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Background: Postoperative sore throat (POST) is a common complication following endotracheal tube removal, and effective preventive strategies remain elusive. This trial aimed to determine whether actively regulating intraoperative cuff pressure below the tracheal capillary perfusion pressure threshold could effectively reduce POST incidence in patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic procedures. Methods: This single-center, randomized controlled superiority trial allocated 60 patients scheduled for elective gynecological laparoscopic procedures into two groups: one designated for cuff pressure measurement and adjustment (CPMA) group, and a control group where only cuff pressure measurement was conducted without any subsequent adjustments. The primary outcome was POST incidence at rest within 24 h post-extubation. Secondary outcomes included cough, hoarseness, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) incidence, and post-extubation pain severity. Results: The incidence of sore throat at rest within 24 h after extubation in the CPMA group was lower than in the control group, meeting the criteria for statistically significant superiority based on a one-sided test (3.3% vs. 26.7%, P < 0.025). No statistically significant differences were observed in cough, hoarseness, or pain scores within 24 h post-extubation between the two groups. However, the CPMA group had a higher incidence of PONV compared to the control group. Additionally, the control group reported higher sore throat severity scores within 24 h post-extubation. Conclusions: Continuous monitoring and maintenance of tracheal tube cuff pressure at 18 mmHg were superior to merely monitoring without adjustment, effectively reducing the incidence of POST during quiet within 24 h after tracheal tube removal in gynecological laparoscopic surgery patients. Trial registration: The study was registered at www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2200064792) on 18/10/2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R)-associated primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is an immune-related disease in adults with increasing morbidity and variable treatment response, in which inflammation may contribute to the multifactorial immunopathogenesis. The relationship between fibrinogen-albumin ratio (FAR), serving as a novel inflammatory biomarker, and PMN is still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the association between FAR and disease activity and therapy response of PMN. 110 biopsy-proven phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) -associated PMN participants with nephrotic syndrome from January 2017 to December 2021 were recruited in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. The independent risk factors of non-remission (NR) and the predictive ability of FAR were explored by Cox regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. According to the optimal cutoff value, study patients were categorized into the low-FAR group (≤the cutoff value) and the high-FAR group (>the cutoff value). Spearman's correlations were used to examine the associations between FAR and baseline clinicopathological characteristics. Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess the effects of FAR on remission. In the entire study cohort, 78 (70.9%) patients reached complete or partial remission (CR or PR). The optimal cutoff value of FAR for predicting the remission outcome (CR + PR) was 0.233. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that the high-FAR group (>0.233) had a significantly lower probability to achieve CR or PR compared to the low-FAR group (≤0.233) (Log Rank test, p = 0.021). Higher levels of FAR were identified as an independent risk factor for NR, and the high-FAR group was associated with a 2.27 times higher likelihood of NR than the low-FAR group (HR 2.27, 95% CI 1.01, 5.13, p = 0.048). These relationships remained robust with further analysis among calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs)-receivers. In the multivariate Cox regression model, the incidence of NR was 4.00 times higher in the high-FAR group than in the low-FAR group (HR 4.00, 95% CI 1.41, 11.31, p = 0.009). Moreover, ROC analysis revealed the predictive value of FAR for CR or PR with a 0.738 area under curve (AUC), and the AUC of anti-PLA2R Ab was 0.675. When combining FAR and anti-PLA2R Ab, the AUC was boosted to 0.766. FAR was significantly correlated with proteinuria and anti-PLA2R Ab in PMN. As an independent risk factor for NR, FAR might serve as a potential inflammation-based prognostic tool for identifying cases with poor treatment response, and the best predictive cutoff value for outcomes was 0.233. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Moyamoya disease (MMD) signifies a cerebrovascular disorder with obscure origin and a more rapid and severe progression in children than adults. This investigation aims to uncover age-associated distinctions through proteomic and metabolomic profiling to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms of MMD. Methods: Twelve MMD patients—six children and six adults—along with six healthy controls (HC), participated, each providing a 10 mL blood sample. Serum proteomic and metabolomic analyses were conducted using ultra-performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry, complemented by bioinformatics to identify differential biomolecules and their interactions. Pathway implications were ascertained using GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. Results: Notable proteomic and metabolomic discrepancies were observed between pediatric and adult MMD subjects. A total of 235 and 216 proteins varied in adult and pediatric cases compared to HCs, with 73 proteins shared. In addition, 129 and 74 anionic, plus 96 and 104 cationic metabolites, were differentially expressed in the pediatric and adult groups, respectively, with 34 anionic and 28 cationic metabolites in common. Age-specific biomolecules further characterized these distinctions. Enrichment analysis pinpointed immunity and inflammation pathways, with vitamin digestion and absorption highlighted as pivotal in pediatric MMD. Conclusion: This study unveils distinct metabolic and proteomic patterns within pediatric and adult MMD patients. The critical role of the vitamin digestion and absorption pathway in the pathogenesis of pediatric MMD offers novel insight into disease mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Intracranial vessel wall enhancement (VWE) on high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) is associated with the progression and poor prognosis of moyamoya disease (MMD). This study assessed potential risk factors for VWE in MMD. Methods: We evaluated MMD patients using HRMRI and traditional angiography examinations. The participants were divided into VWE and non-VWE groups based on HRMRI. Logistic regression was performed to compare the risk factors for VWE in MMD. The incidence of cerebrovascular events of the different subgroups according to risk factors was compared using Kaplan–Meier survival and Cox regression. Results: We included 283 MMD patients, 84 of whom had VWE on HRMRI. The VWE group had higher modified Rankin Scale scores at admission (p = 0.014) and a higher incidence of ischaemia and haemorrhage (p = 0.002) than did the non-VWE group. Risk factors for VWE included the ring finger protein 213 (RNF213) p.R4810K variant (odds ratio [OR] 2.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08–3.76, p = 0.028), hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy) (OR 5.08, 95% CI 2.34–11.05, p < 0.001), and smoking history (OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.08–11.31, p = 0.037). During the follow-up of 63.9 ± 13.2 months (median 65 months), 18 recurrent stroke events occurred. Cox regression showed that VWE and the RNF213 p.R4810K variant were risk factors for stroke. Conclusion: The RNF213 p.R4810K variant is strongly associated with VWE and poor prognosis in MMD. HHcy and smoking are independent risk factors for VWE. Clinical relevance statement: Vessel wall enhancement in moyamoya disease is closely associated with poor prognosis, especially related to the ring finger protein 213 p.R4810K variant, hyperhomocysteinaemia, and smoking, providing crucial risk assessment information for the clinic. Key Points: • The baseline presence of vessel wall enhancement is significantly associated with poor prognosis in moyamoya disease. • The ring finger protein 213 p.R4810K variant is strongly associated with vessel wall enhancement and poor prognosis in moyamoya disease. • Hyperhomocysteinaemia and smoking are independent risk factors for vessel wall enhancement in moyamoya disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been few reports on the risk factors for preoperative cerebral infarction in childhood moyamoya disease (MMD) in infants under 4 years. The aim of this retrospective study is to identify clinical and radiological risk factors for preoperative cerebral infarction in infants under 4 years old with MMD, and the optimal timing for EDAS was also considered. We retrospectively analyzed the risk factors for preoperative cerebral infarction, confirmed by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), in pediatric patients aged ˂4 years who underwent encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis between April 2005 and July 2022. The clinical and radiological outcomes were determined by two independent reviewers. In addition, potential risk factors for preoperative cerebral infarction, including infarctions at diagnosis and while awaiting surgery, were analyzed using a univariate model and multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictors of preoperative cerebral infarction. A total of 160 hemispheres from 83 patients aged <4 years with MMD were included in this study. The mean age of all surgical hemispheres at diagnosis was 2.17±0.831 years (range 0.380–3.81 years). In the multivariate logistic regression model, we included all variables with P<0.1 in the univariate analysis. The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that preoperative MRA grade (odds ratio [OR], 2.05 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3–3.25], P=0. 002), and age at diagnosis (OR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.4–0.92], P=0. 018) were predictive factors of infarction at diagnosis. The analysis further indicated that the onset of infarction (OR, 0.01 [95% CI, 0–0.08], P<0.001), preoperative MRA grade (OR, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.03–2.8], P=0.037), and duration from diagnosis to surgery (Diag-Op) (OR, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.11–1.41], P<0.001) were predictive factors for infarction while awaiting surgery. Moreover, the regression analysis indicated that family history (OR, 8.88 [95% CI, 0.91–86.83], P=0.06), preoperative MRA grade (OR, 8.72 [95% CI, 3.44–22.07], P<0.001), age at diagnosis (OR, 0.36 [95% CI, 0.14–0.91], P=0.031), and Diag-Op (OR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.14–1.67], P=0.001) were predictive factors for total infarction. Therefore, during the entire treatment process, careful observation, adequate risk factor management, and optimal operation time are required to prevent preoperative cerebral infarction, particularly in pediatric patients with a family history, higher preoperative MRA grade, duration from diagnosis to operation longer than 3.53 months, and aged ˂3 years at diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that has been found to be associated with dysregulation of gastrointestinal functions and gut microbial homeostasis (the so-called "gut-brain axis"). ASD is often accompanied by poor performances in social interaction and repetitive behaviors. Studies on the gut-brain axis provide novel insights and candidate targets for ASD therapeutics and diagnosis. Based on the ASD mice model, this work aims to reveal the mechanisms behind the interaction of intestinal barrier function and probiotics in ASD mouse models. Results: We found an altered intestinal barrier in both BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) and valproic acid (VPA) mice, including increased intestinal permeability, decreased expression of intestinal tight junction proteins (claudin1, claudin3, and occludin), and increased levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Based on intestinal microbial alternation, C. butyricum can drive reduced expression of histone deacetylases 1 (HDAC1) and enhanced intestinal barrier function, significantly promoting behavioral abnormalities of ASD in BTBR mice. In parallel, we confirmed that C. butyricum was involved in the regulation of intestinal function by the Trek1 channel, indicating that it is a target of C. butyricum/butyric acid to improve intestinal barrier function in ASD mice. Conclusions: Our finding provides solid evidence for the gut microbiota involved in ASD through the brain-gut axis. In addition, the probiotics C. butyricum hold promise to improve gut health and ameliorate behavioral abnormalities associated with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problems of low flame retardant performance in the use of acrylic resin, a flame-retardant acrylic resin coating PA-IFR was prepared by adding intumescent flame retardants (IFR) composed of ammonium polyphosphate (APP), pentaerythritol (PER) and melamine (MEL) to the acrylic resin emulsion by combining ultrasonic and mechanical stirring. The chemical structure, transmittance, hardness and flame retardant properties of PA-IFR were tested by infrared spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer, pencil hardness tester and limiting oxygen index meter. The results show that the hardness of the PA-IFR reaches 5H and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value reaches 32.6% when the mass fraction of the FR is 30% and the formula ratio of APP/PER/MEL is 2 : 1 : 1. The acrylic resin coating prepared in this study is a flame retardant material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine the effect of worldwide corporate governance reforms on analyst forecasts using data on firms from 41 countries that have implemented such reforms. Employing a difference‐in‐differences design, we find robust evidence of a significant positive effect of these reforms, which mainly promote the independence of the audit committee and auditors, on analyst forecast accuracy. We also find significant improvements in post‐reform corporate governance structure and the quantity and quality of corporate disclosure, which validates the predicted economic mechanism of the impact of these reforms. Moreover, the reforms are effective in reducing analyst forecast bias and dispersion, suggesting an overall improvement in analyst forecast quality after reform implementation. Furthermore, we find a moderating effect of analyst general experience on the relationship of interest, which is consistent with the conjecture that improved corporate disclosures following reforms could be more beneficial for analysts with less experience. Overall, our findings shed new insights into how country‐level corporate governance reforms worldwide shape firms' information environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is an essential precancerous lesion. Although the reversal of GIM is challenging, it potentially brings a state-to-art strategy for gastric cancer therapeutics (GC). The lack of the appropriate in vitro model limits studies of GIM pathogenesis, which is the issue this work aims to address for further studies. Method: The air-liquid interface (ALI) model was adopted for the long-term culture of GIM cells in the present work. This study conducted Immunofluorescence (IF), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), transcriptomic sequencing, and mucoproteomic sequencing (MS) techniques to identify the pathways for differential expressed genes (DEGs) enrichment among different groups, furthermore, to verify novel biomarkers of GIM cells. Result: Our study suggests that GIM-ALI model is analog to the innate GIM cells, which thus can be used for mucus collection and drug screening. We found genes MUC17, CDA, TRIM15, TBX3, FLVCR2, ONECUT2, ACY3, NMUR2, and MAL2 were highly expressed in GIM cells, while GLDN, SLC5A5, MAL, and MALAT1 showed down-regulated, which can be used as potential biomarkers for GIM cells. In parallel, these genes that highly expressed in GIM samples were mainly involved in cancer-related pathways, such as the MAPK signal pathway and oxidative phosphorylation signal pathway. Conclusion: The ALI model is validated for the first time for the in vitro study of GIM. GIM-ALI model is a novel in vitro model that can mimic the tissue micro-environment in GIM patients and further provide an avenue for studying the characteristics of GIM mucus. Our study identified new markers of GIM as well as pathways associated with GIM, which provides outstanding insight for exploring GIM pathogenesis and potentially other related conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Previous studies have established that heterozygous mutation for the p.R4810K variant can influence the severity of the clinical phenotype in patients with moyamoya disease (MMD) at disease onset. However, the relationship between the p.R4810K variant and the clinical phenotype of long-term unfavorable outcomes in Chinese pediatric patients remains unclear. Objectives. The primary aim of this study was to examine the association of heterozygous p.R4810K of RNF213 and long-term unfavorable outcomes after encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS) in Chinese pediatric patients with MMD. Method. In this retrospective cohort study, we included 259 pediatric patients with MMD who possessed the known p.R4810K genotype. These individuals underwent EDAS along with genotyping analysis for p.R4810K via a TaqMan probe and the QuantStudio 6 Flex Real-Time PCR System. Subsequently, we evaluated their long-term outcomes. The variables we assessed were age at diagnosis, gender, p.R4810K genotypes, initial modified Rankin scale (mRS), clinical manifestations (such as hemorrhage and ischemia), posterior cerebral artery (PCA) involvement combined with angiographic stage, and their history of risk factors like hyperlipidemia and hyperhomocysteinemia. Furthermore, we scrutinized long-term unfavorable outcomes using both univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictive factors. Results. This study enrolled 259 Chinese pediatric patients with MMD, which included both newly and previously diagnosed cases, who underwent EDAS. The cohort comprised 130 male participants (50.19%) and 129 female participants (49.81%), with a median onset age of 8 years (median, IQR: 6-12 years). Among these patients, homozygous mutations were exceptionally rare, identified in only 4 individuals (1.54%), while the prevalence of heterozygous mutations was relatively higher, observed in 85 children (32.82%). The multivariate logistic regression showed that several factors were significantly associated with long-term unfavorable outcomes: older age at diagnosis (OR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.7-0.96], P = 0.014), onset with hematoma (OR, 12.76 [95% CI, 1.52-106.89], P = 0.019), initial mRS (OR, 24.53 [95% CI, 6.51-92.41], P < 0.001), perioperative infarction (OR, 22.16 [95% CI, 1.45-337.96], P = 0.026), and infarction during follow-up (OR, 14.5 [95% CI, 2.04-103.12], P = 0.008). Furthermore, the cumulative incidence of initial infarction suggested that pediatric patients with homozygous or heterozygous mutations typically present at a younger age and exhibit a higher incidence of initial infarction compared to those carrying wild-type genotypes. Conclusions. The study suggests that the p.R4810K variant is associated with the onset age of MMD in Chinese pediatric patients, potentially impacting long-term outcomes. Surprisingly low recurrent stroke rates were observed across all genotypes, including homozygous individuals for the pathogenic variant, indicating that nongenetic factors may also play a role in the course and outcomes of MMD in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor air pollution, which is detrimental to the human respiratory, nervous, and cardiovascular systems, is of increasing concern because considerable time is spent indoors. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop improved methods for controlling indoor air pollution. In this study, electrospinning and freeze‐drying methods are used to prepare a cellulose–silica nanofiber (C‐SNF) aerogel loaded with zeolitic imidazolate framework‐67 (ZIF‐67) for use in indoor air purification systems. The C‐SNF aerogel doped with 0.75 wt.% SiO2 nanofiber (SNF) exhibits a maximum compressive stress of 8.7 MPa, which is higher than that (6.4 MPa) of a pure cellulose aerogel. The compressive modulus of the aerogel exceeds 85% of its original value after 100 compression cycles. The C‐SNF aerogel exhibits a filtration efficiency of 99.91% against 0.3 µm salt particles at 32 L min−1, which is higher than that of the pure cellulose aerogel (51.25%). Moreover, a stable removal efficiency of 99.92% toward 2.5 µm particulate matter (PM2.5) is observed after ten cycles. Notably, the addition of ZIF‐67 to C‐SNF (ZIF‐67@C‐SNF) aerogel by in situ growth method resulted in a porosity of 92.3% and formaldehyde removal of 93.75%. The ZIF‐67@C‐SNF aerogel can be used in various applications including indoor‐air and adsorptive‐filtration masks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter (PM) has a significant impact on air quality, especially the PM produced by automobile exhaust and high temperature environment. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a technology that can effectively intercept fine PM under high temperature conditions. This study reports the construction of poly(m‐phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) nanofiber‐reinforced polyimide aerogel (PPNFAs) filters using freeze‐drying and electrospinning for high temperature filtration. After 100 compression cycles, the maximum compressive stress of PPNFAs is reduced by only 15%. When the content of PMIA is 0.65 wt%, PPNFAs has a high porosity (97.35%), high specific surface area (8.87 m2 g−1) and highest dust holding capacity (124.8 m2 g−1). After 15 days of continuous heating test at 300°C, the filtration efficiency of PPNFAs filter for different diameter particles of impurities remained above 98%. Therefore, the PPNFAs filter prepared in this study provides a new design concept for a new generation of high temperature filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of block copolymer (BCP) microparticles with switchable morphology in response to external stimuli is important for exploiting new intelligent materials. In this work, thermo/pH dual-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) were employed as a co-surfactant to modulate the self-assembly morphology of polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) microparticles within confined emulsion droplets. The co-surfactant was synthesized by grafting poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) onto the surface of Fe3O4 NP. The introduction of the dual-responsive co-surfactant enabled thermo/pH dual-responsive reversible morphology transition of the PS-b-P2VP microparticles by tailoring the hydrophobicity and interfacial affinity of the co-surfactant. By using this strategy, the thermo-inert PS-b-P2VP self-assembled into pupa-like microparticles at T = 10 °C and pH 7.5, which could transform into tulip-like microparticles when T was increased to 50 °C. When the pH value was increased to 11, the pupa-like particles turned into onion-like microparticles although the PS-b-P2VP was inert to alkali. However, the pupa-like microparticles remained unchanged when both T and pH were simultaneously increased. The PAA-b-PNIPAM-grafted Fe3O4 NP surfactants showed obvious advantages over the linear PAA-b-PNIPAM surfactants in modulating the morphology transition, since the linear PAA-b-PNIPAM could not induce the reversible shape transition of microparticles. Our work provides an efficient strategy to achieve reversible shape transformation of BCP microparticles while the internal phase structure is preserved, which may be utilized to switch the structural color properties of BCP microparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high-performance filtration materials is crucial for the effective removal of airborne particulate matter. However, balancing the filtration efficiency and pressure drop in these filtration materials and simultaneously achieving high efficiency and low resistance remain challenging. In this study, we observed that the addition of poly-(methylhydrosiloxane) (PHMS) contributes to the refinement of PS fibers and can improve the hydrophobicity of the membrane. Therefore, PHMS-doped polystyrene (PS) multiscale nanofiber composite membranes were prepared by electrospinning, and their filtration performance was systematically investigated. By integrating fibers with diameters 62 and 430 nm, doped with 5 and 20% PHMS, respectively, a multiscale nanofibre membrane was constructed, which achieved high filtration efficiency (99.90% for PM0.3), low resistance (pressure drop 63 Pa), and a quality factor of 0.0893 Pa–1. After 10 filtration cycles, the membrane sustained 99% efficiency, surpassing that of commercial filters in terms of long-term filtration performance. The filtration efficiency and pressure drop of the multiscale nanofiber membrane were simulated by establishing an airflow field, and the simulation results confirmed the excellent filtration performance. The present study introduces an innovative methodology for fabricating high-efficiency and low-resistance nanofibers as air filtration materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying is a goal-directed behavior that has long been in the spotlight of worldwide school mental health programs and research. However, the role of popularity goals in bullying and its potential mechanisms are unclear for adolescents in a non-Western cultural context. Based on 333 Chinese adolescents (52% female), the current study was the first to explore the potential moderating roles of popularity status and cognitive empathy in the association between popularity goals and early Chinese adolescents' bullying behaviors. Moderated moderation analyses indicated that popularity status and cognitive empathy significantly moderated the positive relationship between popularity goals and Chinese adolescents' bullying behaviors. Specifically, the statistically significant three-way interaction revealed that low popularity status and low cognitive empathy strengthen the positive links between popularity goals and bullying. The significant two-way interaction showed that the positive relations between popularity goals and bullying were stronger for low popularity among Chinese adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Upregulation of an RNA-binding protein HuR has been implicated in glomerular diseases. Herein, we evaluated whether it is involved in renal tubular fibrosis. Methods: HuR was firstly examined in human kidney biopsy tissue with tubular disease. Second, its expression and the effect of HuR inhibition with KH3 on tubular injury were further assessed in a mouse model induced by a unilateral renal ischemia/reperfusion (IR). KH3 (50 mg kg−1) was given daily via intraperitoneal injection from day 3 to 14 after IR. Last, one of HuR-targeted pathways was examined in cultured proximal tubular cells. Results: HuR significantly increases at the site of tubular injury both in progressive CKD in patients and in IR-injured kidneys in mice, accompanied by upregulation of HuR targets that are involved in inflammation, profibrotic cytokines, oxidative stress, proliferation, apoptosis, tubular EMT process, matrix remodeling and fibrosis in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. KH3 treatment reduces the IR-induced tubular injury and fibrosis, accompanied by the remarkable amelioration in those involved pathways. A panel of mRNA array further revealed that 519 molecules in mouse kidney following IR injury changed their expression and 71.3% of them that are involved in 50 profibrotic pathways, were ameliorated when treated with KH3. In vitro, TGFβ1 induced tubular HuR cytoplasmic translocation and subsequent tubular EMT, which were abrogated by KH3 administration in cultured HK-2 cells. Conclusions: These results suggest that excessive upregulation of HuR contributes to renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis by dysregulating genes involved in multiple profibrotic pathways and activating the TGFß1/HuR feedback circuit in tubular cells. Inhibition of HuR may have therapeutic potential for renal tubular fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative sore throat (POST) is a common postoperative complication after endotracheal tube removal. There are still no effective preventive methods for POST. The aim of this trial is to confirm whether maintaining intraoperative cuff pressure below the tracheal capillary perfusion pressure could effectively reduce the incidence of POST among patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery. Methods: This study is a single-center, randomized, parallel-controlled, superiority trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio. Sixty patients whose age is between 18 and 65 years and scheduled for gynecological laparoscopic surgery will be randomized to the cuff pressure measurement and adjustment (CPMA) group and the only cuff pressure measurement without adjustment group (control group). The primary endpoint is the incidence of sore throat at rest within 24 h after extubation. The secondary endpoints include the incidence of cough, the incidence of hoarseness, the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), POST, and pain intensity within 24 h after extubation. Blocked randomization will be conducted with a computer-generated central randomization online service. The blind method will be applied to subjects, data collectors, outcome evaluators, and statisticians. Outcome assessments will be performed at 0 h and 24 h post-extubation. Discussion: This randomized controlled study hypothesizes that cuff pressure is the primary influencing factor of POST. By continuous monitoring of endotracheal tube cuff pressure and maintaining it within the range of 18–22 mmHg compared with only continuous measurement without adjustment, it aims to prove that continuous measurement and adjustment of endotracheal tube cuff pressure could be effective in reducing the incidence of POST in gynecological laparoscopic surgery patients. The result of this study could be used as a reference for future multicenter studies to confirm the effect of cuff pressure on POST and provides a scientific theoretical basis for preventing POST to further support comfort medicine. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2200064792. Registered on 18 October 2022. This protocol (version 1.0, 16 March 2022) was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RET, a single-pass receptor tyrosine kinase encoded on human chromosome 10, is well known to the field of developmental biology for its role in the ontogenesis of the central and enteric nervous systems and the kidney. In adults, RET alterations have been characterized as drivers of non-small cell lung cancer and multiple neuroendocrine neoplasms. In breast cancer, RET signaling networks have been shown to influence diverse functions including tumor development, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. While RET is known to drive the development and progression of multiple solid tumors, therapeutic agents selectively targeting RET are relatively new, though multiple multi-kinase inhibitors have shown promise as RET inhibitors in the past; further, RET has been historically neglected as a potential therapeutic co-target in endocrine-refractory breast cancers despite mounting evidence for a key pathologic role and repeated description of a bi-directional relationship with the estrogen receptor, the principal driver of most breast tumors. Additionally, the recent discovery of RET enrichment in breast cancer brain metastases suggests a role for RET inhibition specific to advanced disease. This review assesses the status of research on RET in breast cancer and evaluates the therapeutic potential of RET-selective kinase inhibitors across major breast cancer subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution caused by particulate matter (PM) poses an imminent threat to the global environment and public health. However, balancing the removal efficiency and pressure drop of most filter materials is difficult. Moreover, filter materials are non‐degradable and non‐recyclable, causing serious harm to the environment. Herein, a strategy to create fully degradable branched poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers based on electrospinning by adjusting the spinning solution properties was reported and branched PLA nanofibers were applied as nanofiber filter paper for air filtration materials. When the PLA and tetrabutylammonium chloride concentrations were 8 and 5 wt%, respectively, PLA nanofibers with branched structures were obtained. The obtained nanofibers possessed a small pore size (0.70 μm), high porosity (92.3%), appropriate mechanical properties, resulting in high PM0.3 removal efficiency (99.95%), low air resistance (79.67 Pa), and promising long‐term PM2.5 purification. Notably, branched T‐PLA‐5 nanofibers exhibited excellent filtration performance when applied to cellulose wood pulp paper. The filtration efficiency of the nanofiber filter paper remained stable above 85% for PM0.3 (32 L min−1) after 5000 backflushings. Thus, the preparation of such nanomaterials may provide new insights into the design and development of high‐performance degradable filtration materials for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators worldwide are concerned about how to engage sufficient students to choose STEM majors and careers. STEM self-efficacy was found to be critical in promoting an individual's career choice in STEM. While the importance of family factors (coparental conflict) in learning has been increasingly emphasized, little empirical research has examined the effects of coparenting conflict on STEM self-efficacy among adolescents. Based on ecological and family system theories, this study aimed to examine the parallel mediation effect of implicit theories of intelligence and depression between conflict and Chinese adolescents' STEM self-efficacy. In total, 443 Chinese tenth-grade students (209 males, 47.20%) completed an online survey. The model was investigated using a structural equation modelling approach with bootstrapping techniques (bootstrap replications: 5,000) using AMOS 23. The results indicated that the relationship between coparental conflict and adolescents' STEM self-efficacy was not significant. The association between coparental conflict and STEM self-efficacy was fully mediated by depression. The mediating effect of implicit theories of intelligence was not significant. The results highlight the value of family factors, such as coparental conflict, in adolescents' STEM self-efficacy and provide insight into the underlying process. The findings of this study may provide evidence for designing STEM education programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of renewable energies to produce hydrogen has been an important issue in recent years. In this paper, a Ba1−xSrxTiO3 photoelectrode is designed on the basis of temperature and light excitation, and the influence of doping on pyro-photo-electric catalysis is explored by changing the doping amount of Sr2+ ions. Under the conditions of 50 °C temperature, illumination and external bias voltage, the current density of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 at 1.23 V vs. RHE is the highest, reaching 0.698 mA·cm−2, which is significantly higher than the sum of photocurrent (0.427 mA·cm−2) and pyroelectric current (0.007 mA·cm−2). The main reason for the improvement of performance is that doping expands the response of semiconductors to visible light and the effect of a polarization built-in electric field. In this work, it is proposed to improve the pyro-photo-electric performance of the Ba1−xSrxTiO3 photoelectrode by changing the Sr2+ doping concentration, improve the separation and transfer efficiency of carriers, and provide a practical method for designing semiconductor photoelectrodes with excellent catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape‐transforming block copolymer (BCP) microparticles have attracted extensive attention due to their promising applications in nanotechnology, biomedicines, interfacial science, and other fields. As their performance is highly associated to their shape and structure, it is very important to realize the precise control of particle shape. In this report, a method is proposed to regulate the shape and structure of polystyrene‐b‐polydimethoxysiloxane (PS‐b‐PDMS) microparticles by using positively charged core‐crosslinked nanoparticles (CNPs) as a cosurfactant, combining with cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The electrostatic repulsive interactions between CNPs and CTAB dominate the shape of PS‐b‐PDMS particles. Upon introducing NaCl, the electrostatic repulsion is reduced, resulting in the reshape of PS‐b‐PDMS particles from striped Janus ellipsoids to onion‐like microspheres at a critical concentration of NaCl (cNaCl). Interestingly, it is found that the critical cNaCl first increases then reaches a plateau, with the increase in the crosslinking degree of the CNPs. The work provides a simple strategy to tailor the morphology of BCPs by manipulating the electrostatic interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested the mediating role of bullying attitudes and moderating role of school connectedness in the link between sympathy and Chinese adolescents' active defending behaviors in bullying. Participants were 808 Chinese adolescents (53.3% male, Mage = 12.40, SD = 0.50). The results showed that sympathy was significantly positively correlated with active defending behaviors through bullying attitudes. In addition, school connectedness could moderate the relationship between sympathy and active defending behaviors. Specifically, the positive correlation between sympathy and active defending behaviors was stronger for adolescents with a high level of school connectedness. These findings emphasize the importance of considering complex multiple ecological level factors when examining bullying bystander. Practitioner points: Sympathy was significantly positively correlated with active defending behaviors through bullying attitudes.In addition, school connectedness could moderate the relationship between sympathy and active defending behaviors.Schools should design antibullying programs to improve adolescents' sympathy, antibullying attitudes, and school connectedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited telomere biology disorder characterized clinically by mucocutaneous triad of reticulate hyperpigmentation, nail changes and oral leukoplakia. Bone marrow failure, pulmonary fibrosis and malignancies are the mainly life-threatening causes. There are X-linked recessive, autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive patterns of DC. DKC1 is the most common pathogenic mutation gene responsible for X-linked DC, and it encodes a protein, dyskerin, which is a component of telomerase holoenzyme complex essential for telomere maintenance. Patients with DC have very short telomeres, but the precise pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the causative mutations in the DKC1 gene in three Chinese families with the X-linked form of DC. Patients and Methods: Three Chinese families with DC were included in this study. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed to clarify the mutation of DKC1 gene. Measurement of relative telomere length through qPCR. Predictions of protein structure and function were performed using bioinformatics tools, including I-TASSER, Polyphen-2 and SIFT. Results: There were four males with DC and a female carrier in three Chinese pedigrees. The novel mutation c.92A>C (p. Q31P) and the missense mutation c.1058C>T (p. A353V) in DKC1 were identified. Both mutations locally changed the structure of dyskerin. Variant Q31P and A353V were predicted to have "deleterious" and "natural" effects on the function of dyskerin, respectively. Conclusion: The novel variant and missense variant detected in the DKC1 gene improve our understanding of DC and broaden the mutation spectrum of the DKC1 gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, conical cavities with a fixed top diameter and varied bottom diameter have been utilized to improve the signal intensity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and signal stability of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). It is observed that the postponement of the maximum enhancement of spectral intensity and SNR occurs abnormally with decreasing the bottom diameter due to the energy dissipation from the plasma to the cavity walls. Optimization of the cavity size indicates that the conical cavity is superior to the widely-used cylindrical cavity in improving the performance of LIBS. It is also found that the emission enhancement in the conical cavity with larger bottom diameters is attributed to the increase in plasma temperature and electron number density, but the enhancement in the conical cavity with smaller bottom diameters is ascribed to the growth of electron number density. For the first time, the exact efficiencies of conical cavities suppressing the total number density fluctuation are acquired to evaluate the performance of improving signal stability through analysis of the signal uncertainty composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) represents a highly promising detection technology for the quantitative determination of trace elements in liquids. However, due to plasma fast quenching, liquid level instability, and limited laser-energy absorption, rapid real-time quantitative detection of trace elements with high-sensitivity in liquid targets remains significantly challenging. Here, a feasible hybrid method of discharge-assisted laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (D-LIBS) with wavelet transform de-noising (WTDN) was proposed for trace metal element analysis in oil pollutants. Compared to conventional laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (C-LIBS), this method has the capacity to increase signal intensities of trace metal elements by one order of magnitude. For the Ca element, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is increased by 16-fold with the optimal wavelet basis and decomposition layer in WTDN. Examining the LoDs of Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Fe, Na, and Zn shows that D-LIBS with WTDN allows the LoDs to be lowered to 1/2–1/24 of the original level. And the LoDs of Ca and Ba are measured to be as low as 0.32 mg L−1 and 0.69 mg L−1, respectively, which are reduced by one order of magnitude compared to those of C-LIBS. Moreover, the standard addition method analyzed the recoveries of Ba and Fe elements in the real samples of spiked lubricating oils to evaluate the method's trueness. Superior accuracy and repeatability are obtained by D-LIBS, and the mean recoveries are in the range of 101.81–105.45%. In addition, partial least squares regression (PLSR) and support vector regression (SVR) models were established to predict the metal concentration. Thanks to this hybrid method, the PLSR model allows the coefficient of determination (RP2) to increase from 0.4710 to 0.9250, and the SVR model allows the RP2 to increase from 0.4590 to 0.9876. Our work provides an alternative, economical, and reliable method for rapid real-time quantitative analysis of trace metal elements with high-sensitivity in various industrial applications associated with oil pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A self-consistent two-dimensional fluid model is employed to investigate the coaxial–coplanar dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) excited by the sinusoidal voltage in atmospheric helium. Simulation results show that there are two current pulses in the positive half cycle, but only one in the negative half cycle. The discharge is transformed from the Townsend-like mode, through the glow-like mode, and back to the Townsend-like mode in both the positive and negative half cycles, during which the electric field line exhibits an arc-shape profile due to the configuration of coaxial–coplanar electrodes. In the glow-like mode, the cathode fall is located near the inner edge of the ground electrode at the first positive current peak, but close to the outer edge of the ground electrode at the second positive current peak. At the negative current peak, the cathode fall is distributed near the outer edge of the high voltage electrode. Since the instantaneous anode and the instantaneous cathode are on the same side of the discharge space, the dielectric layer is simultaneously covered by positive and negative surface charges due to the movement of charged particles. It is also found that the surface charge density changes significantly on the dielectric layer facing the electrodes. A further study reveals that a stronger discharge always occurs in the central circular area and an alternately complementary discharge takes place in the periphery ring area in the positive half cycle due to the activator–inhibitor effect. This feature is helpful for producing uniform plasma in a whole cycle of DBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responsive block copolymer photonic crystals (BCP PCs) have a tunable photonic band gap (PBG) and structural colour under external stimuli, enabling their wide applications in bionics, sensing, display, and others. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the preparation and applications of responsive BCP PCs. The effect of molecular weight, molecular architecture, and additives on the optical performance of BCP PCs is discussed. Then, we review the responsiveness of BCP PCs to mechanical, electric, thermal, solvent, humidity, and ionic stimuli. Moreover, we highlight the responsive PC microparticles prepared by the three-dimensional confined assembly of BCPs. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and perspectives in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been an effective method to improve the metal protective performance of UV‐curable waterborne coatings by increasing the crosslinking degree. Hence, a series of UV‐curable waterborne urethane modified acrylic (UV‐WUA) coatings with different vinyl content were prepared. Firstly, a functional prepolymer containing carboxyl and hydroxyl groups was synthesized by free radical copolymerization (FRCP) using acrylic acid (AA), 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and butyl acrylate (BA). Next, it was grafted with different amounts of semi‐adduct of isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and HEA (IPDI‐HEA), and finally neutralized and hydrated, obtaining UV‐WUA dispersions which were then cured by UV to acquire cured films and coatings. Meanwhile, molecular structures, molecular weights, particle sizes, and Zeta potentials were characterized. Then, the heat resistance, mechanical performance, adhesion and the pencil hardness of the coatings were also investigated. Moreover, their protective performance was tested by electrochemical methods, and the surface morphology was analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The results showed that the coating had desirable comprehensive performance when vinyl content reached 0.86 mmol·g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although lupus nephritis (LN) is mostly characterized by glomerular involvement, tubular injury is indispensable in its pathogenesis and progression. The purpose of this study is to examine associations between urinary acidification function and clinical and pathological features in LN.Methods: A total of 103 patients with renal biopsy-proven LN were included, and clinical parameters and laboratory data were obtained from the medical records. Plasma samples, 24-h urine samples and the urinary acidification function, including urine pH, titratable acid, and ammonia, were collected within 3 days before the day of renal biopsy. The correlations between defects of acid excretion and clinical and pathological features were then assessed. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with the presence of nephrotic range proteinuria.Results: The urine ammonia level was inversely correlated with SLEDAI-2 K scores, rSLEDAI scores, serum creatinine levels and proteinuria, while it was positively correlated with eGFR. And urine titratable acid was only inversely correlated with rSLEDAI scores and proteinuria. Moreover, urine ammonia had significant negative correlations with AI scores, interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, CI scores, glomerular sclerosis, fibrous crescents, tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis. And urine titratable acid was mainly inversely correlated with CI scores. Furthermore, univariate logistic analyses identified that both urine titratable acid and ammonia were correlated with the presence of nephrotic range proteinuria. After the adjustment for chronicity index and eGFR in a multivariate logistic analysis, only urine titratable acid was still identified as an independent risk factor for the occurrence of nephrotic range proteinuria.Conclusions: Urine ammonia was associated with clinical and pathological features of chronicity and tubulointerstitial disease activity among patients with lupus nephritis. Furthermore, the strong association between urinary protein and titratable acid excretion at the time of kidney biopsy is significant even after adjusting for the chronicity index and eGFR at biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 1 (MPC1) and mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 2 (MPC2) play a bottleneck role in the transport of pyruvate into mitochondrial across the mitochondrial inner membrane. A previous study showed that increasing mitochondrial pyruvate carrier content might ameliorate diabetic kidney disease in db/db mice. However, the expression status of MPC1 and MPC2 in patients with DN is unclear.Methods: Patients with primary glomerulonephropathy (PGN, n = 30), PGN with diabetes mellitus (PGN-DM, n = 30) and diabetic nephropathy (DN, n = 30) were included. MPC1 and MPC2 protein levels were examined by immunohistochemistry. The expression of MPC in different groups was evaluated by the Kruskal-Wallis test. Spearman's rank correlation was performed for correlation analysis between MPC levels and clinical factors.Results: Both MPC1 and MPC2 were localized in renal tubules. Levels of MPC1 and MPC2 were lower in DN patients than in PGN patients and in PGN patients with DM, whereas there were no differences in MPC1 and MPC2 levels among DN stage II to stage IV. Moreover, both MPC1 and MPC2 levels were significantly correlated with serum creatinine, BUN and eGFR in patients with DN, whereas no analogous trend was observed in nondiabetic kidney disease.Conclusions: Our study indicated that MPC localized in renal tubules, which were significantly decreased in DN. MPC was associated with clinical features, especially those representing renal functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the induction of strong host antitumor responses plays a very important role in antitumor therapy, identifying effective approaches to elicit immunogenic cell death could have important implications. RIP3-dependent necroptotic cancer cells have been reported to release damage-associated molecular patterns and enhance antitumor immunity. In this study, hyaluronic acid-conjugated cationic liposomes (DOTAP/DOPE/PEG-DSPE/CHOL) (HA-P-LP) were prepared as a vector for mRIP3-pDNA overexpression in tumours. Compared with standard cationic liposomes, this vector markedly increased cellular gene internalisation in vitro, enhanced the tumour-targeting effect in vivo and exhibited a significant antitumor effect in combination with adjuvant chloroquine. Considering the dramatic increase in RIP3 under the pathological condition of pancreatitis and the correlation between pancreatitis and necroptosis, non-HA-conjugated liposomes with the same formulation loaded with shRNA mRIP3-pDNA effectively controlled the disease by decreasing the serum amylase concentration and inflammatory cell infiltration. The versatile cationic liposomes loaded with plasmids with opposing functions in this study provide a new concept and method for both tumour therapy and pancreatitis therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise classification of seeds is important for agriculture. Due to the slight physical and chemical difference between different types of wheat and high correlation between bands of images, it is easy to fall into the local optimum when selecting the characteristic band of using the spectral average only. In this paper, in order to solve this problem, a new variable fusion strategy was proposed based on successive projection algorithm and the variable importance in projection algorithm to obtain a comprehensive and representative variable feature for higher classification accuracy, within spectral mean and spectral standard deviation, so the 25 feature bands obtained are classified by support vector machine, and the classification accuracy rate reached 83.3%. It indicates that the new fusion strategy can mine the effective features of hyperspectral data better to improve the accuracy of the model and it can provide a theoretical basis for the hyperspectral classification of tiny kernels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Acoustic emission (AE) technology is extensively acknowledged as a promising structural health monitoring (SHM) approach; meanwhile, AE monitoring has long been criticised for a lack of quantitative results. This work revealed a strong correlation between the shear stress distribution and the resulting AE distribution, enabling accurate and real‐time quantification of the shear stress states in concrete beams using only AE measurements. This paper started by introducing the AE phenomenon and the theoretical distribution of the shear stresses on a beam cross section, which revealed that the distributions of the stresses and the resulting emissions inherently correlate to each other. Twelve reinforced concrete beams were then tested, deploying devices including an AE system. The results showed that the AE source intensity distribution strongly correlated with that of the shear stresses in a beam segment when the beam was in both the working stage and the failure phase and that the matching degree of these two distribution curves varied from 79.20% to 94.12%. The correlation revealed in the paper will boost a wide range of significant AE‐based scientific research and engineering applications, including SHM and non‐destructive testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemia/reperfusion (IR) is a common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, effective therapies for IR-induced AKI are lacking. Hyperoside is an active constituent in the flowers of Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medic, which is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of various ischemic brain and heart diseases. Our previous study demonstrated that hyperoside inhibited adriamycin induced podocyte injury both in vivo and in vitro. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of hyperoside in IR-induced AKI. In mice, pretreatment of hyperoside could markedly attenuate IR-induced AKI, tubular cell apoptosis, and oxidative stress in the kidneys. Meanwhile, we found hyperoside inhibited IR-induced mitochondrial fission by suppressing OMA1 mediated proteolysis of optic atrophy 1 (OPA1). Consistently, in human proximal tubular epithelial cells, hyperoside might inhibit CoCl2-induced mitochondrial fission, oxidative stress, and apoptosis by regulating OMA1-OPA1 axis. Taken together, our results support the idea that OMA1-OPA1 mediated mitochondrial fission can be used for the prevention of AKI. Hyperoside might have novel therapeutic potential in the treatment of AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non-destructive estimation of the corrosion amount in the existing RC structure is highly desired and therefore this paper presents a proof-of-concept experimental demonstration of such a method, which is based on the eddy heat imaging (EHI) technique. Its basic principle is to convey a corrosion signal to the surface of RC structures by eddy heating. To develop the EHI method, the first key step is to address the question of whether the rate of change in surface temperature is strongly associated with the corrosion amount. In order to make the problem tractable, special equipment was designed, from which 81 observations were obtained for data analysis. After the statistical analysis of the observational data and preliminary application on an in-service bridge, the results show that the EHI method is a promising approach to the quantitative measurement of the corrosion amount of RC structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study is to guarantee assembly quality and reduce the number of manufacturing cycles required for an reflector of the large reflector antenna. An optimal approach combining a finite element method (FEM) with a genetic algorithm (GA) is developed to simulate and optimize reflector assembly before the assembly stage.Design/methodology/approach The chromosomes of GA are encoded with the consideration of the factors that affect the assembly of reflector. The fitness function of the GA consists of the assembly accuracy obtained from simulation, with evaluation of the assembly time consumption and labor cost. The algorithm will terminate when the GA is finished or the simulation results meet the permissible accuracy. Taking the assembly process of the reflector into account, an FEM based on a “life – death element” technique is introduced to quickly and precisely simulate reflector assembly.Findings A case study is presented, to which the proposed approach is applied. The results of finite element simulation demonstrate that the proposed FEM can simulate the reflector assembly process with oversimplified modeling and accurate simulation results. The optimal approach provides an accurate and efficient method for reflector assembly sequence planning indicated by the comparison of the measurements and calculation results.Originality/value The results also demonstrate that the proposed approach has practical significance for guiding reflector assembly in engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assembly sequence planning (ASP) can significantly improve assembly accuracy and reduce assembly costs in modern manufacturing industries. Large reflector antennas are difficult to assemble and urgently need ASP. Based on genetic algorithms (GAs) and ant colony optimization (ACO), an approach for ASP of reflector antennas was developed. An accurate simulation of the assembly of the reflectors was required for the evaluation and optimization of the ASP. The initial population was created by ACO and optimized by GA operators to generate an optimal solution. By releasing the information on the optimal solution to the ant search paths of ACO, convergence to a globally optimal solution was accelerated. A model of the finite element simulation was used to simulate the dynamic assembly process of reflectors according to the algorithm results of the proposed approach (GAACO). The proposed approach was tested and compared to GA, and the results indicate that GAACO can improve the quality of the optimal solution, increase the searching efficiency, and reduce the probability of finding a local optimal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Viviparous-1 ( Vp-1) is a major gene affecting pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in common wheat, and improving PHS tolerance is a crucial factor for wheat breeding. Spelt wheat is always used as the donor parent to improve resistance and quality in wheat breeding: however, the roles of the Vp-1 genes in spelt wheat and their relationship to common wheat remain uncertain. The current study aimed to isolate and characterise Vp-1 haplotypes in spelt wheat ( Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta). RESULTS In spelt wheat, a total of eight new Vp-1 haplotypes were identified: TaVp-1Ap, TaVp-1Aq and TaVp-1Ar in the A genome; TaVp-1Bj, TaVp-1Bh and TaVp-1Bi in the B genome; and TaVp-1Da and TaVp-1Db in the D genome. According to RT-PCR results, correctly spliced transcripts were more highly expressed in some haplotypes than in others, and their expression was highly associated with their distinct responsiveness to abscisic acid (ABA) exposure. The mis-splicing of Vp-1 transcripts and several indel variations detected in spelt wheat appear to have been retained through the hybridisation process. CONCLUSION Certain haplotypes detected in spelt wheat might be valuable in the breeding and selection of germplasm to improve PHS issues in wheat. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a new strategy for study of Structural Health Monitoring, and discusses establishment of structural safety monitoring system based on the structural destroyed modes and data correlation. Two concepts, structural destroyed mode and data correlation, are given and discussed. The structural destroyed mode refers to the pattern of certain structural state or situation that some kind of failure occurred. The study on data correlation focuses on the relations existed between different sensors and locations. A structural safety monitoring system for a simply supported beam including several damage indices is built, and the numerical experiment shows it works effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a near-perfect absorption device based on a cross-shaped titanium nanostructure and a multilayered structure. The multilayered bottom structure consists of alternately SiO2 and Ti. The whole device is put on a TiN substrate. The coupling between cross-shaped titanium nanostructures, and that between the cross-shaped titanium nanostructure and bottom multilayer, can further enhance the absorption at some wavelength where most of the energy is reflected or passes through in the device with a single structure. According to the simulation results, the device presents a nearly perfect absorption in a wavelength range from 300 nm to 2000 nm. The average absorptance in the wavelength range from 500 nm to 1400 nm exceeds 96%. This paper also provides a new idea for realizing perfect absorption, which is extensively used in sensing, controllable thermal emission, solar energy harvesting solar thermo-photovoltaic devices, and optoelectronic metrology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of linear and crosslinked polyurethane modified materials were prepared by Diels–Alder cycloaddition reaction. Based on raw materials, some novel equations were designed and effects of equation parameters on the mechanical properties of modified material were explored. It was demonstrated that tensile strength of modified materials and elongation at break were changed from 3.68 to 18.71 MPa, 200 to 866%, respectively. In addition, the optimal reaction temperature of retro‐Diels–Alder (r‐DA) reaction was determined by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and tensile experiments were used to characterize the properties of repolymerized material after degradation. The results indicated the optimal temperature of r‐DA for linear and crosslinked polyurethane modified materials is 127 and 150 °C. Moreover, after decomposed, the product was slowly repolymerized at 60 °C, and can more effectively restore material strength under the action of the solvent to achieve self‐healing effect. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47355. D‐A adducts have characteristics that polymerizing in low temperature and depolymerizing in slightly high temperature. To explore whether the material has reversible self‐healing properties, GPC were used to characterize the properties of polymerization‐depolymerization‐repolymerization material. The GPC of L‐DAPU‐8 was measured and the experimental results are as follows. It can be seen that the relative molecular weight decreases rapidly after 40 minutes of depolymerization, and the relative average molecular weight of the r‐DA products gradually increase after 16 hours of repolymerization, which indicates that D‐A products undergo depolymerization‐repolymerization and have self‐healing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by impairments in social interactions and communication, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Several studies report a high prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in autistic individuals. Cumulative evidence reveals that the gut microbiota and its metabolites (especially short-chain fatty acids, SCFAs) play an important role in GI disorders and the pathogenesis of ASD. However, the composition of the gut microbiota and its association with fecal SCFAs and GI symptoms of autistic children remain largely unknown. In the present study, we sequenced the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, detected fecal SCFAs, assessed GI symptoms and analyzed the relationship between the gut microbiome and fecal SCFAs in autistic and neurotypical individuals. The results showed that the compositions of the gut microbiota and SCFAs were altered in ASD individuals. We found lower levels of fecal acetic acid and butyrate and a higher level of fecal valeric acid in ASD subjects. We identified decreased abundances of key butyrate-producing taxa (Ruminococcaceae, Eubacterium, Lachnospiraceae and Erysipelotrichaceae) and an increased abundance of valeric acid associated bacteria (Acidobacteria) among autistic individuals. Constipation was the only GI disorder in ASD children in the present study. We also found enriched Fusobacterium, Barnesiella, Coprobacter and valeric acid-associated bacteria (Actinomycetaceae) and reduced butyrate-producing taxa in constipated autistic subjects. It is suggested that the gut microbiota contributes to fecal SCFAs and constipation in autism. Modulating the gut microbiota, especially butyrate-producing bacteria, could be a promising strategy in the search for alternatives for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]