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We measure the black hole mass and investigate the accretion flow around the local ($z=0.0502$) quasar PG 1119+120. Spectroscopic monitoring with Calar Alto provides H$\beta$ lags and linewidths from which we estimate a black hole mass of $\log \left(M_{\bullet}/\mathrm{M}_{\odot} \right) = 7.0$, uncertain by $\sim0.4$ dex. High cadence photometric monitoring over two years with the Las Cumbres Observatory provides lightcurves in 7 optical bands suitable for intensive continuum reverberation mapping. We identify variability on two timescales. Slower variations on a 100-day timescale exhibit excess flux and increased lag in the $u'$ band and are thus attributable to diffuse bound-free continuum emission from the broad line region. Faster variations that we attribute to accretion disc reprocessing lack a $u'$-band excess and have flux and delay spectra consistent with either $\tau \propto \lambda^{4/3}$, as expected for a temperature structure of $T(R) \propto R^{-3/4}$ for a thin accretion disc, or $\tau \propto \lambda^{2}$ expected for a slim disc. Decomposing the flux into variable (disc) and constant (host galaxy) components, we find the disc SED to be flatter than expected with $f_{\nu} \sim \rm{const}$. Modelling the SED predicts an Eddington ratio of $\lambda_{\rm Edd} > 1$, where the flat spectrum can be reproduced by a slim disc with little dust extinction or a thin disc which requires more dust extinction. While this accretion is super-Eddington, the geometry is still unclear, however a slim disc is expected due to the high radiation pressure at these accretion rates, and is entirely consistent with our observations., Comment: 23 pages, 16 figures, 10 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

In today's world of rapid technological development, huge resource consumption and environmental protection are becoming major issues for human survival. It is generally believed that mankind needs more efficient and environmentally friendly ways of generating energy. Among the many ways to generate electricity, solar power is a very environmentally friendly and resourceful way to generate electricity as by converting a very small amount of solar energy received on earth into electrical energy, we can obtain a considerable amount of electric energy. Among the many materials used to produce solar cells, organic materials are the most popular research subject because of their low price, abundance, and bendability. Among the many materials used in solar cells, organic materials have received attentions because of their low price, abundance and excellent properties such as bendability, non-toxicity, and degradability. As one of the most popular power generation methods, numerous scientists have tried to commercialize it, but there are still some problems that prevent them from doing so, such as the lack of stability of organic materials. This article will collect information on various organic solar cell materials and compare them, trying to find the one with the most commercial potential or feasibility.

Spontaneous portosystemic shunt (SPSS) can cause refractory hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in cirrhotic patients. The embolization of the shunt (ES) can resolve the HE, while the selective embolization of the splenic vein (SESV) can treat splenorenal shunts related HE. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of ES and SESV when applied for the treatment of SPSS-induced refractory HE in cirrhotic patients.Patients with refractory HE who were treated with ES or SESV were retrospectively identified. The clinical outcomes were compared and analyzed.The 6-month mortality after the ES procedure was significantly higher than that after the SESV procedure. During the 6-month follow-up, both the white blood cell and the platelet counts were significantly lower after the ES procedure than after the SESV procedure. There was a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase levels after ES. However, the albumin levels as well as the Child-Pugh score and grade were found to be significantly improved at 6 months after the undertaking of an SESV (as compared with baseline).The 6-month mortality was improved after SESV (as compared with ES) in the treatment of SPSS-induced refractory HE. A prospective multicenter study for validation is warranted.

The poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, highlight the urgent need to identify novel therapeutic modalities. Here, we describe the antitumor activity and underlying molecular mechanisms of a novel Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor RX108 in human HCC cells and its xenograft model. RX108 dose-dependently inhibited HCC cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model, and that the inhibition was associated with induction of apoptosis. Mechanistically, RX108 significantly downregulated alanine serine cysteine transporter 2 (ASCT2) protein expression and reduced glutamine and glutamate concentration in HCC cells and tumors. In addition, RX108 exposure led to a significant decrease in cell energy metabolism in Huh7 and Hep3B cells, including decreased levels of glutathione, NADH, NADPH, and mitochondrial respiration oxygen consumption rate. Furthermore, HCC cells exhibited evidence of glutamine addiction; the antiproliferative effect of RX108 was dependent on glutamine transport. Clinically, elevated ASCT2 mRNA expression in HCCs was associated with unfavorable survival. Taken together, these findings reveal a novel approach to target glutamine metabolism through inhibiting Na+/K+-ATPase and provide a rationale for using RX108 to treat HCC in patients whose tumors express ASCT2 at high levels. RX108 is currently under clinical development.

To investigate the regulatory effect and mechanism of miR-212-3p-mediated 11β-HSD1/GC/GILZ signal axis on the inflammatory response of human synovial fibroblasts (HFLS). HFLS cells were cultured and divided into Control group, inhibitor-NC group and miR-212-3p group. Cell activity, apoptosis, inflammatory factors and 11β-HSD1/GC/GILZ signal axis expression were observed in each group. After inhibiting the expression of miR-212-3p, the HFLS cell inflammation model constructed by IL-1β increased cell activity, decreased apoptosis rate, decreased expression of inflammatory factors, and increased expression of 11β-HSD1, cortisol and GILZ. In conclusion, miR-212-3p targeted down-regulated the expression of 11β-HSD1. Inhibition of miR-212-3p can regulate the 11β-HSD1/GC/GILZ signaling axis to promote the reversal of IL-1β-mediated HFLS cell inflammatory response.

To compare the clinical outcomes of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation versus portal vein stent placement (PVS) in patients with noncirrhotic cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV).In this retrospective study, clinical data from patients with noncirrhotic CTPV who underwent TIPS creation or PVS were compared. A total of 54 patients (mean age, 43.8 years ± 15.8; 31 men and 23 women) were included from January 2013 to January 2021; 29 patients underwent TIPS creation, and 25 patients underwent PVS. Stent occlusion, variceal rebleeding, survival, and postprocedural complications were compared between the 2 groups.The mean follow-up time was 40.2 months ± 26.2 in the TIPS group and 35.3 months ± 21.1 in the PVS group. The stent occlusion rate in the PVS group (16%, 4 of 25) was significantly lower than that in the TIPS group (41.4%, 12 of 29) during the follow-up (P = .042). The cumulative variceal rebleeding rates in the TIPS group were significantly higher than those in the PVS group (28% vs 4%; P = .027). The procedural success rate was 69% in the TIPS group and 86% in the PVS group (P = .156). There was a higher number of severe adverse events after TIPS than after PVS (0% vs 24%; P = .012).Portal vein recanalization with PVS may be a preferable alternative to TIPS creation in the treatment of noncirrhotic CTPV because of higher stent patency rates, lower risk of variceal rebleeding, and fewer adverse events.

In recent years, with the development of ’China’s new urbanization, the “characteristic town movement” with the development of industrial economy first has brought problems to a large number of rural settlements, such as no cultural planning, no consumption of industry, and no soul. Then, in reality, there are still a large number of rural settlements under the planning of the upper-level local government, with the goal of developing into a characteristic town in the future. Therefore, this study believes that there is an urgent need to build a framework for evaluating the construction potential of rural settlements with sustainable characteristic towns. Not only that but also a decision analysis model should be provided for real-world empirical cases. This model needs to cover the assessment of the sustainable development potential of characteristic towns as the goal and the formulation of improvement strategies. This study combines the data collection of current characteristic town development rating reports, applies data exploration technology to extract core impact elements and obtain hierarchical decision rules, integrates expert domain knowledge with DEMATEL technology, and establishes an impact network relationship diagram between core impact elements. At the same time, the representative characteristic town cases are assessed for their sustainable development potential, and the modified VIKOR technique is applied to clarify the actual problems of the empirical cases, in an attempt to determine whether the development potential and development plan of the characteristic town meet the sustainable development needs from the pre-evaluation mechanism.

Pressure–volume–temperature (pvT) diagrams illustrate the behavior of a polymer melt during injection molding and can be used to determine the optimal process parameter settings for producing quality parts. However, the measurements of pvT diagrams are costly and time-consuming and have limitations for process control. This study generated an economic pvT diagram based on sensor data and simulation analysis. To avoid the use of expensive infrared sensors and inaccurate pressure simulations, a pvT curve was constructed by combining the melting temperature, which was simulated using computer-aided engineering, and the actual cavity pressure. The specific volume of the polymer melt was then calculated using a modified Tait model. The pvT diagram could be used to investigate the changes in specific volume at various injection stages, which could be applied to quality prediction. In this study, a flat plate with uneven thickness was used as the research vehicle. The specific volume of each sensor position of the plastic component cooled to room temperature was calculated. Thereafter, a correlation analysis between the changes in specific volume and the shrinkage ratio of the plastic part was conducted. The experiment indicated that both variables were highly correlated. Therefore, monitoring changes in specific volume could predict part size. Additionally, the proposed measurements of the pvT diagram could be used to compute the cooling time, which greatly affects the quality and production efficiency of injection-molded parts. A 25-s cooling time setting demonstrated a stable molding quality compared with the traditional heat transfer formula (16 s) and the commercial simulation (17 s).

The possible mechanism by which the active components of Anhua fuzhuan tea act on FAM in NAFLD lesions was investigated.

Pricing carbon emission rights and other financial assets using the soliton theory is a pioneering attempt. In this study, we investigated the pricing of carbon emission rights according to the basic attributes of solitons, whose amplitude and velocity remain unchanged after a collision. First, we showed that the price fluctuation in the sequence of carbon emission rights possesses the characteristics of a soliton, such as non-dispersion while spreading and being stable after a collision. With a variation in the time scale, the waveform and velocity of the carbon price movement did not change with its translation in the same direction. Second, we demonstrated that the carbon soliton equation passes the $Painlev\acute{e}$ test for integrability. Moreover, at the resonance point, there exists an arbitrary function ${u}_j(t)$ of $t$ in which the compatibility condition always holds. This indicates the existence of soliton solutions to the carbon soliton equation. Third, the exact solutions of single-soliton, two-soliton and three-soliton equations were obtained by using a nonlinear evolution equation constructed with a bilinear method. In the three soliton solutions, only the single-soliton solution is the central value of the carbon emission rights and its theoretical value is 13 Euro/tCO2e.

Everolimus was designed as a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor. It has been proven as a targeted drug for gastric cancer (GC) therapy. However, long-term treatment with everolimus may cause severe side effects for recipients. Decreasing the dosage and attenuating the associated risks are feasible to promote clinical translation of everolimus. This study aimed to identify the underlying mechanisms of responses to everolimus and develop novel regimens for GC treatment. Our findings proved that there was a significant dose-dependent relationship of everolimus-induced GC cell apoptosis and glycolysis inhibition. Then, we found that a member of glucose transporter (GLUT12) family, GLUT12, was actively upregulated to counteract the anticancer effects of everolimus. GLUT12 might be overexpressed in GC. High expression of GLUT12 might be correlated with tumor progression and short survival time of GC patients. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that GLUT12 might be involved in regulating cancer development and metabolism. The experiments proved that GLUT12 significantly promoted GC growth, glycolysis and impaired the anticancer effects of everolimus. Androgen receptor (AR) is a classical oncogenic factor in many types of cancer. Everolimus elevated GLUT12 expression in an AR-dependent manner. Inhibition of AR activity abrogated the promotive effects on GLUT12 expression. Both

Smart space has emerged as a new paradigm that combines sensing, communication, and artificial intelligence technologies to offer various customised services. A fundamental requirement of these services is person identification. Although a variety of person identification approaches have been proposed, they suffer from several limitations in practical applications such as low energy efficiency, accuracy degradation, and privacy issue. This paper proposes an energy harvesting based privacy-preserving gait recognition scheme for smart space which is named . In , we extract discriminative features from one-dimensional gait signal and design an attention-based long short term memory (LSTM) network to classify different people. Moreover, we leverage a novel Bloom filter-based privacy-preserving technique to address the privacy leakage problem. To demonstrate the feasibility of , we design a proof-of-concept prototype using off-the-shelf energy harvesting hardware. Extensive evaluation results show that the proposed scheme outperforms state-of-the-art by 6–10% and incurs low system cost while preserving user’s privacy.

Objective: To improve the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (GC), more effective therapeutic targets are urgently needed. Increasing evidence indicates that miRNAs are involved in the progression of various tumors, and RAS-associated protein in the brain 31 (RAB31) is upregulated and promotes the progression of multiple malignant tumors. Here, we focused on identifying RAB31-targeted miRNAs and elucidating their potential mechanism in the progression of GC. Methods: RAB31 and miR-378a-3p expression levels were detected in paired fresh GC tissues and GC cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis was used to predict the miRNAs targeting RAB31 and the relationships between RAB31 and other genes. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were applied to verify the targeted interaction relationship. CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell assays were performed to assess the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of GC cells. Tumorsphere formation assays were performed to assess the stemness of gastric cancer stem cells. Related proteins were detected by Western blot. Xenograft assays in nude mice were performed to explore the effect of miR-378a-3p in vivo. Results: We report the first evidence that miR-378a-3p is downregulated in GC, whereas its overexpression inhibits proliferation, invasion, and migration as well as promotes apoptosis in GC cells. Mechanistically, miR-378a-3p inhibits the progression of GC by directly targeting RAB31. Restoring RAB31 expression partially offsets the inhibitory effect of miR-378a-3p. Further research revealed that miR-378a-3p inhibits GLI1/2 in the Hedgehog signaling pathway and attenuates the stemness of gastric cancer stem cells. Finally, xenograft assays showed that miR-378a-3p inhibits GC tumorigenesis in vivo. Conclusions: MiR-378a-3p inhibits GC progression by directly targeting RAB31 and inhibiting the Hedgehog signaling pathway proteins GLI1/2.

An effective reputation evaluation mechanism is an essential guarantee for the crowdsourcing mode's healthy, orderly, and rapid development. Aiming at the problems of unsound reputation evaluation mechanism, single reputation evaluation index, and poor discrimination ability of crowdsourcing platforms a “dimension reduction feature subset” method for selecting the best reputation evaluation index combination of crowdsourcing participants is proposed. This method first selects the best dimensionality reduction method by empirical method, then uses the classifier as the evaluation function of feature selection, and uses the sequential backward selection strategy (SBS) to select the feature subset and reputation evaluation algorithm with the best classification performance. The experimental results show that the reputation evaluation method of crowdsourcing participants based on ReliefF-SVM has the best performance in terms of accuracy, F1 measure, and stability and can select a comprehensive, objective, and effective evaluation index combination to distinguish the reputation status of crowdsourcing participants.

Localisation is an important part of many applications. Our motivating scenarios are short-term construction work and emergency rescue. These scenarios also require rapid setup and robustness to environmental conditions additional to localisation accuracy. These requirements preclude the use of many traditional high-performance methods, e.g. vision-based, laser-based, Ultra-wide band (UWB) and Global Positioning System (GPS)-based localisation systems. To overcome these challenges, we introduce iMag+, an accurate and rapidly deployable inertial magneto-inductive (MI) mapping and localisation system, which only requires monitored workers to carry a single MI transmitter and an inertial measurement unit in order to localise themselves with minimal setup effort. However, one major challenge is to use distorted and ambiguous MI location estimates for localisation. To solve this challenge, we propose a novel method to use MI devices for sensing environmental distortions for accurate closing inertial loops. We also suggest a robust and efficient first quadrant estimator to sanitise the ambiguous MI estimates. By applying robust simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM), our proposed localisation method achieves excellent tracking accuracy and can improve performance significantly compared with only using a Magneto-inductive device or inertial measurement unit (IMU) for localisation.

Increasing evidence suggest that circRNA, as one of the most promising emerging biomarkers, has a very close relationship with diseases. Exploring the relationship between circRNA and diseases can provide novel perspective for diseases diagnosis and pathogenesis. The existing circRNA-disease association (CDA) prediction models, however, generally treat the data attributes equally, do not pay special attention to the attributes with more significant influence, and do not make full use of the correlation and symbiosis between attributes to dig into the latent semantic information of the data. Therefore, in response to the above problems, this paper proposes a natural semantic enhancement method NSECDA to predict CDA. In practical terms, we first recognize the circRNA sequence as a biological language, and analyze its natural semantic properties through the natural language understanding theory; then integrate it with disease attributes, circRNA and disease Gaussian Interaction Profile (GIP) kernel attributes, and use Graph Attention Network (GAT) to focus on the influential attributes, so as to mine the deeply hidden features; finally, the Rotation Forest (RoF) classifier was used to accurately determine CDA. In the gold standard data set CircR2Disease, NSECDA achieved 92.49% accuracy with 0.9225 AUC score. In comparison with the non-natural semantic enhancement model and other classifier models, NSECDA also shows competitive performance. Additionally, 25 of the CDA pairs with unknown associations in the top 30 prediction scores of NSECDA have been proven by newly reported studies. These achievements suggest that NSECDA is an effective model to predict CDA, which can provide credible candidate for subsequent wet experiments, thus significantly reducing the scope of investigations.