerging studies have identified that mRNA m6A regulators defect in β‐cell leads to abnormal regulation of the target mRNAs, thereby resulting in β‐cell dysfunction and loss of β‐cell identity and mass, which are strongly associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pathogenesis. Also, mRNA m6A modification has been implicated with insulin resistance in muscles, fat, and liver cells/tissues. In this review, we elaborate on the biological features of m6A methylation; provide a comprehensive overview of the underlying mechanisms that how it controls β‐cell function, identity, and mass as well as insulin resistance; highlight its connections to glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism linking to T2DM; and further discuss its role in diabetes complications and its therapeutic potentials for T2DM diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening condition in which the inner layer of the aorta tears. It has been reported that metabolic syndrome (MS) has a close linkage with aortic dissection. However, the inter-relational mechanisms between them were still unclear. This article explored the hub gene signatures and potential molecular mechanisms in AD and MS. We obtained five bulk RNA-seq datasets of AD, one single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) dataset of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA), and one bulk RNA-seq dataset of MS from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. Identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and key modules via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), functional enrichment analysis, and machine learning algorithms (Random Forest and LASSO regression) were used to identify hub genes for diagnosing AD with MS. XGBoost further improved the diagnostic performance of the model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and precision-recall (PR) curves were developed to assess the diagnostic value. Then, immune cell infiltration and metabolism-associated pathways analyses were created to investigate immune cell and metabolism-associated pathway dysregulation in AD and MS. Finally, the scRNA-seq dataset was performed to confirm the expression levels of identified hub genes. 406 common DEGs were identified between the merged AD and MS datasets. Functional enrichment analysis revealed these DEGs were enriched for applicable terms of metabolism, cellular processes, organismal systems, and human diseases. Besides, the positively related key modules of AD and MS were mainly enriched in transcription factor binding and inflammatory response. In contrast, the negatively related modules were significantly associated with adaptive immune response and regulation of nuclease activity. Through machine learning, nine genes with common diagnostic effects were found in AD and MS, including MAD2L2, IMP4, PRPF4, CHSY1, SLC20A1, SLC9A1, TIPRL, DPYD, and MAPKAPK2. In the training set, the AUC of the hub gene on RP and RR curves was 1. In the AD verification set, the AUC of the Hub gene on RP and RR curves were 0.946 and 0.955, respectively. In the MS set, the AUC of the Hub gene on RP and RR curves were 0.978 and 0.98, respectively. scRNA-seq analysis revealed that the SLC20A1 was found to be relevant in fatty acid metabolic pathways and expressed in endothelial cells. Our study revealed the common pathogenesis of AD and MS. These common pathways and hub genes might provide new ideas for further mechanism research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, to explore the effect of growth hormone changes on the related genes and regulatory roles of the turtle, PCR amplification, real-time fluorescence quantitative analysis, and enzyme cutting technology were used to clone and sequence the somatostatin (SS) gene, growth hormone receptor (GHR), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) sequence of Chinemys reevesii. The effects of human growth hormone on the mRNA expression of growth-axis-related genes SS, GHR, and IGF-1 in different sexes were observed. The study of the SS gene in turtles using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the SS gene was mainly expressed in the nervous system and the digestive system, with the highest expression found in the brain, while the GHR gene and the IGF-I gene were expressed in all tissues of Chinemys reevesii. The SS gene was expressed in the brain, pituitary, liver, stomach, and intestine, with the highest expression in the brain and the lowest expression in the liver. Within 4 weeks of the injection of exogenous growth hormone, the expression level of the SS gene in the brain of both sexes first increased and then decreased, showing a parabolic trend, and the expression level of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group. After the injection of growth hormone (GH), the expression of the GHR gene in the liver of both sexes showed a significant increase in the first week, decreasing to the control group level in the second week, and then gradually increasing. Finally, a significant level of difference in the expression of the GHR gene was reached at 3 and 4 weeks. In terms of the IGF-I gene, the changing trend of the expression level in the liver was the same as that of the GHR gene. After the injection of exogenous growth hormone, although the expression of the SS gene increased the inhibition of the secretion of the GHR gene by the Reeves' turtle, exogenous growth hormone could replace the synthesis of GH and GHR, accelerating the growth of the turtle. The experiments showed that the injection of recombinant human growth hormone affects the expression of SS, GHR, and IGF-1 genes, and promotes the growth of the Reeves' turtle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the affluence of empty hole on the propagation of biasing cracks, an empty hole blasting damage model is established by comb mg ANSYS/LS-DYNA finite dement software. The equation of stress distribution n the rock mass near the empty hole is deduced theoretically, and the Influence of empty whole effect on the fracture mechanism and crack propagation is analyzed. The results show that the free surface effect of empty hole will cause the sudden Increase of impact pressure and the change of seismic velocity near the empty hole, which leads to the phenomenon of "falling" of rock at the blasting surface. The shock velocity at the back surface of the empty hole is significantly smaller than that at the front surface, which indicates that the empty hole has a good effect of pressure relief and shock reduction. By comparing the analytical solution of the impact pressure and the radius of the fracture zone with the numerical calculation results it is found that the error rate of the impact pressure is 11.81%, and the error of the rams of the fracture zone is only 9.49%, which proves the accuracy of the simulation results in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was established for the development and validation of baloxavir acid (BXA) concentrations and the active ingredients of the antiviral drug baloxavir marboxil (BXM). Further, the method was applied to study the pharmacokinetics of BXA. BXA was determined by the electrospray ionization multiple reaction monitoring positive ion mode, and the mass‐to‐charge ratios (m/z) of BXA and internal standard baloxavir‐d4 were 484.2 → 247.2 and 488.1 → 247.2. An Oasis max online column (2.1 × 20 mm, 30 μm) was used with 1% formic acid in water (A) and 2% formic acid in acetonitrile (B) as mobile phases at a flow rate of 0.5 mL·min−1 for chromatographic separation. The linearity was good in the range of 3–200 ng·mL−1 (r = 0.9994), with 3.00 ng·mL−1 lower limit of quantification. The relative standard deviation of the inter‐assay precision was less than or equal to 6.51%, and the accuracy was in the range of 91.28%–104.29%. This method is suitable for the determination of BXA and for performing pharmacokinetic studies in clinical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]