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Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is the most common endocrine malignancy. Patients who receive systematic care typically have a better prognosis. RAI treatment plays a key role in eradicating any remaining thyroid lesions in DTC patients, hence decreasing the risk of distant metastases and cancer recurrence. As research continues to advance, RAI treatment is becoming more and more individualized. Because of the excellent prognosis for DTC patients, there is a relatively broad window for RAI treatment, making it easy to overlook when to receive RAI treatment. However, research on this issue can help patients with varying recurrence risk stratification make better decisions about when to begin RAI treatment following surgery, and physicians can schedule patients based on the severity of their disease. This will improve patient prognosis and lessen needless anxiety in addition to helping solve the problems of unjust healthcare resource distribution. In this review, we will mainly discuss the target population of RAI treatment as well as studies that examine the impact of RAI treatment timing on patient outcomes. In an effort to discourage DTC patients and physicians from selecting RAI therapy at random, we also review the possible negative effects of this treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The camouflaged object segmentation model (COSM) has recently gained substantial attention due to its remarkable ability to detect camouflaged objects. Nevertheless, deep vision models are widely acknowledged to be susceptible to adversarial examples, which can mislead models, causing them to make incorrect predictions through imperceptible perturbations. The vulnerability to adversarial attacks raises significant concerns when deploying COSM in security-sensitive applications. Consequently, it is crucial to determine whether the foundational vision model COSM is also susceptible to such attacks. To our knowledge, our work represents the first exploration of strategies for targeting COSM with adversarial examples in the digital world. With the primary objective of reversing the predictions for both masked objects and backgrounds, we explore the adversarial robustness of COSM in full white-box and black-box settings. In addition to the primary objective of reversing the predictions for masked objects and backgrounds, our investigation reveals the potential to generate any desired mask through adversarial attacks. The experimental results indicate that COSM demonstrates weak robustness, rendering it vulnerable to adversarial example attacks. In the realm of COS, the projected gradient descent (PGD) attack method exhibits superior attack capabilities compared to the fast gradient sign (FGSM) method in both white-box and black-box settings. These findings reduce the security risks in the application of COSM and pave the way for multiple applications of COSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wi-Fi sensing has garnered increasing interest for its significant advantages, primarily leveraging Wi-Fi signal fluctuations induced by human activities and advanced neural network algorithms. However, its application faces challenges due to limited generalizability, necessitating frequent data recollection and neural network retraining for adaptation to new environments. To address these limitations, some researchers introduced few-shot learning into Wi-Fi sensing applications because it offers a promising solution with its ability to achieve remarkable performance in novel scenarios using minimal training samples. Despite its potential, a comprehensive review of its applications within this domain remains absent. This study endeavors to fill this gap by exploring prominent Wi-Fi sensing applications that incorporate few-shot learning, aiming to delineate their key features. We categorize few-shot learning approaches into three distinct methodologies: transfer learning, metric learning, and meta-learning, based on their neural network training strategies. Through this classification, we examine representative systems from an application perspective and elucidate the principles of few-shot learning implementation. These systems are evaluated in terms of learning methodology, data modality, and recognition accuracy. Finally, this paper highlights the challenges and future directions for few-shot learning in Channel State Information (CSI) based human sensing, providing a valuable resource for researchers in the field of Wi-Fi human sensing leveraging few-shot learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intrinsic similarity between camouflaged objects and background environment impedes the automatic detection/segmentation of camouflaged objects, and novel network architectures for deep learning are promising to overcome this challenge and improve detection accuracy. However, these existing network architectures for distinguishing between camouflaged objects and their backgrounds do not account for the constraint of detection speed, which results in high computational complexity and the inability to meet the requirements of rapid detection. Therefore, based on the human visual system, this study proposes a single-stage lightweight camouflage object detection network using multilevel feature fusion, integrating features of various feature layers and receptive field sizes. Using three benchmark datasets for normal camouflaged objects, the lightweight network (LINet) model demonstrated an accuracy superior to those of six existing mainstream camouflaged object detection methods. Its detection speed, 126.3 frames per second, is significantly higher than those of the existing mainstream methods, enabling rapid detection with a maximum increase of 187.62%. The accuracy of LINet is the minimum and maximum for Resnet101 and Resnet152, respectively. These findings pave the way for diverse applications of camouflaged target detection algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, phase-apodized silicon grating filters with varying sidewall corrugation width and location were investigated, while the resonance wavelength, extinction ratio, and rejection bandwidth were tuned flexibly. The grating filters with a waveguide width of 500 nm and grating period of 400 nm were fabricated and characterized as a proof of concept. The resonance wavelength of the device can be shifted by 4.54 nm by varying the sidewall corrugation width from 150 to 250 nm. The corresponding rejection bandwidth can be changed from 1.19 to 2.03 nm by applying a sidewall corrugation location offset from 50 to 200 nm. The experimental performances coincide well with the simulation results. The presented sidewall corrugation-modulated apodized grating can be expected to have great application prospects for optical communications and semiconductor lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the challenges of reduced localization accuracy and incomplete map construction demonstrated using classical semantic simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms in dynamic environments, this study introduces a dynamic scene SLAM technique that builds upon direct sparse odometry (DSO) and incorporates instance segmentation and video completion algorithms. While prioritizing the algorithm's real-time performance, we leverage the rapid matching capabilities of Direct Sparse Odometry (DSO) to link identical dynamic objects in consecutive frames. This association is achieved through merging semantic and geometric data, thereby enhancing the matching accuracy during image tracking through the inclusion of semantic probability. Furthermore, we incorporate a loop closure module based on video inpainting algorithms into our mapping thread. This allows our algorithm to rely on the completed static background for loop closure detection, further enhancing the localization accuracy of our algorithm. The efficacy of this approach is validated using the TUM and KITTI public datasets and the unmanned platform experiment. Experimental results show that, in various dynamic scenes, our method achieves an improvement exceeding 85% in terms of localization accuracy compared with the DSO system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Redox polymers for aqueous rechargeable Zn-ion batteries have a large variety of types, and can be exploited to build air-rechargeable batteries due to their spontaneous oxidation. Yet, understanding of the amorphous polymer cathode is insufficient. Here, the dominant role of H+ in the charge storage process of aqueous Zn–organic batteries and factors that influence the fraction of H+ uptake in a polymer cathode are unveiled both experimentally and theoretically. Four different polymers containing amino or carbonyl groups, or both, are used to make cathodes, and their percentages of H+ uptake are experimentally determined. The percentage of H+ uptake is 61–66 at% in the four polymer cathodes. A higher H+ uptake fraction in the polymer also corresponds to a higher contribution fraction of the diffusion-controlled charge storage process and higher activation energies in both the redox reaction and ion diffusion. The Zn2+-insertion leads to greater change of entropy than the H+-insertion. The polymer with a higher H+ uptake fraction (i.e., less Zn2+ uptake) is subject to a smaller change in entropy. The H+-involved redox reaction is facilitated by lower activation energy and more negative change in Gibbs energy, accounting for more H+ than Zn2+ in the polymer cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid development of holography, metasurface-based holographic communication scheme shows great potential in development of adaptive electromagnetic function. However, conventional passive metasurfaces are severely limited by poor reconfigurability, which makes it difficult to achieve wavefront manipulations in real time. Here, we propose a holographic communication strategy that on-demand target information is firstly acquired and encoded via a depth camera integrated with modified YOLOv5s target detection algorithm, then transmitted by software defined radio modules with long term evolution at 5 GHz, and finally reproduced in the form of holographic images by spin-decoupled programmable coding metasurfaces at 12 GHz after decoding through modified Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate the brand-new concept of optical information conversion to electromagnetic one via above intelligent scheme. Our strategy may open a novel avenue toward applications of near-field communication based on adaptive variation of electric field patterns (i.e. holographic images). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patients with Graves' disease often engage in shared decision‐making to select an individualised treatment regimen from multiple options. Radioactive iodine (RAI) is one of the treatment choices for their condition, aims to improve quality of life and well‐being. Likewise, dissatisfaction with treatment outcomes can result in decision regret. We employed validated questionnaires to assess the prospective quality of life, decision regret and relative factors involved in decision‐making of patients with late hypothyroidism after RAI therapy. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among patients in hypothyroidism status for more than 1 year after RAI therapy. Disease‐specific and generic QoL were assessed using the short form of thyroid‐related patient‐reported outcome (ThyPRO‐39) questionnaire. Patient satisfaction regarding their decision to undergo RAI was assessed using the Decision Regret Scale (DRS) and patients were asked about the importance of relative factors in decision‐making. Results: Of 254 patients who responded to the survey, the mean age of patients was 45.3 years (range: 18–78 years) and the median time from RAI therapy to survey was 4 years (range: 1–30 years). Patients' median and mean DRS score were 34.4 and 38.8 (range: 0–100), respectively. A total of 100 (39.4%) patients express absent‐to‐mild regret (score: 0–25), 154 (60.6%) patients express moderate‐to‐severe regret (score: >25). The mean score of the absent‐to‐mild regret group were significantly higher than those of the moderate‐to‐severe regret group on most ThyPRO‐39 scales. A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between DRS score and most ThyPRO‐39 scale score. There was a significant positive association between higher DRS score and longer time intervals after RAI treatment, a brief duration of hyperthyroidism, and the significance of long‐time outpatient follow‐up. More decision regret was negatively associated Iodine‐free diet, ineffectiveness of ATD, fear of surgery. Conclusion: Impairment of quality of life was positively correlated with decision regret in patients with late‐hypothyroidism after radioiodine therapy. Patients with insufficient information support before decision‐making are more likely to have higher decision regret after treatment. Our findings suggest that health providers should fully communicate with patients and provide information support in multiple dimensions during the shared‐decision‐making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shuttling effect is a crucial obstacle to the practical deployment of lithium sulfur batteries (LSBs). This can be ascribed to the generation of lithium polysulfide (LiPS) redox intermediates that are soluble in the electrolyte. The detailed mechanism of the shuttling, including the chemical structures responsible for the loss of effective mass and the dynamics/kinetics of the redox reactions, are not clear so far. To obtain this microscopic information, characterization techniques with high spatial and temporal resolutions are required. Here, we propose that resonance Raman spectroscopy combined with ultrafast broadband pulses is a powerful tool to reveal the mechanism of the shuttling effect. By combining the chemical bond level spatial resolution of resonance Raman and the femtosecond scale temporal resolution of the ultrafast pulses, this novel technique holds the potential of capturing the spectroscopic fingerprints of the LiPS intermediates during the working stages of LSBs. Using ab initio simulations, we show that, in addition to the excitation energy selective enhancement, resonance Raman signals of different LiPS intermediates are also characteristic and distinguishable. These results will facilitate the real-time in situ monitoring of LiPS species and reveal the underlying mechanism of the shuttling effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a hydrophobic, wear-resistant ultraviolet (UV)-curable coating was investigated as an alternative to traditional coatings with low hardness and high susceptibility to scratching. The SiO2 nanoparticles were ground and modified using high-energy ball milling, during which the surface energy of nano-SiO2 particles rapidly increased as their particle size decreased. Different proportions of modified nano-SiO2 particles were added to the coating and cured into a film. The structure of the composite coating was analyzed via infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction, which confirmed the successful preparation of the composite coating. The mechanical and optical property tests of the coating were investigated. With a 5% nano-SiO2 content, the hardness of the coating reached 5H, whereas the adhesion was poor (2B), and the flexibility was 1. The overall comprehensive performance of the coating was best when the addition amount was 3%. The coating exhibited good hardness, flexibility, and adhesion. The hardness of the coating reached 4H, the adhesion was 4B, the flexibility was 5, the coating haze was 12.38 HZ, and the contact angle was 118°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural sand has a loose and porous structure with low strength, and is prone to many geoengineering problems that cause huge losses. In this study, an organic polymer-polymer-fiber blend was used to improve the strength of sand. Using a series of laboratory and numerical simulation tests, researchers have investigated the microdamage behavior of an organic polymer and fiber-treated sand in various types of mechanical tests and explored the improvement mechanism. The results showed that the polymer- and fiber-treated sand enhanced the integrity and exhibited differential damage responses under different test conditions. The increase in polymer content induced uniform force transfer, leading to a wider range of particle motion and crack initiation, whereas the fibers adhered and confined the surrounding particles, inducing an arching force chain and dispersive/buckling cracking. Polymer- and fiber-treated sands increased their energy-carrying capacity and improved their energy release, which affected the damage characteristics. Organic polymers, fibers, and sand particles were wrapped around each other to form an effective interlocking structure, which enhances the integrity and mechanical properties of sand. This study provides novel ideas and methods in the polymer-fiber composite treatment of sand in the microscopic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel 4,6,7-trisubstituted quinazoline derivatives containing benzothiazole moiety were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antitumor activity against four human cancer cells (PC-3, MGC-803, A549 and Eca-109) using MTT assay. Among them, compound 11k showed the most potent cytotoxicity against PC-3 cells (IC50 = 5.59 ± 0.78 μM). Compound 11k also significantly inhibited the colony formation and migration of PC-3 cells. Meanwhile, compound 11k induced cell cycle arrest at S-phase and cell apoptosis, as well as increased accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species. All the findings suggest that compound 11k might be a valuable lead compound for anti-tumor agents targeting prostate cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel 5-cyano-2,4,6-substituted pyrimidine derivatives containing acrylamide group were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their antitumor activity against four human cancer cell lines (MGC-803, PC-3, A549, and H1975) using the MTT assay. Among them, compound 20y exhibited the most potent cytotoxicity against PC-3 cells (IC50 = 2.75 ± 0.08 μM). Notably, compound 20y significantly inhibited the colony formation, migration, and invasion of PC-3 cells. Furthermore, compound 20y induced S-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in PC-3 cells. These findings indicate that compound 20y might serve as a valuable lead compound for developing antitumor agents targeting prostate cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, a series of pyrimidine derivatives containing the 4-hydroxypiperidine group were designed and synthesized, and the antiproliferative activity of these compounds against four human tumor cell lines (MGC-803, PC-3, A549, H1975) was evaluated by MTT method in vitro. Most of the compounds have moderate anti-proliferative activities, among which compound 17i displayed the most excellent anti-proliferative activity, with IC50 value of 3.89 ± 0.57 µM against H1975 cell. Preliminary antitumor mechanism studies revealed that compound 17i could inhibit colony formation and cell migration of H1975 cells. Furthermore, compound 17i induced H1975 cells apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner and H1975 cell cycle arrest in S phase to inhibit cell proliferation. These results indicates that compound 17i could be a promising lead for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miR‐138‐5p has been identified as a novel cancer‐related miRNA molecule in a variety of malignancies. However, the functions and mechanisms underlying miR‐138‐5p in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) remains largely unknown. In the present study, we analysed the biological effects and clinical significance of miR‐138‐5p in CRC. miR‐138‐5p expression was analysed by quantitative real‐time PCR in CRC tissues and cell lines. The effects of miR‐138‐5p on CRC cell growth was detected by cell proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle and cell apoptosis assays in vitro and in vivo. Our data showed that miR‐138‐5p was significantly downregulated in CRC. Downregulated miR‐138‐5p was related with poor prognosis in patients with CRC. miR‐138‐5p suppressed CRC growth but promoted cell death both in vitro and in vivo. Online predictions and integrated experiments identified that miR‐138‐5p targeted MCU, and downregulated miR‐138‐5p promoted mitochondrial biogenesis in CRC. In the light of the underlying mechanisms, our results indicated that downregulated miR‐138‐5p led to increased expression of MCU, which subsequently increased the production of ROS to promote CRC growth. Our results indicated that downregulated miR‐138‐5p strengthened mitochondrial biogenesis through targeting MCU, thus contributing to CRC cell growth, which may provide a potential therapeutic target for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common cause of secondary hypertension. It predisposes to adverse outcomes such as nephrotoxicity and cardiovascular damage, which are mediated by direct harm from hypertension to the target organs. Accurate subtype diagnosis and localization are crucial elements in choosing the type of treatment for PA in clinical practice since the dominant side of aldosterone secretion in PA affects subsequent treatment options. The gold standard for diagnosing PA subtypes, adrenal venous sampling (AVS), requires specialized expertise, the invasive nature of the procedure and high costs, all of which delay the effective treatment of PA. Nuclide molecular imaging is non-invasive and has wider applications in the diagnosis and treatment of PA. This review aims to provide a summary of the application of radionuclide imaging in the diagnosis, treatment management and prognostic assessment of PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a series of novel 2,4,6-trisubstituted quinazoline derivatives were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated their antiproliferative activity against four human cancer cell lines (Eca-109, A549, PC-3 and MGC-803). The most of designed compounds showed considerable antiproliferative activity against the tested four cancer cell lines, while compound 28g displayed the best antiproliferative activity with the IC50 values of 1.95 μM and 2.46 μM against MGC-803 cells and Eca-109 cells, respectively. Further mechanism studies indicated that 28g significantly inhibited the cell migration and colony formation of MGC-803 cells. Besides, 28g also dose-dependently induced cellular apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at S phase in MGC-803 cells. Overall, all these studies suggested that 28g has the potential to act as a valuable lead compound for the development of antitumor agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a series of novel quinazoline/phenylsulfonylfuroxan hybrids were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated against five human cancer cell lines (H1975, MCF-7, Eca-109, MGC-803 and A549). The most of hybrids displayed considerable antiproliferative activities against the tested five cancer cells, while compound 25q exhibited the most potent antiproliferative activity with the IC50 values of 1.67 and 1.88 μM against H1975 cells and MGC-803 cells, respectively. Further in vitro mechanistic studies showed that 25q had the remarkable capacity to suppress the migration of H1975 cells. Besides, 25q also arrested the H1975 cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase and mediated cell apoptosis. NO releasing assay confirmed that the designed hybrids could generate a significant amount of NO and the consistent tendency between NO releasing abilities and antiproliferative activities. Among these compounds, 25q also exhibited the most potent NO releasing ability. Overall, all these studies indicate that the designed quinazoline/phenylsulfonylfuroxan hybrids have significant anti-tumor activities and excellent NO releasing ability and 25q has the potential to act as a valuable lead compound for the development of anti-tumor agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The combination of anti-programmed death-1 antibodies and chemotherapy is effective; however, there are no reliable outcome prediction factors. We investigated the prognostic factors based on 18Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) quantitative and hematological parameters to predict progression-free survival (PFS) in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R cHL) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chemotherapy. Methods: This retrospective study included 31 patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT before and during treatment. Pretreatment metabolic and hematological parameters were evaluated using Cox regression analysis to identify predictors of PFS. Based on the cut-off values calculated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, patients were classified into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. Kaplan–Meier curves and the log-rank test were used to compare survival differences between the groups. Results: Cox multivariable analysis indicted that the treatment response based on Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Lugano classification and SUVmax were independent predictors of PFS (P = 0.004, 0.007 and 0.039, respectively). The optimal cut-off values for SUVmax and LDH were 11.62 and 258.5 U/L, respectively (P < 0.01). Survival curves showed that LDH ≥ 258.5U/L and SUVmax ≥ 11.62 were correlated to shorter PFS (P < 0.001, P = 0.003, respectively). The differences in PFS between the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups were statistically significant (P = 0.0043). Conclusion: In R/R cHL patients treated with ICIs and chemotherapy, Lugano classification, SUVmax, and LDH were significantly correlated with PFS. The combination of metabolic and hematological parameters predicts PFS and may help to improve patient selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metformin has good anti-hyperglycemic effectiveness, but does not induce hypoglycemia，is very safe, and has become the preferred drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Recently, the other effects of metformin, such as being anti-inflammatory and delaying aging, have also attracted increased attention. Methods and Results: The relevant literatures on pubmed and other websites for reading, classification and sorting, and did not involve any animal experiments. Conclusion: Metformin has anti-inflammatory effects through multiple routes, which provides potential therapeutic targets for certain inflammatory diseases, such as neuroinflammation and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, inflammation is a key component of tumor occurrence and development ; thus, targeted inflammatory intervention is a significant benefit for both cancer prevention and treatment. Therefore, metformin may have further potential for inflammation-related disease prevention and treatmen. However, the inflammatory mechanism is complex; various molecules are connected and influence each other. For example, metformin significantly inhibits p65 nuclear translocation, but pretreatment with compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, abolishes this effect, and silencing of HMGB1 inhibits NF-κB activation. SIRT1 deacetylates FoxO, increasing its transcriptional activity. mTOR in dendritic cells regulates FoxO1 via AKT. The interactions among various molecules should be further explored to clarify their specific mechanisms and provide more direction for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, as well as cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demand for human-computer interaction and health monitoring, human behavior recognition with device-free patterns has attracted extensive attention. The fluctuations of the Wi-Fi signal caused by human actions in a Wi-Fi coverage area can be used to precisely identify the human skeleton and pose, which effectively overcomes the problems of the traditional solution. Although many promising results have been achieved, no survey summarizes the research progress. This paper aims to comprehensively investigate and analyze the latest applications of human behavior recognition based on channel state information (CSI) and the human skeleton. First, we review the human profile perception and skeleton recognition progress based on wireless perception technologies. Second, we summarize the general framework of precise pose recognition, including signal preprocessing methods, neural network models, and performance results. Then, we classify skeleton model generation methods into three categories and emphasize the crucial difference among these typical applications. Furthermore, we discuss two aspects, such as experimental scenarios and recognition targets. Finally, we conclude the paper by summarizing the issues in typical systems and the main research directions for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A polymerizable difunctional photoinitiator 2-methylene-succinic acid bis-{2-[4-(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropionyl)phenoxy]ethyl} ester (IAHHMP) based on the commercial photoinitiator 2-hydroxy-1-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]-2-methylpropanone (HHMP) and a biorenewable itaconic acid is synthesized by esterification. The structure is confirmed by ultraviolet spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR, 13C NMR) and thermogravimetric analysis. The photopolymerization behaviour of the photoinitiator is investigated using photo-differential scanning calorimetry and compared with that of two commercial photoinitiators, HHMP (or photoinitiator 2959) and 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone (or photoinitiator 184). The results show that IAHHMP has a strong UV absorption capacity at 245~300 nm and can initiate polymerization of monomers containing a double bond. The relative migration of IAHHMP is less than that of the systems containing an HHMP or 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone photoinitiator. Therefore, IAHHMP is expected to have potential applications in more environmentally friendly materials, such as in food and medical packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-WO3 particles are expected to find use in new shielding materials because of their significant absorption of near-infrared light in the 1400–1600 nm and 1900–2200 nm bands and high transmittance of visible light. In this study, WO3 was ground and dispersed using high-energy ball-milling to prepare a nano-WO3 dispersion using BYK331 as the dispersant and ethanol as the solvent. The prepared nano-WO3 dispersion was added to a photo-curing system and cured using UV irradiation to form films. The cured films were characterized using FT-IR, SEM, XRD, and TGA. The results showed that the nano-WO3 powder was evenly dispersed in the coating. The infrared blocking rate of the film continuously improved and the visible light transmission rate continuously decreased with increasing amounts of nano-WO3.For the film containing 6 wt%nano-WO3, the infrared blocking rate of the coating is 90%, the visible light transmittance is 70%, the hardness of the coating is 3B, and the adhesion is 3H. The thermal stability of the coating is also improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel 4,6,7-substituted quinazoline derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against human cancer cell lines (PC-3, MGC-803, HGC-27, A549 and H1975). Among all the target compounds, compound 22s displayed the most potent anti-proliferative activity against MGC-803 cells in vitro. Further mechanism studies revealed that compound 22s could obviously inhibit the colony formation and migration of MGC-803 cells. At the same time, compound 22s could induced apoptosis of MGC-803 cells and induced cell cycle arrest at G1-phase. Collectively, those work suggested that compound 22s might be a valuable solution to optimize anilinoquinazoline-based antineoplastic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using panel data from the 2013, 2015 and 2017 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) and the digital finance index developed by Peking University, this study examines the impact of digital finance on household insurance purchases and explores its mechanisms. The results indicate that digital finance can promote household insurance purchases by increasing residents' financial literacy and their accessibility to internet financial services. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that digital finance has a more positive effect on the insurance purchases of households with fewer assets, lower income and located in less developed and rural areas. Regarding the type of insurance, digital finance enhances the purchase of property and life rather than health insurance. The regression results of household insurance purchases on the three dimensions of digital finance show that the breadth of coverage and depth of usage of digital finance have more significant impacts on household insurance purchases than digitalisation level. Robustness checks with different measures and samples, also addressing potential endogeneity using the instrumental variable approach, show the reliability of our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to discover novel high efficiency and low toxic anticancer drugs, a series of novel 2-amino-5-ethylpyrimidine derivatives (XIIa–x) were designed and synthesized. Their antiproliferative activities against four human cancer cells were evaluated by MTT assay. Among the synthetic target compounds, the compound 5-ethyl-6-((4-methoxybenzyl)thio)-N4-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)pyrimidine-2,4-diamine (XIIw) showed the most potent antiproliferative activity against MGC-803 (human gastric cancer cells), with the IC50 values of 1.02 ± 0.16 μM. Meanwhile, this compound inhibited colony formation of MGC-803 cells. Furthermore, this compound blocked the cell cycle in S phase and induced cell apoptosis. Collectively, our findings indicated that this compound was a valuable lead compound to design new anticancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term and stable monitoring of bioelectrical signals represented by electrocardiogram (ECG) has a great application value for wearable electronics. The ECG monitoring require low-cost, flexible and robust electrical system that can work throughout daily activities. In this article, we propose a paper-assisted strategy to fabricate a tattoo ECG electrode based on the low-cost water transfer printing technology. Similar to the tattoo attached on the skin, the fabricated electrode allows complying with the skin deformation comfortably and accommodating the local strains. The ECG signals collected by the tattoo electrode have a high signal to noise ratio, robustness, mechanical stability and strong immunity to motion artifact even under the severe deformation of skin. The tattoo electrode enables convenient and long-period ECG monitoring during various activities, including exercising, sweating, rubbing, and flushing. As a proof-of-concept, a soft wireless ECG system is developed by integrating with the tattoo electrode, commercialized IC chips, and a low-energy Bluetooth module to achieve the functions of signal acquisition, data processing and communication. The measured results show that the proposed strategy has a promising application for wearable health monitoring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect pests have a great impact on the yield and quality of crops. Insecticide applications are an effective method of pest control, however, they also have adverse effects on the environment. Using insect‐inducible promoters to drive insect‐resistant genes in transgenic crops is a potential sustainable pest management strategy, but insect‐inducible promoters have been rarely reported. In this study, we found rice allene oxide synthase gene (AOS, LOC_Os03g12500) can be highly upregulated following brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål, BPH) infestation. Then, we amplified the promoter of OsAOS1 and the β‐ glucuronidase reporter gene was used to analyze the expression pattern of the promoter. Through a series of 5ʹ truncated assays, three positive regulatory regions in response to BPH infestation in the promoter were identified. The transgenic plants, P1R123‐min 35S and P1TR1‐min 35S promoter‐driven snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin, GNA) gene, demonstrated the highest expression levels of GNA and lowest BPH survival. Our work identified a BPH‐inducible promoter and three positive regions within it. Transgenic rice with GNA driven by OsAOS1 promoter and positive regions exhibited an expected lethal effect on BPH. This study proved the application potential of BPH‐inducible promoter and provided a novel path for the selection of insect‐resistant tools in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ridge waveguide integrated grating couplers (GCs) in lithium niobate on insulator (LiNbO3, LNOI) were designed, fabricated and characterized. Two ends of the tapered GCs were connected by the subwavelength gratings (SWG) waveguide of a sub-micrometric-diameter, the photonic-wire SWG structure was featured with the profile of side-walls corrugations, and the effect of geometrical dimensions on the output optical response was investigated. All the devices structure patterns for the integrated LNOI GCs could be simultaneously defined by one step of electron-beam lithography, and then easily fabricated by the optimized dry-etching processes, followed by samples surface cleaning. After the fabrication, a low coupling loss of − 5.1 dB/coupler at the telecommunication wavelength of 1561 nm was measured in the best thin-film LiNbO3 (TFLN) surface grating coupler for quasi-transverse-electric (quasi-TE) polarized signals, and a broad 3-dB optical bandwidth of wider than 95 nm was also obtained. The compact components exhibited magnificent performance, and might show the potential functionalities for the TFLN-based integrated optical waveguide devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, human behavior sensing based on WiFi channel state information has drawn more attention in the ubiquitous computing field because it can provide accurate information about the target under a device-free scheme. This paper concentrates on user authentication applications using channel state information. We investigate state-of-the-art studies and survey their characteristics. First, we introduce the concept of channel state information and outline the fundamental principle of user authentication. These systems measure the dynamic channel state information profile and implement user authentication by exploring the channel state information variation caused by users because each user generates unique channel state information fluctuations. Second, we elaborate on signal processing approaches, including signal selection and preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification methods. Third, we thoroughly investigate the latest user authentication applications. Specifically, we analyze these applications from typical human action, including gait, activity, gesture, and stillness. Finally, we provide a comprehensive discussion of user authentication and conclude the paper by presenting some open issues, research directions, and possible solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Promoters play a key role in driving insect‐resistant genes during breeding of transgenic plants. In current transgenic procedures for breeding rice resistance to striped stem borer (Chilo suppressalis Walker, SSB), the constitutive promoter is used to drive the insect‐resistant gene. To reduce the burden of constitutive promoters on plant growth, isolation and identification of insect‐inducible promoters are particularly important. However, few promoters are induced specifically by insect feeding. RESULTS: We found rice hydroperoxide lyase gene (OsHPL2) (LOC_Os02g12680) was upregulated after feeding by SSB. We subsequently cloned the promoter of OsHPL2 and analysed its expression pattern using the β‐glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. Histochemical assays and quantitative analyses of GUS activity confirmed that PHPL2:GUS was activated by SSB, but did not respond to brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål, BPH) infestation, mechanical wounding or phytohormone treatments. A series of 5′ truncated assays were conducted and three positive regulatory regions (−1452 to −1213, −903 to −624, and −376 to −176) induced by SSB infestation were identified. P2R123‐min 35S and P2TR2‐min 35S promoters linked with cry1C of transgenic plants showed the highest levels of Cry1C protein expression and SSB larval mortality. CONCLUSION: We identified an SSB‐inducible promoter and three positive internal regions. Transgenic rice plants with the OsHPL2 promoter and its positive regions driving cry1C exhibited the expected larvicidal effect on SSB. Our study is the first report of an SSB‐inducible promoter that could be used as a potential resource for breeding insect‐resistant transgenic crops. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic Bt insect-resistant plants are highly resistant to Lepidoptera stockpile pest Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a storage pest. Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), which is an ectoparasitic wasp of Indian meal moth, may be exposed to the Bt protein through the food chain. In the current study, high dose of Cry1C protein was injected into the hemolymph of P. interpunctella by microinjection, and the hemolymph was used as the carrier to deliver Bt protein to the H. hebetor. Using this method, we developed a new Tier-1 risk assessment system for ectoparasitoid, successfully avoided "host/prey quality-mediated effect," and improve the accuracy of safety evaluation. Results showed that injected Cry1C was stable and bioactive in the hemolymph of P. interpunctella parasitized by H. hebetor, and high dose of Cry1C has no negative impacts on egg hatching rate, developmental duration from egg to adult, survival egg to adult, pupa weight, adults weight (male and female), adult longevity and reproduction, and activity of stress-related enzymes of H. hebetor. However, the hemolymph of P. interpunctella injected into Galanthus nivalis L. agglutinin (the positive control) had significant negative impact on these biological parameters of H. hebetor. The results indicate that H. hebetor are not sensitive to Cry1C protein at the tested concentration and there were no detrimental effects of Cry1C protein on any biological parameters tested in the present study. More importantly, we constructed a new efficient and simple system for the biosafety assessment on the larvae of ectoparasitoid of target pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The expression of Cbp/p300-interacting transactivator with Glu/Asp-rich carboxy-terminal domain 1 (CITED1) is upregulated in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and mediates cell proliferation and migration. To facilitate early diagnosis and monitoring of recurrent or metastatic PTC, we designed 177Lu-labeled antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA) targeting CITED1 mRNA to evaluate the therapeutic potential, while analyzing its distribution in nude mice and the characteristics withsingle-photon emission-computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging. Materials and Methods: 177Lu-DOTA-anti-CITED1-PNA ( 177Lu-asPNA) was obtained by indirect labeling. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) were used to determine the labeling rate and radiochemical purity. The stability of 177Lu-asPNA was evaluated by TLC, and the radioactivity count was measured by a γ counter to calculate its uptake capacity in K1 cells. To analyze the distribution of 177Lu-asPNA in body tissues and organs of nude mice, static single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) imaging and SPECT/CT image fusion were performed. Then, the therapeutic effects of probes were explored by tumor growth curves and survival analysis. Results: Our probe showed a radiochemical purity of 96.5± 0.15% at 1 hr and specific activity of 8.7± 0.53 MBq/μg. The uptake rate in the 177Lu-asPNA group was much higher than that in the 177Lu-DOTA-nonsense-PNA ( 177Lu-nonsense-PNA) and 177Lu-DOTA groups (P< 0.05). The biological distribution showed that the tumor/muscle ratio was at its highest at 24 h (4.98± 0.34) post-inoculation, with SPECT/CT imaging showing clear tumor development. By measuring tumor volume of tumor-bearing nude mice, the 177Lu-asPNA group showed a significant difference in tumor size 9 days after injection (P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the overall survival rate in the 177Lu-asPNA group was significantly different from those in the DOTA-anti-CITED1-PNA (asPNA) and saline groups (P = 0.002, log-rank test). Conclusion: 177Lu-asPNA was developed successfully, showing a high labeling rate and good stability. SPECT/CT imaging demonstrated tumor growth in nude mice, which was effectively inhibited by our probe, thus prolonging survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of 18F-fluorocholine (18F-FCH) PET/CT for uremic hyperparathyroidism (uHPT) compared to 99mTc-sestaMIBI SPECT/CT and ultrasonography (US). Methods: A total of 17 uHPT patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent US, 99mTc-sestaMIBI SPECT/CT, and 18F-FCH within 2 months and received surgical treatment. Visual and quantitative methods were used for image analyses. Intraoperative localization and postoperative histological results of the reference standard as well as the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the three modalities were analyzed using Pearson's χ2 tests. In addition, the diagnostic efficacy of 18F-FCH PET/CT for uHPT was evaluated. The relationships between PET parameters and laboratory parameters were assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: A total of 63 parathyroid hyperplasia lesions were resected in 17 uHPT patients, and 53 lesions were detected using 18F-FCH PET/CT with no false-positive results. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV were 84.13%, 100%, 86.49%, 100%, and 52.38%, respectively. In comparison, the corresponding values for 99mTc-sestaMIBI SPECT/CT and US were 63.49%, 90.91%, 67.57%, 97.56%, and 30.30% and 61.90%, 81.82%, 64.86%, 95.12%, and 27.27%, respectively. The volume of hyper-functioning parathyroid glands was significantly different between lesions positive in 18F-FCH PET/CT and negative in 18F-FCH PET/CT (mean volume 1.36 ± 0.55 cm3 vs. 0.83 ± 0.26 cm3; P = 0.019). US misidentified intrathyroidal parathyroid hyperplasia as thyroid nodules in three patients, while 18F-FCH PET correctly identified the anatomy. No significant associations were observed between PET parameters and laboratory parameters in uHPT. Conclusion: 18F-FCH PET/CT was more sensitive and accurate for uHPT than 99mTc-sestaMIBI SPECT/CT and US, and had better preoperative diagnostic efficacy, particularly for lesions diagnosed as a thyroid nodule by US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the consensus disturbance rejection with channel uncertainties problem under directed network systems based on distributed disturbance observer method. The channel uncertainty item is modeled as the unitary transfer function perturbed by norm-bounded parameter. Laplacian matrix is divided into a nonsingular M-matrix to handle the directionality in networked system. Based on the uncertain relative information, a distributed disturbance protocol has been designed to guarantee the states of the agents converge to a consensus trajectory among all the subsystems. The channel uncertainties are added into the traditional disturbance observer-based rejection, and the distributed disturbance protocol is designed based on the relative state information obtained from the neighboring subsystems. According to linear matrix inequalities, sufficient condition for the results is derived. The effectiveness of the proposed protocol is finally verified by performing simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an important energy metabolic organ that is highly implicated in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Aging is one of the most important determinants of BAT activity. In this study, we used 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging to assess BAT aging in Lmna−/− mice. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVMax) of the BAT was measured, and the target/nontarget (T/NT) values of BAT were calculated. The transcription and the protein expression levels of the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), beta3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR), and the PR domain-containing 16 (PRDM16) were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting or immunohistochemical analysis. Apoptosis and cell senescence rates in the BAT of WT and Lmna−/− mice were determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and by CDKN2A/p16INK4a immunohistochemical staining, respectively. At 14 weeks of age, the BAT SUVMax and the expression levels of UCP1, β3-AR, and PRDM16 in Lmna−/− mice were significantly reduced relative to WT mice. At the same time, the number of p16INK4a and TUNEL positively stained cells (%) increased in Lmna−/− mice. Collectively, our results indicate that the aging characteristics and the aging regulatory mechanism in the BAT of Lmna−/− mice can mimic the normal BAT aging process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The early diagnosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has the potential to lead to significant improvements for the treatment and survival rates of cancer patients. 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) is often used as a tracer for positive emission tomography (PET) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging of cancer cells; however, [18F]FDG PET/CT cannot currently be used as an early diagnostic technique for HCC. This is because these cancer cells express high levels of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) that is responsible for poor cellular retention of [18F]FDG. Here, we sought to investigate the feasibility of metformin treatment to promote [18F]FDG uptake in HCC and the mechanism involved.Procedures: Human SMMC-7721 HCC cells were treated with metformin (up to 10 mM) or FoxO1 siRNA. The transcriptional and expression levels of FoxO1 and G6Pase were determined by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The feasibility of using metformin to promote [18F]FDG uptake was investigated by both in vitro cell uptake analysis and in vivo microPET/CT imaging. Stable doxycycline-inducible cell lines with FoxO1-overexpression (FoxO1-OE) and FoxO1-knockdown (FoxO1-KD) were constructed to evaluate the impact of FoxO1 on G6Pase expression in vitro and [18F]FDG uptake in vivo.Results: Treatment of HCC cells with metformin (Met) leads to a dose-dependent reduction in the expression levels of FoxO1 at the protein level, but not at the mRNA level. Met-induced phosphorylation of FoxO1 initiates a reduction in the expression levels of G6Pase mRNA, which results in an overall increase in the uptake of [18F]FDG into HCC cells and tumors.Conclusions: We propose that treatment of HCC cells with Met may be a useful strategy for improving the efficacy of [18F]FDG as a tracer for PET/CT imaging of HCC tumors in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeroelastic tailoring of laminated composite structure demands relatively high computational time especially for dynamic problem. This paper presents an efficient method for aeroelastic dynamic response analysis with significantly reduced computational time. In this method, a relationship is established between the maximum aeroelastic response and quasi-steady deflection of a wing subject to a dynamic loading. Based on this relationship, the time consuming dynamic response can be approximated by a quasi-steady deflection analysis in a large proportion of the optimization process. This method has been applied to the aeroelastic tailoring of a composite wing of a tailless aircraft for minimum gust response. The results have shown that 20%–36% gust response reduction has been achieved for this case. The computational time of the optimization process has been reduced by 90% at the cost of accuracy reduction of 2~4% comparing with the traditional dynamic response analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses containment control problem for multi‐agent systems with general linear dynamics. The main contribution of this study is to solve the containment control problem with multiple leaders whose control inputs might be non‐zero, time varying, and the interaction graph among the followers is directed. On the basis of the neighbouring state information, a distributed static containment controller is designed, the containment error asymptotically converges to zero if the subgraph associated with the followers is directed and at least one leader has a directed path to each follower. Then, an observer‐based adaptive containment controller is proposed without knowing any global information about the topology, especially the eigenvalues of the Laplacian matrix. Simulations indicate the capabilities of the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]