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As a promising machine learning method for active flow control (AFC), deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has been successfully applied in various scenarios, such as the drag reduction for stationary cylinders under both laminar and weakly turbulent conditions. However, current applications of DRL in AFC still suffer from drawbacks including excessive sensor usage, unclear search paths and insufficient robustness tests. In this study, we aim to tackle these issues by applying DRL-guided self-rotation to suppress the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a circular cylinder under the lock-in condition. With a state space consisting only of the acceleration, velocity and displacement of the cylinder, the DRL agent learns an effective control strategy that successfully suppresses the VIV amplitude by $99.6\,\%$. Through systematic comparisons between different combinations of sensory-motor cues as well as sensitivity analysis, we identify three distinct stages of the search path related to the flow physics, in which the DRL agent adjusts the amplitude, frequency and phase lag of the actions. Under the deterministic control, only a little forcing is required to maintain the control performance, and the VIV frequency is only slightly affected, showing that the present control strategy is distinct from those utilizing the lock-on effect. Through dynamic mode decomposition analysis, we observe that the growth rates of the dominant modes in the controlled case all become negative, indicating that DRL remarkably enhances the system stability. Furthermore, tests involving various Reynolds numbers and upstream perturbations confirm that the learned control strategy is robust. Finally, the present study shows that DRL is capable of controlling VIV with a very small number of sensors, making it effective, efficient, interpretable and robust. We anticipate that DRL could provide a general framework for AFC and a deeper understanding of the underlying physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinalysis is a heavily used diagnostic test in clinical laboratories; however, it is chronically held back by urine sediment microscopic examination. Current instruments are bulky and expensive to be widely adopted, making microscopic examination a procedure that still relies on manual operations and requires large time and labor costs. To improve the efficacy and automation of urinalysis, this study develops an acoustofluidic-based microscopic examination system. The system utilizes the combination of acoustofluidic manipulation and a passive hydrodynamic mechanism, and thus achieves a high throughput (1000 μL min−1) and a high concentration factor (95.2 ± 2.1 fold) simultaneously, fulfilling the demands for urine examination. The concentrated urine sample is automatically dispensed into a hemocytometer chamber and the images are then analyzed using a machine learning algorithm. The whole process is completed within 3 minutes with detection accuracies of erythrocytes and leukocytes of 94.6 ± 3.5% and 95.1 ± 1.8%, respectively. The examination outcome of urine samples from 50 volunteers by this device shows a correlation coefficient of 0.96 compared to manual microscopic examination. Our system offers a promising tool for automated urine microscopic examination, thus it has potential to save a large amount of time and labor in clinical laboratories, as well as to promote point-of-care urine testing applications in and beyond hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of COVID-19 throat swab samples delivered by medical drones in epidemic prevention and control. This study was carried out in both southern and northern hospital districts of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from May to October 2022. The main participants were the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University and Zhejiang Antwork Technology Co., Ltd. We first constructed an urban medical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivery system and developed a UAV-specific storage box for COVID-19 samples. The UAV system was used to transport COVID-19 throat swab samples from the northern hospital district to the southern hospital district, and the following indexes were obtained: (1) flight time of COVID-19 samples delivered by UAV, (2) real-time temperature of COVID-19 nucleic acid samples during transportation, and (3) the time of distribution of COVID-19 nucleic acid samples by road traffic as measured using the Baidu Maps application, compared with the flight time of UAV. The COVID-19 sample delivery system for urban medical UAV mainly consists of intelligent logistics UAV, low-temperature COVID-19 throat swab sample storage box, unmanned logistics hub, and cloud operation control platform. The flight distance between the northern and southern districts of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University was 10 km, and the ground distance was 24 km. From May 11 to October 28, 2022, a total of 1,190 UAV flights occurred. The average flight time was 13 minutes, which was 40 to 70 minutes faster than the average road travel time required for manual delivery of COVID-19 throat swab samples. At different time points in the day, UAV delivery efficiency increased by 67.5% to 82%. The use of 5G with the Internet of Things and UAV technology to deliver nucleic acid samples has the characteristics of fast speed, being unaffected by ground traffic conditions, and the ability to ensure the safety of nucleic acid samples in the transportation process, which is worthy of further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current conventional cement materials are no longer able to meet the actual usage needs of geotechnical engineering. In order to improve the workability of cement materials used in geotechnical, transportation, and mining engineering, it is necessary to improve the formulation of cement materials. Polypropylene fibers (PVAF), polyvinyl alcohol fibers (PPF), and fly ash (FA) are used in this study to modify Portland–sulfoaluminate composite cement to improve the workability of the cement material system. Meanwhile, the microstructure that affects the system performance was also studied. The research results indicate that adding FA to the composite cement system can improve its fluidity. In the later stage of hydration, due to the volcanic ash reaction, the production of hydration products will increase, but it will not affect the type of hydration products. Adding PPF-PVAF can effectively improve the strength performance of the cement system. The compressive strength reached 24.61 MPa after 28 days of curing, which was 13.8% higher than the blank sample. Adding calcium hydroxide powder and FA to the system can improve the fluidity of the cement system to a certain extent and positively impact the later strength. After 28 days of curing, the compressive strength of experimental group 9 reached 30.21 MPa, which increased by 70.5% compared to after 7 days These results were found at the microscopic level, based on analyses via XRD, TG, and SEM. The Mix-EXP cured for 28 days has better hydration product content and composition arrangement of cement slurry than the O-S-C cured for 28 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: Cooperative transmission is of great significance in data transmission and resource schedule in mobile cellular communication networks. To attain the desired network transmission performance objectives over the whole cellular network system, we propose an appropriate cooperative data transmission scheme to optimize the data delivery efficiency in terms of the transmission time consumption for each and every transmission group. The proposed transmission optimization scheme includes the tasks of determining the transmission group, allocating the channel rate resource, specifying the cooperative transmission mechanism, and performing resource allocation and schedule as well. Firstly, we propose a utility function based rate allocation scheme to optimize the channel rate resource utilization for all those transmission groups over the cellular communication network. Based on it, we further present a cooperative data transmission scheme to deal with the data delivery and reception for all those subgroups with high efficiency over the whole network system. Particularly, we propose a resource efficiency function‐based coordination scheduling (EFCS) scheme to conduct the cooperative data transmission and resource schedule as well for each transmission group within the network. The EFCS scheme facilitates to determine the subgroups for schedule over each scheduling cycle, which can produce the best data transmission efficiency across both the direct and cooperative transmission hop. Both the theoretical analysis and the simulation evaluation results verify the superior performance of our proposed cooperative data transmission scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of urine luteinizing hormone (ULH) after the triptorelin stimulation test detected by immunochemiluminometric assay (ICMA) in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP). Methods The girls with precocious puberty were included. The triptorelin stimulation test at 8:30 a.m. was performed. Two consecutive 12-hour urine samples were collected after the test, defined as the first 12-hour and second 12-hour urine, respectively. ICMA measured ULH. Urine creatinine (Cr) concentration was measured. CPP and peripheral precocious puberty (PPP) were diagnosed by the same pediatric endocrinologist based on clinical symptoms, signs, and progression of clinical development. Results A total of 97 cases (CPP n=69; PPP n=28) were included, with 12 cases not meeting the receiver operating characteristic analysis criteria. The first and second 12-hour ULH/Cr in the CPP group were higher than those in the PPP group. When the first 12-hour ULH/Cr was≥287.252 IU/mol, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing CPP were 87.3% and 90.9%, respectively. When the second 12-hour ULH/Cr was≥152.769 IU/mol, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing CPP were 92.1% and 90.9%, respectively. The area under the curve of the first and second 12-hour ULH/Cr were 0.933 and 0.954, respectively. Conclusion The ULH detection method after the triptorelin stimulation test has clinical significance for diagnosing CPP in girls. When blood sampling compliance in girls with precocious puberty is poor, the first 12-hour ULH/Cr≥288 IU/mol (or second 12-hour≥153 IU/mol) after the triptorelin stimulation test can serve as a laboratory indicator for diagnosis of CPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) is one of the key theories of economic and environmentally sustainable development. Has the change in geopolitics in recent years affected the international collaboration in the study of the EKC? Based on the publications on the EKC included in the Web of Science, a case study of recent changes in China–US collaboration on the EKC is conducted to explore the impact of geopolitical changes on international collaborative research on sustainable development. The results show that (1) The EKC is a global study, and countries around the world have made more efforts, among which China, the United States, Turkey, Malaysia, England and other countries have made the most contributions in the global literature database and are the countries with the most development potential in this field. (2) International collaboration between China and the United States in this field has gradually increased, and scientific research collaboration between the two countries has increased under the influence of geopolitical conflicts, and collaboration has shown the characteristics of lasting stability. (3) China and the United States exhibit divergent international collaboration patterns, with Pakistan being China's foremost partner in this domain, while China serves as the US' primary collaborator. Furthermore, China demonstrates a significantly higher volume of independently published works compared with the United States, highlighting the strengthening of China's scientific research capabilities. The number of countries collaborating internationally with China shows a different upward trend than in the United States across the three data sets set in this paper. (4) In the field of EKC hot research, China and the United States have maintained good international partnerships with other countries, and are the preferred countries for scientific research collaboration in other countries in the world. It can be seen from this that international scientific research collaboration for sustainable development represented by the EKC has shown relative stability, and geopolitical changes have not had a significant impact on international collaborative research for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumors represent a significant threat to human health, underscoring the critical need for effective treatment strategies. However, conventional drug therapies are hampered by imprecise delivery, potentially leading to inadequate efficacy and severe side effects. The strategic development of nanomedicines is believed to harbor enormous potential for enhancing drug safety and efficacy, especially for precise, tumor-targeted therapies. Nevertheless, the fate of these nanomedicines within the human body is intricately governed by various physiological barriers and complex environments, posing challenges to predicting their behaviors. Near-infrared II (NIR-II, 1000–1700 nm) fluorescence imaging technology serves as a non-invasive, real-time monitoring method that can be applied for the precise evaluation of nanomedicine delivery in cancer therapy due to its numerous advantages, including high tissue penetration depth, high spatiotemporal resolution, and high signal-to-noise ratio. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the pivotal role of NIR-II fluorescence imaging in guiding the intratumoral precise delivery of nanomedicines and shed light on its current applications, challenges, and promising prospects in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a dual-channel vortex generator (VG) that leverages the snap-through behaviour of flexible sheets. The VG outperforms a similar-sized rigid VG in generating vortices within dual-channel flows while minimizing pressure loss. Numerical simulations using the immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method analyse the dynamics and vortex generation performance of the sheet under various system parameters. Two distinct modes are identified for the elastic sheet: a sustained snap-through mode (SSTM) and a dormant mode (DM). The sheet's mode is predominantly influenced by its length ratio (L*), bending stiffness $(K_b^\ast)$ and flow strength, with the mass ratio having a minimal impact. The sheet exhibiting regular SSTM can effectively generate vortices in both channels and the vortex generation performance can be conveniently tuned by altering the sheet's initial buckling (i.e. L*). An increase in $K_b^\ast $ results in a higher critical Reynolds number (Rec) required for mode transition. An increase in L* , however, initially raises Rec and then lowers it, suggesting an optimal length ratio (approximately 0.7 for our considered system) for minimizing the Rec necessary to trigger SSTM. Furthermore, a disparity in the flow strength between channels is found to suppress the snap-through of the sheet; a greater disparity, however, is permissible to induce the SSTM of more compliant sheets. These findings underscore the potential of snap-through behaviour for enhanced flow manipulation in dual-channel systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) is widely recognized as an essential optoelectronic integration platform due to its unique ferroelectric properties and photorefractive effect. However, the wide bandgap and weak absorption of lithium niobate limit its further application in integrated photodetection field. To address this issue, encapsulating silver nanoparticles within the LNOI structure are proposed to manipulate the light field distribution of modified lithium niobate through the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect and utilize the modified lithium niobate thin film as a functional substrate to tailor the optoelectronic properties of surface SnSe2 nanosheets, significantly enhancing their photodetection capabilities. The photocurrent of the SnSe2 photodetector based on LNOI with embedded Ag nanoparticles is enhanced by up to 1912 times compared to that on the original LNOI under the same conditions, which represents the highest reported plasmonic‐induced photodetection enhancement. This work deepens the basic research on plasmonic‐modified 2D materials and ferroelectric materials, which promotes the development of on‐chip photodetectors and the realization of fully functional photonic circuits that integrate all essential components on a single chip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wound infection is a serious complication that impacts the prognosis of patients after colorectal surgery (CS). Probiotics and synbiotics (Pro and Syn) are live bacteria that produce bacteriostatic agents in the intestinal system and have a positive effect on postoperative wound infections. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Pro and Syn on complications of wound infection after CS. In November 2023, we searched relevant clinical trial reports from Pubmed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases and screened the retrieved reports, extracted data, and finally analysed the data by using RevMan 5.3. A total of 12 studies with 1567 patients were included in the study. Pro and Syn significantly reduced total infection (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.35, 0.56; p < 0.00001), surgical incision site infection (SSI) (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.45, 0.81; p = 0.002), pneumonia (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.25, 0.72; p = 0.001), urinary tract infection (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.14, 0.56; p = 0.0003), and Pro and Syn did not reduce anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.50, 1.41; p = 0.51). Pro and Syn can reduce postoperative wound infections in patients with colorectal cancer, which benefits patients' postoperative recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classical vorticity‐streamfunction formulation (VSF) can avoid the difficulty in the calculation of pressure gradient term of the Navier Stokes equation via eliminating pressure gradient term from the theoretical basis. Within this context we propose a general VSF, together with redefined vorticity and streamfunction, so as to realize numerically stable and reliable simulations of binary fluids with an arbitrary density contrast. By incorporating the interface‐tracking phase‐field model based on the conservative Allen‐Cahn equation [Phys. Rev. E 94, 023311 (2016)], the binary flow simulation framework is established. Numerical tests are conducted using the Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), which is usually regarded as an easy‐to‐use tool for solving the Navier–Stokes equation but generally suffers from the drawback of not being capable of enforcing incompressibility. The LBM herein functions as a numerical tool for solving the vorticity transport equation, the streamfunction equation, and the conservative Allen‐Cahn equation. Three two‐dimensional benchmark cases, i.e., the Capillary wave, the Rayleigh–Taylor instability, and the droplet splashing on a thin liquid film, are discussed in detail to verify the present methodology. Results show good agreements with both analytical predictions and literature data, as well as good numerical stability in terms of high density ratio and high Reynolds number. Overall, the general VSF inherits the intrinsic superiority of the classical VSF in enforcing incompressibility, and offers a useful and reliable alternative for binary flow modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The cell structure and compressive properties of extruded polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam with different densities were studied. The die of the PET foaming extruder is a special multi-hole breaker plate, which results in a honeycomb-shaped foam block. The SEM analysis showed that the aspect ratio and cell wall thickness of the strand border is greater than that of the strand body. The cells are elongated and stronger in the extruding direction, and the foam anisotropy of the structure and compressive properties decrease with increasing density. The compression results show typical stress–strain curves even though the extruded PET foam is composed of multiple foamed strands. The compression properties of PET foam vary in each of the three directions, with the best performing direction (i.e., extrusion direction) showing stretch-dominated structures, while the other two directions show bending-dominated structures. Foam mechanics models based on both rectangular and elongated Kelvin cell geometries were considered to predict the compressive properties of PET foams in terms of relative density, structure anisotropy, and the properties of the raw polymer. The results show that the modulus and strength anisotropy of PET foam can be reasonably predicted by the rectangular cell model, but more accurate predictions were obtained with an appropriately assumed elongated Kelvin model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world's largest carbon sink, the oceans are essential to achieving the 1.5 °C target. Marine ecosystems play a crucial role in the "sink enhancement" process. A deeper comprehension of research trends, hotspots, and the boundaries of ocean carbon sinks is necessary for a more effective response to climate change. To this end, academic literature in the field of ocean carbon sinks was investigated and analyzed using the core database of the Web of Science. The results show that (1) The ocean carbon sink is a global study. The number of literatures in the field of ocean carbon sinks is growing, and the USA and China are the main leaders, with the USA accounting for 31.19% of the global publications and China accounting for 26.57% of the global publications, and the environmental science discipline is the most popular in this field. (2) Keyword burst detection shows that the keywords "sink, sensitivity, land, dynamics, and seagrass" appear earliest and have high burst intensity, which are the hot spots of research in this field; the keyword clustering shows that the global ocean carbon sinks research mainly focuses on three themes: (i) carbon cycle and climate change; (ii) carbon sinks estimation models and techniques; and (iii) carbon sinks capacity and ocean biological carbon sequestration in different seas. Finally, targeted research recommendations are proposed to further match the ocean carbon sink research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A channel with one backward-facing step and one forward-facing step is a typical configuration in engineering applications. In the channel, good heat transfer performance is often required, and the enhancement is usually achieved by employing different passive control methods, such as modification of geometric configuration or application of nanofluid. However, the other control method, i.e., active flow control (AFC), which is likely more effective, has been rarely applied in such a scenario. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring how a rigid plate affects the heat transfer of the channel. The plate either is stationary or actively rotates, corresponding to passive flow control or AFC. The influences of the horizontal position of the plate (S) and its orientation angle (θ) on the heat transfer performance are studied when the plate is stationary to provide a baseline. Compared to the baseline, the effects of S, θ, and the rotation frequency (fr) are revealed when the plate undergoes a sinusoidal rotation. Such a thermo-fluid dynamic problem is numerically simulated by the immersed-boundary lattice Boltzmann method. The results show that the plate can improve the heat transfer performance no matter whether it rotates or not, compared to the case without a plate. The rotating plate outperforms the stationary one when θ and fr are properly chosen at each S. Substantial improvement can be achieved when vortex synchronization or resonance occurs in the channel, i.e., when the natural vortex shedding frequency is close or equal to fr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid binary tree is a complete binary tree where each internal node is labeled with 1 or 2, but with no left (1, 1)-edges. In this paper, we consider enumeration of the set of hybrid binary trees according to the number of internal nodes and some other combinatorial parameters. We present enumerative results by giving Riordan arrays, bivariate generating functions, as well as closed formulas. As a consequence, we obtain some new combinatorial matrices, one of which is analogous to the Borel triangle. We also present a bijection between the set of all hybrid binary trees with n internal nodes and the set of generalized Schröder paths from (0, 0) to (2n, 0) which are consist of up steps u = (1 , 1) , horizontal steps h = (2 , 0) , down steps d = (1 , - 1) , and double up steps U = (2 , 2) , and never travel below the x-axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) is a crucial macronutrient for plant growth, development, and reproduction. The effects of low P (LP) stress on leaf senescence and the role of PHR1 in LP‐induced leaf senescence are still unknown. Here, we report that PHR1 plays a crucial role in LP‐induced leaf senescence, showing delayed leaf senescence in phr1 mutant and accelerated leaf senescence in 35S:PHR1 transgenic Arabidopsis under LP stress. The transcriptional profiles indicate that 763 differentially expressed SAGs (DE‐SAGs) were upregulated and 134 DE‐SAGs were downregulated by LP stress. Of the 405 DE‐SAGs regulated by PHR1, 27 DE‐SAGs were involved in P metabolism and transport. PHR1 could bind to the promoters of six DE‐SAGs (RNS1, PAP17, SAG113, NPC5, PLDζ2, and Pht1;5), and modulate them in LP‐induced senescing leaves. The analysis of RNA content, phospholipase activity, acid phosphatase activity, total P and phosphate content also revealed that PHR1 promotes P liberation from senescing leaves and transport to young tissues under LP stress. Our results indicated that PHR1 is one of the crucial modulators for P recycling and redistribution under LP stress, and the drastic decline of P level is at least one of the causes of early senescence in P‐deficient leaves. Summary Statement: In Arabidopsis, PHR1 is the crucial regulator in low phosphate‐induced leaf senescence by modulating P recycling and redistribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyester and polyether are two key oxygenated polymers, and completely alternative sequence of poly(ester-alt-ether) could efficiently combine the advantages (including flexibility, degradability, etc.) of both segments. Currently, despite their copolymers could be synthesized from one-pot mixture of cyclic esters and epoxides, perfectly alternative microstructure is very challenging to realize and typically restricted to certain monomer pairs. Moving forward, synthesizing poly(ester-alt-ether) from commercially available and largescale monomers would be a significant advance. For example, successfully commercialized poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), which is not easily soluble in polymers due to its high crystallinity and is brittle and difficult to control the degradation cycle, would encounter a new paradigm if engineered into poly(ester-alt-ether). In this work, starting from the design of monomer with hybrid structures, we successfully synthesized a series of 1,4-dioxan-2-one containing different substituents based on glycolide (GA) and epoxides using commercially available Salen-Cr(III) and PPNCl catalytic systems. The new monomers underwent ring-opening polymerization (ROP) to form a series of poly(ester-alt-ether) with perfectly alternating glycolic acid and propylene glycol repeat units under catalytic system of thiourea/base. The poly(ester-alt-ether) have significantly lower glass-transition temperature than PGA. Additionally, the poly(ester-alt-ether) can be chemically recovered to monomer using Sn(Oct)2 or 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undecane-7-ene (DBU) as a catalyst in solution, thus establishing a closed-loop life cycle. From monomers derived from GA and epoxides, this work furnishes a novel strategy for the synthesis of poly(ester-alt-ether) with chemical recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematical exploration of the effect of aging time on the microstructure and mechanical properties of cold-rolled Ni-W-Co-Ta medium–heavy alloy with 90% thickness reduction at the aging temperature of 700 °C was performed. The results demonstrate that the volume fraction of the precipitation (Ni4W), which persists under various aging times, increases from 13.7% (2 h) to 28.7% (32 h) with the extension of aging time. Meanwhile, the microstructure after aging treatment is still dominated by dislocation entanglement and dislocation walls, although the degree of lattice distortion and dislocation density attributed to heavy deformation decreases. The maximum tensile strength, yield strength, and microhardness (2286 MPa, 1989 MPa, 766 HV) of the cold-rolled Ni-W-Co-Ta medium–heavy alloy under the 16 h aging treatment at 700 °C are reached, respectively. The ductile–brittle mixed fracture morphology is maintained in the fracture morphology of the medium–heavy alloy before and after aging treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having made significant advancements in understanding living organisms at various levels such as genes, cells, molecules, tissues, and pathways, the field of life sciences is now shifting towards integrating these components into the bigger picture to understand their collective behavior. Such a shift of perspective requires a general conceptual framework for understanding complexity in life sciences which is currently elusive, a transition being facilitated by large‐scale data collection, unprecedented computational power, and new analytical tools. In recent years, life sciences have been revolutionized with AI methods, and quantum computing is touted to be the next most significant leap in technology. Here, we provide a theoretical framework to orient researchers around key concepts of how quantum computing can be integrated into the study of the hierarchical complexity of living organisms and discuss recent advances in quantum computing for life sciences. This article is categorized under:Data Science > Artificial Intelligence/Machine LearningQuantum Computing > AlgorithmsStructure and Mechanism > Computational Biochemistry and Biophysics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between postoperative feeding intolerance and defecation, with a view to carrying out prognostic assessment and timely intervention for the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function. Methods: The 114 neonates with congenital intestinal atresia who underwent primary anastomosis admitted to Shenzhen Children's Hospital from January 2014 to December 2022 were studied, and the patients' basic information, intraoperative conditions, postoperative feeding and defecation, and hospitalization time were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The risk factors for feeding intolerance after primary anastomosis for intestinal atresia are the gestational days, the time of the first postoperative defecations, the number of defecations on the previous day and the average number of defecations before feeding. Conclusion: The incidence of postoperative feeding intolerance is higher in preterm infants, and pediatricians can decide the timing of breastfeeding on the basis of the patients' defecation. The focus on accurate defecation may be more meaningful in determining and predicting postoperative feeding intolerance in the infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As aging and tumorigenesis are tightly interconnected biological processes, targeting their common underlying driving pathways may induce dual‐purpose anti‐aging and anti‐cancer effects. Our transcriptomic analyses of 16,740 healthy samples demonstrated tissue‐specific age‐associated gene expression, with most tumor suppressor genes downregulated during aging. Furthermore, a large‐scale pan‐cancer analysis of 11 solid tumor types (11,303 cases and 4431 control samples) revealed that many cellular processes, such as protein localization, DNA replication, DNA repair, cell cycle, and RNA metabolism, were upregulated in cancer but downregulated in healthy aging tissues, whereas pathways regulating cellular senescence were upregulated in both aging and cancer. Common cancer targets were identified by the AI‐driven target discovery platform—PandaOmics. Age‐associated cancer targets were selected and further classified into four groups based on their reported roles in lifespan. Among the 51 identified age‐associated cancer targets with anti‐aging experimental evidence, 22 were proposed as dual‐purpose targets for anti‐aging and anti‐cancer treatment with the same therapeutic direction. Among age‐associated cancer targets without known lifespan‐regulating activity, 23 genes were selected based on predicted dual‐purpose properties. Knockdown of histone demethylase KDM1A, one of these unexplored candidates, significantly extended lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans. Given KDM1A's anti‐cancer activities reported in both preclinical and clinical studies, our findings propose KDM1A as a promising dual‐purpose target. This is the first study utilizing an innovative AI‐driven approach to identify dual‐purpose target candidates for anti‐aging and anti‐cancer treatment, supporting the value of AI‐assisted target identification for drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The members of PHOSPHATE 1 (PHO1) family play important roles in plant phosphate (Pi) transport and adaptation to Pi deficiency. The functions of PHO1 family proteins have been reported in several plant species, with the exception of Brassica species. Here, we identified 23, 23, and 44 putative PHO1 family genes in Brassica rapa, Brassica oleracea, and Brassica napus by whole genome analysis, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis divided PHO1 family proteins into eight groups, which represented the orthologous relationships among PHO1 members. The gene structure and the conserved motif analysis indicated that the most PHO1 family genes had similar gene structures and the PHO1 proteins shared mutual conserved motifs. The chromosome distribution analysis showed that the majority of BnPHO1 family genes distributed analogously at chromosomes with BrPHO1 and BoPHO1 family genes. The data showed that PHO1 family genes were highly conserved during evolution from diploid to tetraploid. Furthermore, the expression analysis showed that PHO1 family genes had different expression patterns in plant tissues, suggesting the diversity of gene functions in Brassica species. Meanwhile, the expression analysis also revealed that some PHO1 family genes were significantly responsive to Pi deficiency, suggesting that PHO1 family genes play critical roles in Pi uptake and homeostasis under low Pi stress. Altogether, the characteristics of PHO1 family genes provide a reliable groundwork for further dissecting their functions in Brassica species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Coinfection of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) with hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes the most severe form of viral hepatitis, and the global prevalence of HDV infection is underestimated. Although serological testing of anti-HDV antibodies is widely used in the diagnosis of HDV, its diagnostic efficacy remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of HDV serological tests, the results of which may assist in the diagnosis of HDV. Methods Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases were searched from the beginning to 31 May 2023. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool. STATA SE was used for the meta-analysis of the sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio. Results Among a total of 1376 initially identified studies, only 12 articles met the final inclusion criteria. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 1.00 (95% CI: 0.00–1.00) and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.50–0.78) for HDV total antibodies, 0.96 (95% CI: 0.83–0.99) and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.82–1.00) for anti-HDV IgM and 0.95 (95% CI: 0.86–0.98) and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.67–1.00) for anti-HDV IgG. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for HDV serological tests were 0.99 (95% CI: 0.96–1.00) and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.79–0.96). Conclusions This meta-analysis suggests that serological tests have high diagnostic performance in detecting antibodies against HDV, especially in HDV IgM and IgG. However, this conclusion is based on studies of a limited number and quality, and the development of new diagnostic tools with higher precision and reliability is still necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal malignancy worldwide with an increasing number of new cases each year. Apolipoprotein (APOL) isoforms have been explored for their associations with HCC.The GSE14520 cohort was used for training data; The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used for validated data. Diagnostic, prognostic significance and mechanisms were explored using these cohorts. Risk score models and nomograms were constructed using prognosis-related isoforms and clinical factors for survival prediction. Oncomine and HCCDB databases were further used for validation of diagnostic, prognostic significance. APOL1, 3, and 6 were differentially expressed in two cohorts (all P ≤ 0.05). APOL1 and APOL6 had diagnostic capacity whereas APOL3 and APOL6 had prognostic capacity in two cohorts (areas under curves [AUCs] > 0.7, P ≤ 0.05). Mechanism studies demonstrated that APOL3 and APOL6 might be involved in humoral chemokine signaling pathways (all P ≤ 0.05). Risk score models and nomograms were constructed and validated for survival prediction of HCC. Moreover, diagnostic values of APOL1 and weak APOL6 were validated in Oncomine database (AUC > 0.700, 0.694); prognostic values of APOL3 and APOL6 were validated in HCCDB database (all P < 0.05). Differentially expressed APOL1 and APOL6 might be diagnostic biomarkers; APOL3 and APOL6 might be prognostic biomarkers of RFS and OS for HCC via chemokine signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, cancer is a huge burden, and each year sees an increase in its incidence. RAB (Ras-related in brain) 13 is crucial for a number of tumor types. But more research on RAB13's tumor-related mechanism is still required. This study's goal was to investigate RAB13's function in human pan-cancer, and we have also preliminarily explored the relevant mechanisms. To investigate the differential expression, survival prognosis, immunological checkpoints, and pathological stage of RAB13 in human pan-cancer, respectively, databases of TIMER2.0, GEPIA 2, and UALCAN were employed. CBioPortal database was used to analyze the mutation level, meanwhile, PPI network was constructed based on STRING website. The putative functions of RAB13 in immunological infiltration were investigated using single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). The mechanism of RAB13 in hepatocellular cancer was also briefly investigated by us using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). RAB13 was differentially expressed in a number of different cancers, including liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD), etc. Additionally, RAB13 overexpression in LGG and LIHC is associated with a worse prognosis, including overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Then, we observed that early in BLCA, BRAC, CHOL, ESCA, HNSC, KICH, KIRC, LIHC, LUAD, LUSC, and STAD, the level of RAB13 expression was raised. Next, we found that "amplification" was the most common mutation in RAB13. The expression of SLC39A1, JTB, SSR2, SNAPIN, and RHOC was strongly positively linked with RAB13, according to a correlation study. RAB13 favorably regulated B cell, CD8 + T cell, CD4 + T cell, macrophage, neutrophil, and dendritic cell in LIHC, according to immune infiltration analysis. Immune checkpoint study revealed a positive correlation between RAB13 expression and PD1, PDL1, and CTLA4 in LIHC. According to GSEA, RAB13 is involved in a number of processes in LIHC, including MTORC1 signaling, MYC targets v1, G2M checkpoint, MITOTIC spindle, DNA repair, P53 pathway, glycolysis, PI3K-AKT-MTOR signaling, etc. RAB13 is a possible therapeutic target in LIHC and can be used as a prognostic marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We retrospectively analysed related clinical data to determine the influencing factors to better prevent and treat children's respiratory tract infection.Methods: The study participants were children with respiratory tract infection who had sputum cultured in our hospital between 2014 and 2021. Sputum samples were extracted using negative suction pressure and sent to the hospital microbiological laboratory for testing. The testing results were analysed.Results: A total of 4610 sputum samples were collected, and 508 positive samples were detected. The positive rate of pathogenic bacteria was 11.02%. Escherichia coli infection was more common in male patients (11.11%), whereas Haemophilus influenzae infection was more common in female patients (17.54%); the infection rates of these 2 bacteria are increasing annually. There were 304 (59.84%) strains of gram-negative bacteria, 172 (33.86%) strains of gram-positive bacteria and 32 (6.3%) strains of fungi. In children between 0 and 3 years old, the proportions of gram-negative bacteria were significantly higher than those of gram-positive bacteria in 2016– 2017, 2018– 2019 and 2020– 2021 (p < 0.01). In every age group, the constituent ratio of gram-negative bacteria was significantly higher than that of gram-positive bacteria (p < 0.01) except for the 3– 6-year age group. The proportion of Staphylococcus aureus in 2014– 2015, 2016– 2017, 2018– 2019 and 2020– 2021 was 25.64%, 25.20%, 22.98% and 16.44%, respectively. The proportion of H. influenzae in 2014– 2015 was significantly lower than that in other years (p < 0.01). Haemolyticus staphylococcus and E. coli were more common in newborns, accounting for 19.12%.Conclusion: The pathogens of respiratory tract infection in children change dynamically. There are significant differences in pathogens of respiratory tract infections among different age groups, years and seasons. Clinicians should pay attention to changes in the pathogen spectrum and improve drug resistance monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug discovery and development is a notoriously risky process with high failure rates at every stage, including disease modeling, target discovery, hit discovery, lead optimization, preclinical development, human safety, and efficacy studies. Accurate prediction of clinical trial outcomes may help significantly improve the efficiency of this process by prioritizing therapeutic programs that are more likely to succeed in clinical trials and ultimately benefit patients. Here, we describe inClinico, a transformer‐based artificial intelligence software platform designed to predict the outcome of phase II clinical trials. The platform combines an ensemble of clinical trial outcome prediction engines that leverage generative artificial intelligence and multimodal data, including omics, text, clinical trial design, and small molecule properties. inClinico was validated in retrospective, quasi‐prospective, and prospective validation studies internally and with pharmaceutical companies and financial institutions. The platform achieved 0.88 receiver operating characteristic area under the curve in predicting the phase II to phase III transition on a quasi‐prospective validation dataset. The first prospective predictions were made and placed on date‐stamped preprint servers in 2016. To validate our model in a real‐world setting, we published forecasted outcomes for several phase II clinical trials achieving 79% accuracy for the trials that have read out. We also present an investment application of inClinico using date stamped virtual trading portfolio demonstrating 35% 9‐month return on investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulation of cell mortality for disease treatment has been the focus of research. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent regulated cell death whose mechanism has been extensively studied since its discovery. A large number of studies have shown that regulation of ferroptosis brings new strategies for the treatment of various benign and malignant diseases. Iron excess and lipid peroxidation are its primary metabolic features. Therefore, genes involved in iron metabolism and lipid metabolism can regulate iron overload and lipid peroxidation through direct or indirect pathways, thereby regulating ferroptosis. In addition, glutathione (GSH) is the body's primary non-enzymatic antioxidants and plays a pivotal role in the struggle against lipid peroxidation. GSH functions as an auxiliary substance for glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) to convert toxic lipid peroxides to their corresponding alcohols. Here, we reviewed the researches on the mechanism of ferroptosis in recent years, and comprehensively analyzed the mechanism and regulatory process of ferroptosis from iron metabolism and lipid metabolism, and then described in detail the metabolism of GPX4 and the main non-enzymatic antioxidant GSH in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, cancer is a huge burden, and each year sees an increase in its incidence. RAB (Ras-related in brain) 13 is crucial for a number of tumor types. But more research on RAB13's tumor-related mechanism is still required. This study's goal was to investigate RAB13's function in human pan-cancer, and we have also preliminarily explored the relevant mechanisms. To investigate the differential expression, survival prognosis, immunological checkpoints, and pathological stage of RAB13 in human pan-cancer, respectively, databases of TIMER2.0, GEPIA 2, and UALCAN were employed. CBioPortal database was used to analyze the mutation level, meanwhile, PPI network was constructed based on STRING website. The putative functions of RAB13 in immunological infiltration were investigated using single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). The mechanism of RAB13 in hepatocellular cancer was also briefly investigated by us using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). RAB13 was differentially expressed in a number of different cancers, including liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD), etc. Additionally, RAB13 overexpression in LGG and LIHC is associated with a worse prognosis, including overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Then, we observed that early in BLCA, BRAC, CHOL, ESCA, HNSC, KICH, KIRC, LIHC, LUAD, LUSC, and STAD, the level of RAB13 expression was raised. Next, we found that "amplification" was the most common mutation in RAB13. The expression of SLC39A1, JTB, SSR2, SNAPIN, and RHOC was strongly positively linked with RAB13, according to a correlation study. RAB13 favorably regulated B cell, CD8 + T cell, CD4 + T cell, macrophage, neutrophil, and dendritic cell in LIHC, according to immune infiltration analysis. Immune checkpoint study revealed a positive correlation between RAB13 expression and PD1, PDL1, and CTLA4 in LIHC. According to GSEA, RAB13 is involved in a number of processes in LIHC, including MTORC1 signaling, MYC targets v1, G2M checkpoint, MITOTIC spindle, DNA repair, P53 pathway, glycolysis, PI3K-AKT-MTOR signaling, etc. RAB13 is a possible therapeutic target in LIHC and can be used as a prognostic marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of lithium-niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) technology has sparked the advancement of numerous on-chip photonic devices for generating and manipulating light. However, the optical absorption of thin-film LNOI is very weak, especially in the near-infrared field, due to their extremely thin absorption layer and intrinsic band structure characteristics. Here, we propose a comprehensive framework to tackle these obstacles by means of ion implantation of Ag ions, which facilitates the encapsulation of plasmonic silver (Ag) nanoparticles within LNOI thin films. Through the incorporation of Ag nanoparticles, we have observed a tailored profile of optical nonlinear absorptions in LNOI thin films, transitioning from reverse saturable absorption to saturable absorption as well as optical-induced absorption to photobleaching behaviors. Moreover, the plasmonic effect elicited by the embedded Ag nanoparticles amplifies the third-order nonlinear coefficient by an order of magnitude. This work opens an avenue toward the development of high-performance on-chip photonic devices harnessing third-order nonlinearities of LNOI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the use of the polyether–polyamide block copolymer (Pebax) as a polymer membrane matrix, two-dimensional silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanosheets were obtained through the acid treatment of vermiculite and applied as fillers to prepare mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) with different filler amounts. Building transport channels for CO2 transfer in the membranes and enhancing the separation performance of CO2/CH4 are feasible owing to the structure of the SiO2 nanosheets and their propensity for horizontal alignment in the MMMs. The investigation of the characteristics and gas separation capabilities of Pebax–SiO2 MMMs revealed that the combination of SiO2 nanosheets considerably improved the separation effect of the MMMS in the CO2/CH4 system. The Pebax–SiO2 MMMs demonstrated an excellent CO2 separation efficiency with a CO2 permeation coefficient of 313.24 barrer and a CO2/CH4 selectivity of 31.26 at the filling quantity of 1.0 wt %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new medium-heavy alloy (MHA) of 55Ni-39 W-5Co-1Ta was designed, based on the principles of face-centered cubic structures and age-strengthening. The microstructure and properties of pre-deformed MHA after aging were systematically explored by room-temperature tensile testing, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Results show that a large number of dislocations were generated in the solid solution of the MHA by pre-deformation, and the dislocation density increased significantly with deformation. The high-density dislocations interacted with each other and formed dislocation tangles, then the dislocation cells. Moreover, pre-deformation effectively promoted the precipitation of the Ni4W phase during the subsequent aging, and the volume fraction of the Ni4W phase increased significantly under increased pre-deformation. Thanks to a combined effect of work-hardening and age-strengthening, the tensile and yield strengths of the pre-deformed MHA after the aging treatment increased significantly. The fracture morphology of the pre-deformed MHA after the aging treatment showed typical ductile fracture characteristics. The novel MHA has better dynamic performance, and the flow stress of the MHA was effectively improved by the aging treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring efficient, low cost and stable electrocatalysts working at large current densities is crucial for upgrading the current industrial electrochemical water splitting. Herein, a novel FeS2/Fe–Ni3S2 heterostructure was successfully prepared via a simple one-step in situ hydrothermal vulcanization using F− regulation engineering. The FeS2/Fe–Ni3S2 heterostructure array exhibits low overpotentials for both the OER (180 mV @ 10 mA cm−2 and 300 mV @ 1 A cm−2) and the HER (105 mV @ 10 mA cm−2 and 344 mV @ 1 A cm−2) with high stability operating at 1 A cm−2 for 1000 h. In addition, the water-splitting system only needs 1.5 V to reach 10 mA cm−2 and shows prolonged stability of more than 1200 h at 1 A cm−2. The DFT calculations show that the electrons redistribute at the interface and favor the chemisorption of hydrogen and oxygen-containing intermediates. This work highlights a novel, low cost and practical electrode for industrial electrochemical water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy oxide (HEO) nanoparticles have been regarded as a promising catalytic material system for oxygen evolution reaction in recent years. However, their traditional physical and chemical synthesis remains challenges due to the limitation of fabricating controllable small size HEO nanoparticles. Herein, a general and novel method of low-energy-recoil ion implantation and subsequent annealing is successfully developed to synthesize high-entropy oxide nanoparticles catalysts. By controlling the fluence of irradiation Ar+ ions, the size and the load of HEO nanoparticles can be accurately controlled. The obtained (FeCoNiCrAl)O HEO nanoparticles exhibit an overpotential of 295 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope of 39 mV dec−1 and good stability in 1 M KOH, which is much better than the properties of binary and medium entropy oxide counterparts prepared by the same method, showing the good application prospect of low-energy-recoil ion implantation in the preparation of complicated multi-element-metal oxide nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 1 A (SMC1A) is a crucial subunit of the cohesion protein complex and plays a vital role in cell cycle regulation, genomic stability maintenance, chromosome dynamics. Recent studies demonstrated that SMC1A participates in tumorigenesis. This reseach aims to explore the role and the underlying mechanisms of SMC1A in gastric cancer (GC). Materials and methods: RT-qPCR and western blot were used to examine the expression levels of SMC1A in GC tissues and cell lines. The role of SMC1A on GC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were analyzed. Furthermore,the mechanism of SMC1A action was investigated. Results: SMC1A was highly expressed in GC tissues and cell lines. The high expression of SMC1A indicated the poor overall survival of GC patients from Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Enhancing the expression of SMC1A in AGS cells remarkably promoted cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, migration and invasion, Conversely, knockdown of SMC1A in HGC27 cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, it's observed that SMC1A promoted EMT and malignant cell behaviors via regulating SNAIL. Conclusion: Our study revealed that SMC1A promotes EMT process by upregulating SNAIL, which contributes to gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Therefore, targeting SMC1A may be a potential strategy to improve GC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 1 A (SMC1A) is a crucial subunit of the cohesion protein complex and plays a vital role in cell cycle regulation, genomic stability maintenance, chromosome dynamics. Recent studies demonstrated that SMC1A participates in tumorigenesis. This reseach aims to explore the role and the underlying mechanisms of SMC1A in gastric cancer (GC). Materials and methods: RT-qPCR and western blot were used to examine the expression levels of SMC1A in GC tissues and cell lines. The role of SMC1A on GC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were analyzed. Furthermore,the mechanism of SMC1A action was investigated. Results: SMC1A was highly expressed in GC tissues and cell lines. The high expression of SMC1A indicated the poor overall survival of GC patients from Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Enhancing the expression of SMC1A in AGS cells remarkably promoted cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, migration and invasion, Conversely, knockdown of SMC1A in HGC27 cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, it's observed that SMC1A promoted EMT and malignant cell behaviors via regulating SNAIL. Conclusion: Our study revealed that SMC1A promotes EMT process by upregulating SNAIL, which contributes to gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Therefore, targeting SMC1A may be a potential strategy to improve GC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 1 A (SMC1A) is a crucial subunit of the cohesion protein complex and plays a vital role in cell cycle regulation, genomic stability maintenance, chromosome dynamics. Recent studies demonstrated that SMC1A participates in tumorigenesis. This reseach aims to explore the role and the underlying mechanisms of SMC1A in gastric cancer (GC). Materials and methods: RT-qPCR and western blot were used to examine the expression levels of SMC1A in GC tissues and cell lines. The role of SMC1A on GC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were analyzed. Furthermore,the mechanism of SMC1A action was investigated. Results: SMC1A was highly expressed in GC tissues and cell lines. The high expression of SMC1A indicated the poor overall survival of GC patients from Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Enhancing the expression of SMC1A in AGS cells remarkably promoted cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, migration and invasion, Conversely, knockdown of SMC1A in HGC27 cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, it's observed that SMC1A promoted EMT and malignant cell behaviors via regulating SNAIL. Conclusion: Our study revealed that SMC1A promotes EMT process by upregulating SNAIL, which contributes to gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Therefore, targeting SMC1A may be a potential strategy to improve GC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathological process involves a range of intrinsic biochemical markers. The detection of multiple biological parameters is imperative for providing precise diagnostic information on diseases. In vivo multichannel fluorescence biosensing facilitates the acquisition of biochemical information at different levels, such as tissue, cellular, and molecular, with rapid feedback, high sensitivity, and high spatiotemporal resolution. Notably, fluorescence imaging in the near-infrared-II (NIR-II) window (950–1700 nm) promises deeper optical penetration depth and diminished interferential autofluorescence compared with imaging in the visible (400–700 nm) and near-infrared-I (NIR-I, 700–950 nm) regions, making it a promising option for in vivo multichannel biosensing toward clinical practice. Furthermore, the use of advanced NIR-II fluorophores supports the development of biosensing with spectra-domain, lifetime-domain, and fluorescence-lifetime modes. This review summarizes the versatile designs and functions of NIR-II fluorophores for in vivo multichannel biosensing in various scenarios, including biological process monitoring, cellular tracking, and pathological analysis. Additionally, the review briefly discusses desirable traits required for the clinical translation of NIR-II fluorophores such as safety, long-wavelength emission, and clear components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 1 A (SMC1A) is a crucial subunit of the cohesion protein complex and plays a vital role in cell cycle regulation, genomic stability maintenance, chromosome dynamics. Recent studies demonstrated that SMC1A participates in tumorigenesis. This reseach aims to explore the role and the underlying mechanisms of SMC1A in gastric cancer (GC). Materials and methods: RT-qPCR and western blot were used to examine the expression levels of SMC1A in GC tissues and cell lines. The role of SMC1A on GC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were analyzed. Furthermore,the mechanism of SMC1A action was investigated. Results: SMC1A was highly expressed in GC tissues and cell lines. The high expression of SMC1A indicated the poor overall survival of GC patients from Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Enhancing the expression of SMC1A in AGS cells remarkably promoted cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, migration and invasion, Conversely, knockdown of SMC1A in HGC27 cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, it's observed that SMC1A promoted EMT and malignant cell behaviors via regulating SNAIL. Conclusion: Our study revealed that SMC1A promotes EMT process by upregulating SNAIL, which contributes to gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Therefore, targeting SMC1A may be a potential strategy to improve GC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing highly efficient, low cost, and stable electrocatalysts that work at a large current density is crucial for upgrading the current industrial electrochemical water splitting to produce H2. Molybdenum selenide (MoSe2) is a promising 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), however, its reported output is inadequate due to its inert basal plane. Herein, the catalytic activity of MoSe2 nanosheet arrays is activated by a novel and controllable method of He+ ion irradiation to introduce multiple vacancies simultaneously into their inert basal planes. The vacancies activated MoSe2 have improved electrocatalytic performance and stability with a minimum overpotential of 90 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a Tafel slope of 49 mV dec−1 and high stability of 650 h at the industry‐level large current density of 1000 mA cm−2 compared to several hours for the pristine sample. The DFT results reveal that single Se and single Mo vacancies on the MoSe2 basal plane can efficiently increase the electrical conductivity and reduce energy barriers for water dissociation and subsequent proton adsorption, thus improving the electrocatalytic capability. This finding proves the application of ion beam in defect engineering for effective hydrogen evolution in TMDs‐based catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]