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SUMMARY The accurate estimation of temperature distribution in the earth's crust and modelling of heat-related processes in geodynamics requires knowledge of the thermal conductivity of plutonic rocks. This study compiled an extensive data set of 530 representative plutonic rock samples, including thermal conductivity, major oxide composition and (for two subsets of data) modal mineralogy. For the first time, three machine learning algorithms (ML; i.e. support vector regression, random forest and extreme gradient boosting) were employed to estimate the thermal conductivity of plutonic rocks using the major oxide composition feature as input variables. The performance of these ML-based models was evaluated against a geochemically compositional model and eight mineral-driven physically based empirical mixing models. Results show that the means of predicted thermal conductivity by the ML-based models and the geochemically compositional model are not significantly different from the measured thermal conductivity at a significance level of 5 per cent. However, the ML-based models outperformed the best-performing non-ML model, the geochemically compositional model. The highest prediction accuracy was achieved by extreme gradient boosting, which reduced the mean absolute percentage error and root mean square error by more than 50 per cent. Furthermore, SiO2 is confirmed as the most important independent variable, followed by Al2O3, TiO2, CaO and K2O. The turning point observed in the thermal conductivity trend with SiO2 wt per cent may be primarily attributed to variations in mineral composition within the subgroup of igneous rock types classified based on SiO2 wt per cent. This study explores, for the first time, the use of ML algorithms to estimate the thermal conductivity of plutonic rocks from their major oxide composition.

Mammographic breast density is a well-established and strong risk factor for breast cancer. Widespread use of digital mammography has opened new potential for assessment of density changes over time. The underlying premise is that changes in breast tissue due to evolving structures that support cancer development should translate to quantifiable differences between the two breasts over time. To address this hypothesis, we draw on extensive digital mammography data and bring repeated measures over up to 10 years to evaluate the association between change in mammographic breast density and risk of breast cancer. Women were recruited from November 2008 to April 2012 through the mammography service at the Joanne Knight Breast Health Center at Washington University in St Louis. Baseline questionnaire risk factors and screening mammograms were collected from 12,153 women. Of these, 1,672 were excluded for prior history of any cancer (except non-melanoma skin) or diagnosis of breast cancer within 6 months of registration for the study, for a total of 10,481 women. Follow-up is through linking to electronic health records, tumor registry and death register. Routine screening mammograms are collected every 1 to 2 years. Follow-up of cohort participants through December 2020 was: 78% seen in 2019 or 2020; a further 4.4% seen most recently in 2018 and a further 2.4% in 2017 giving over 80% active follow-up for women seen within the last 36 months. The median number of mammograms is 5 (min = 1, max = 10; sd = 2.43). The average person-years of follow-up through most recent contact is 9.2 person-years. We have excluded women who are diagnosed within the first 6 month of baseline mammogram date in all analyses, leaving 259 cases and 695 controls with a total number of 8,966 crandiocaudal (CC) view mammograms for analysis. For these 954 women, the mean number of years between mammograms is 1.3 (10th percentile: 1.0, 90th percentile: 2.0). For the cases, the mean number of years from last mammogram date to diagnosis date was 2.0 years (10th percentile: 1.0, 90th percentile: 3.9) after excluding mammograms that are within 6 months of diagnosis. The percentage volumetric density (MD) within each digital CC-view mammogram is estimated with an automated pixel-thresholding algorithm ADAPT implemented within the Division of Public Health at WashU. The skin around the breast is automatically removed using a boundary detection algorithm prior to estimating the dense areas. The percent density (MD) is then estimated using the dense area divided by the total breast area which normalizes the difference in breast size across women. The correlation between average MD generated from our automated algorithm with Volpara is 0.82. Initial analyses use linear mixed effects with average density between breasts (fitted with R package lmer). We performed test of assumptions for all linear mixed effects models, including the normality of residuals, linearity, and homogeneity of residual variance. Assessing the averaging density between 2 breasts controlling for age, BMI, histology confirmed benign breast disease, family history, parity, and alcohol, MD decreases significantly over follow-up (time in years) (P < 0.01). At baseline, postmenopausal women had lower density than premenopausal women after controlling for the same set of risk factors. The average MD over all time points was significantly different for the case vs. control women (P < 0.01). For overweight women, the trajectory of MD over time was significantly different for the case vs. control women (P < 0.01). Drawing on over 10 years of follow-up we observe, for the first time, a dynamic effect for breast density such that divergence in density over time is related to risk for breast cancer. Citation Format: Graham A. Colditz, Shu Jiang. PD12-06 Longitudinal analysis of breast density change assessed by digital mammogram is associated with breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr PD12-06.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine the temperature ratings of infant bedding.Design/methodology/approachMathematical models were developed for predicting temperature ratings of infant bedding for all age groups based on the thermal balance equation. These models were validated by the published physiological data and the baby manikin tests. The air temperature was compared with the predicted temperature rating, and the skin temperature of infant or baby manikin was used to explain the validation results.FindingsThe models had higher prediction accuracy, especially for the infant bedding with uniformly distributed thermal insulation. The results showed that an increase of 1 clo in thermal insulation caused a decrease of 4.2–6.0 °C in temperature rating. The slope of the model reduced with the increasing month-age, indicating that an older infant had a lower temperature rating than a younger infant.Practical implicationsSuggestions were given for caregivers that younger infants ought to be covered with more bedding than adults; however, older infants were expected to require less bedding.Originality/valueThe outcomes provided scientific guidelines on the selection of bedding for infants at a particular room temperature to ensure the health and safety of infants.

A new gold(i) self-relay catalysis reaction enabling the annulative oxygenation of propargylic alcohols with various O-nucleophiles, such as carboxylic acids, alcohols and TBHP, is reported, producing a series of functionalized benzofurans.

A novel gold(i)/Brønsted acid relay catalysis enabling azofuran activation to induce annulative rearrangement from 3-yne-1,2-diols is reported, producing a series of furan-2-yl-substituted pyrrol-2-ones with good yields.

Herein, nanocomposites comprising Ag–Au-alloy-based nanomaterials ensembled on the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were fabricated using the physical vapor deposition method. The Ag-based nanomaterials (AgNMs) undergo oxidation and dissolution in water; therefore, changes in the shape, optical characteristics, and composition of the nanocomposites were investigated through transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. PTFE@Ag–Au coatings exhibited high antibiofilm efficacy against E. coli WT F1693 and governed the synergistic effect of antibacterial non-stick PTFE and the Ag–Au alloy. The PTFE@Ag–Au-coated NMs sustained the release of Ag+ ions and inhibited up to 50% bacterial growth after 7 days in relation to the PTFE-coated NMs. The conventional XDLVO and DLVO theories were used to describe bacterial adhesion and understand the anti-adhesion process. Despite concerns associated with the hazardous effect of excessive Ag release on fibroblast cells, the coating methods precisely controlled Ag loading, thereby reducing metallic-implant-related bacterial infections.

The thermal conductivity of plutonic rocks is essential to accurately estimate the temperature distribution in the earth’s crust and to model heat-related processes in geodynamics. This study compiled an extensive dataset of 530 representative plutonic rock samples, containing thermal conductivity, major oxide composition and (for two subsets of data) modal mineralogy. Three data-driven machine learning algorithms (ML; i.e., support vector regression, random forest and extreme gradient boosting) are employed to estimate the thermal conductivity of plutonic rocks using the major oxide composition feature as input variables first time. The performance of such ML-based models is evaluated against a geochemically-compositional model and eight mineral-driven physically-based empirical mixing models. Results show that the means of predicted thermal conductivity by the ML-based models and the geochemically-compositional model are no actual difference from the measured thermal conductivity, with a significance level of 5%. However, the best performing non-ML model for estimating thermal conductivity, the geochemically-compositional model, is outperformed by the ML-based models. The highest prediction accuracy was achieved by extreme gradient boosting, which can reduce the mean absolute percentage error and root mean square error by more than 50%. Besides, SiO2 is confirmed as the most important independent variable, followed by Al2O3, TiO2, CaO, and K2O. The present study explores, for the first time, the use of ML algorithms to estimate the thermal conductivity of plutonic rocks from their major oxide composition., The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023)

Four examples of N,N-bis(aryl)butane-2,3-diimine–nickel(II) bromide complexes, [ArN=C(Me)-C(Me)=NAr]NiBr2 (where Ar = 2-(C5H9)-4,6-(CHPh2)2C6H2 (Ni1), Ar = 2-(C6H11)-4,6-(CHPh2)2C6H2 (Ni2), 2-(C8H15)-4,6-(CHPh2)2C6H2 (Ni3) and 2-(C12H23)-4,6-(CHPh2)2C6H2 (Ni4)), disparate in the ring size of the ortho-cycloalkyl substituents, were prepared using a straightforward one-pot synthetic method. The molecular structures of Ni2 and Ni4 highlight the variation in the steric hindrance of the ortho-cyclohexyl and -cyclododecyl rings exerted on the nickel center, respectively. By employing EtAlCl2, Et2AlCl or MAO as activators, Ni1–Ni4 displayed moderate to high activity as catalysts for ethylene polymerization, with levels falling in the order Ni2 (cyclohexyl) > Ni1 (cyclopentyl) > Ni4 (cyclododecyl) > Ni3 (cyclooctyl). Notably, cyclohexyl-containing Ni2/MAO reached a peak level of 13.2 × 106 g(PE) of (mol of Ni)−1 h−1 at 40 °C, yielding high-molecular-weight (ca. 1 million g mol−1) and highly branched polyethylene elastomers with generally narrow dispersity. The analysis of polyethylenes with 13C NMR spectroscopy revealed branching density between 73 and 104 per 1000 carbon atoms, with the run temperature and the nature of the aluminum activator being influential; selectivity for short-chain methyl branches (81.8% (EtAlCl2); 81.1% (Et2AlCl); 82.9% (MAO)) was a notable feature. The mechanical properties of these polyethylene samples measured at either 30 °C or 60 °C were also evaluated and confirmed that crystallinity (Xc) and molecular weight (Mw) were the main factors affecting tensile strength and strain at break (εb = 353–861%). In addition, the stress–strain recovery tests indicated that these polyethylenes possessed good elastic recovery (47.4–71.2%), properties that align with thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs).

In this study, isomerization conditions, cytotoxic activity, and stabilization of amygdalin from peach kernels were analyzed. Temperatures greater than 40 °C and pHs above 9.0 resulted in a quickly increasing isomer ratio (L-amygdalin/D-amygdalin). At acidic pHs, isomerization was significantly inhibited, even at high temperature. Ethanol inhibited isomerization; the isomer rate decreased with the ethanol concentration increasing. The growth-inhibitory effect on HepG2 cells of D-amygdalin was diminished as the isomer ratio increased, indicating that isomerization reduces the pharmacological activity of D-amygdalin. Extracting amygdalin from peach kernels by ultrasonic power at 432 W and 40 °C in 80% ethanol resulted in a 1.76% yield of amygdalin with a 0.04 isomer ratio. Hydrogel beads prepared by 2% sodium alginate successfully encapsulated the amygdalin, and its encapsulation efficiency and drug loading rate reached 85.93% and 19.21%, respectively. The thermal stability of amygdalin encapsulated in hydrogel beads was significantly improved and reached a slow-release effect in in vitro digestion. This study provides guidance for the processing and storage of amygdalin.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant and challenging type of astrocytoma and also notoriously acknowledged as the most common primary brain tumor globally. Currently, chemotherapy is the most master therapy for tumor and is essential in clinical treatment for GBM. Nevertheless, the characterization of chemotherapy resistance seriously hinders clinical chemotherapy treatment. Accordingly, there are imperious demands for the exploitation of novel chemosensitizer to promote the efficacy of chemotherapy. Our current study was conducted to probe into the potential impacts of microRNA (miR)-640 on the chemosensitivity in GBM and the associated underlying mechanism. Initially, TargetScan software was utilized to predict the targeted genes of miR-640, and the target relationship between miR-640 and Bcl-2-modifying factor (BMF) was validated by double luciferase report assay. Additionally, to explore the role of miR-640/BMF in U251 cells, miR-640 inhibitor/BMF-siRNA was used. U251 cells were processed with 100 μM temozolomide (TMZ) and detected with CCK-8 kit. Eventually, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used for evaluating Bcl-2, Bax mRNA, and protein expression level. Flow cytometry analysis was performed to measure cellular apoptosis. Initially, the results indicated that BMF was the target gene of miR-640. MiR-640 negatively regulated BMF expression in GBM cells. Besides, the findings revealed that miR-640 inhibition significantly inhibited U251 cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, and increased the sensitivity of GBM cells to TMZ by targeting BMF. Moreover, BMF overexpression significantly suppressed U251 cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis, and increased the sensitivity of GBM cells to TMZ. Inhibition of miR-640 expression enhances chemosensitivity of human GBM cells to TMZ by targeting BMF.

The current studies associated with tumor biology continue to describe a high correlation between tryptophan (Trp) metabolism and tumor progression. These findings reflect the complex underlying mechanism of tumor development and highlight the need to explore additional drug targets for carcinoma-associated diseases. In our study, we reported that elevated Trp metabolism was observed in highly malignant glioma tumor tissues from patients. The elevated Trp metabolism in glioma cells were induced by the overexpression of Trp 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (TDO2), which further contributed to the production of the metabolite kynurenine (Kyn). Subsequently, the Kyn derived from Trp metabolism was able to mediate the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and downstream PI3K/AKT signals, resulting in the strengthening of tumor stemness and growth. Meanwhile, the activation of the AhR could promote the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gliomas through a TGF-β-dependent mechanism, leading to enhanced tumor invasion in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of the AhR using StemRegenin 1 was demonstrated to suppress glioma growth and improve the outcome of traditional chemotherapy in subcutaneous tumor-bearing mice, representing a promising therapeutic target for clinical glioma treatment.

In this investigation we extend and replicate previous findings from Author and colleagues (2019) that mothers of Latinx heritage laugh more than mothers of European heritage during their interactions, especially when they have conversations of quality. The authors argued that having conversations of quality may contribute to Latinx’s overall wellbeing. The current study aimed to empirically test this idea. Specifically, we expand upon previous findings by answering the questions: Does a higher proportion of Latinx’s laughter reflect a higher subjective wellbeing? Is there a relation between the quality of Latinx’ conversations and subjective wellbeing? Students of Latinx heritage (SLH: N = 31) and a comparison group of students of European heritage (SEH: N = 43) wore the LENA digital recorder for two days. Laughter and the quality of conversations (substantive vs. small talk) with friends were identified from the recordings. Participants reported their levels of satisfaction with life and depressive symptoms. No statistically significant association was found between laughter and subjective wellbeing for either group. Furthermore, for SEH, having proportionally more small talk with friends was associated with better wellbeing, whereas, for SLH, small talk with friends was negatively associated with wellbeing. Our study replicated previous findings that having substantive conversations with friends mediate the association between being Latinx and laughter, such that having more substantive conversations with friends led to more laughter. Finally, no differences in ethnicity were found for wellbeing. Findings are discussed through the lens of cultural frameworks.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy, location and length of the femoral tunnel, graft angle, and radiographic findings between the transtibial tunnel (TT) approach and the anteromedial (AM) approach in the setting of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructionMethods From September 2020 to December 2021, prospectively, 86 consecutive patients who met the criteria for ACL reconstruction were prospectively included in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, TT group and am group, according to the computer-generated sequence. Finally, a total of 45 patients were included in the TT group and 41 patients in the AM group. All patients were assessed for knee clinical function using the Lysholm score, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score preoperatively, 6 months postoperatively, and at last follow-up. Anteroposterior and rotational stability of the knee were assessed by the Lachman test, axial shift test, and rotarod. The location of the femoral tunnel was evaluated within 1 week postoperatively using CT three-dimensional reconstruction combined with the Bernard quadrant method. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) MRI of the knee was performed 1 year after surgery to assess graft tone, morphology, and signal and was graded. The angle between the graft and the joint line was measured.Results Follow up ranged from 15 to 36 months with a mean (SD) of 23.76 ± 5.63. Both procedures resulted in satisfactory clinical outcomes after ACL reconstruction, and no patients in either group developed intra-articular infection, graft fracture, and joint stiffness during follow-up. At the last follow-up, the Lysholm, IKDC, Lachman and pivot shift tests were significantly improved (P 0.05). The JGS and JGC angles in the TT group were significantly larger than those in the AM group (P Conclusion There were no significant differences between the AM approach and the TT approach in terms of knee clinical function and stability, but the femoral tunnels of the AM approach were located deeper and lower, and closer to the femoral anatomic foot print area of the anterior cruciate ligament. The TT approach was superior to the AM approach in postoperative radiographic grading of grafts.

ImportanceAlthough breast density is an established risk factor for breast cancer, longitudinal changes in breast density have not been extensively studied to determine whether this factor is associated with breast cancer risk.ObjectiveTo prospectively evaluate the association between change in mammographic density in each breast over time and risk of subsequent breast cancer.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis nested case-control cohort study was sampled from the Joanne Knight Breast Health Cohort of 10 481 women free from cancer at entry and observed from November 3, 2008, to October 31, 2020, with routine screening mammograms every 1 to 2 years, providing a measure of breast density. Breast cancer screening was provided for a diverse population of women in the St Louis region. A total of 289 case patients with pathology-confirmed breast cancer were identified, and approximately 2 control participants were sampled for each case according to age at entry and year of enrollment, yielding 658 controls with a total number of 8710 craniocaudal-view mammograms for analysis.ExposuresExposures included screening mammograms with volumetric percentage of density, change in volumetric breast density over time, and breast biopsy pathology-confirmed cancer. Breast cancer risk factors were collected via questionnaire at enrollment.Main Outcomes and MeasuresLongitudinal changes over time in each woman’s volumetric breast density by case and control status.ResultsThe mean (SD) age of the 947 participants was 56.67 (8.71) years at entry; 141 were Black (14.9%), 763 were White (80.6%), 20 were of other race or ethnicity (2.1%), and 23 did not report this information (2.4%). The mean (SD) interval was 2.0 (1.5) years from last mammogram to date of subsequent breast cancer diagnosis (10th percentile, 1.0 year; 90th percentile, 3.9 years). Breast density decreased over time in both cases and controls. However, there was a significantly slower decrease in rate of decline in density in the breast that developed breast cancer compared with the decline in controls (estimate = 0.027; 95% CI, 0.001-0.053; P = .04).Conclusions and RelevanceThis study found that the rate of change in breast density was associated with the risk of subsequent breast cancer. Incorporation of longitudinal changes into existing models could optimize risk stratification and guide more personalized risk management.

The marine yeast Scheffersomyeces spartinae W9 is a promising biocontrol agent for gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea in strawberries. Improving the biocontrol efficacy of S. spartinae W9 is necessary for its commercial application. In this study, different concentrations of β-glucan were added to the culture medium to evaluate its effect on the biocontrol efficacy of S. spartinae W9. The results showed that 0.1% β-glucan could increase the biocontrol effect of S. spartinae W9 against B. cinerea in strawberries and in vitro. We found that adding 0.1% β-glucan to the culture medium promoted the growth of S. spartinae W9 in wounds of strawberries, enhanced biofilm formation ability, and secreted more β-1,3-glucanase. In addition, 0.1% β-glucan increased the survival rate of S. spartinae W9 under oxidative, thermal, osmotic, and plasma membrane stressors. Transcriptome analysis revealed 188 differential expressed genes in S. spartinae W9 cultured with or without 0.1% β-glucan, including 120 upregulated and 68 downregulated genes. The upregulated genes were associated with stress response, cell wall formation, energy production, growth, and reproduction. Thus, culturing with 0.1% β-glucan is an effective way to improve the biocontrol ability of S. spartinae W9 against gray mold in strawberries.

Despite improvements in microscopically neurosurgical techniques made in recent years, the prognosis of adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) is still unsatisfactory. Little is known about cellular atlas and biological features of ACP. Here, we carried out integrative analysis of 44,038 single-cell transcriptome profiles to characterize the landscape of intratumoral heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment (TME) in ACP. Four major neoplastic cell states with distinctive expression signatures were defined, which further revealed the histopathological features and elucidated unknown cellular atlas of ACP. Pseudotime analyses suggested potential evolutionary trajectories between specific neoplastic cell states. Notably, a distinct oligodendrocyte lineage was identified in ACP, which was associated with immunological infiltration and neural damage. In addition, we described a tumor-centric regulatory network based on intercellular communication in TME. Together, our findings represent a unique resource for deciphering tumor heterogeneity of ACP, which will improve clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) and their RNA cargo in milk are bioavailable in humans, pigs, and mice, and their dietary depletion and supplementation elicits phenotypes. Little is known about the content and biological activity of sEVs in foods of animal origin other than milk. Here we tested the hypothesis that sEVs in chicken eggs (Gallus gallus) facilitate the transfer of RNA cargo from an avian species to humans and mice, and their dietary depletion elicits phenotypes. sEVs were purified from raw egg yolk by ultracentrifugation and authenticated by transmission electron microscopy, nano-tracking device, and immunoblots. The miRNA profile was assessed by RNA-sequencing. Bioavailability of these miRNAs in humans was assessed by egg feeding study in adults, and by culturing human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with fluorophore-labeled egg sEVs ex vivo. To further assess bioavailability, fluorophore-labeled miRNAs, encapsulated in egg sEVs, were administered to C57BL/6 J mice by oral gavage. Phenotypes of sEV RNA cargo depletion were assessed by feeding egg sEV and RNA-defined diets to mice and using spatial learning and memory in the Barnes and water mazes as experimental readouts. Egg yolk contained 6.30 × 1010 ± 6.06 × 109 sEVs/mL, which harbored eighty-three distinct miRNAs. Human PBMCs internalized sEVs and their RNA cargo. Egg sEVs, loaded with fluorophore-labeled RNA and administered orally to mice, accumulated primarily in brain, intestine and lungs. Spatial learning and memory (SLM) was compromised in mice fed on egg sEV- and RNA-depleted diet compared to controls. Egg consumption elicited an increase of miRNAs in human plasma. We conclude that egg sEVs and their RNA cargo probably are bioavailable. The human study is registered as a clinical trial and accessible at https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN77867213.

A monopole-like stacked microstrip antenna with dual-layer patches is proposed for ultra-wideband applications. The characteristic mode analysis (CMA) is utilized and contributes to the multi-mode behavior investigation, guiding the design process. The dual-layer patches both consist of two concentric-coupled rings. The patch configuration is optimized according to the desired mode behaviors at different frequencies. Correspondingly, the three merged resonant modes, containing the modes TM01 and TM02 of the middle layer and TM01 in the top layer, effectively broaden the operation band. The measurements demonstrate that the impedance bandwidth (IBW) of the antenna reaches 4.70–10.20 GHz (73.8%) with the return loss of 10 dB and a maximum gain of 8.7 dBi. The cross-polarization level is better than −28 dB. The proposed antenna possesses a small radius of 30 mm (0.47 λ L ${\lambda }_{L}$ ), and a low-profile of 5.78 mm (0.09 λ L ${\lambda }_{L}$ ). λ L ${\lambda }_{L}$ is the free-space wavelength at the lowest operation frequency.

Curved channels are one of the most fundamental units of natural or artificial channels, in which there are different kinds of obstacles; these include vegetation patches, bridge piles, electrical tower foundations, etc., which are all present over a channel bend, and can significantly alter the hydrodynamic characteristics of a channel when compared to a bare bed. In this study, laboratory experiments and numerical simulations were combined to investigate the effect of a circular cylinder on the flow characteristics of a 180-degree U-shaped curved channel. Experimental data, including on water depth and three-dimensional velocity, which was obtained by utilizing acoustic Doppler velocimetry (ADV), were used to calibrate and verify the simulation results of the Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) model in the FLOW-3D software. Numerical results show that a larger cylinder diameter leads to an overall greater depth-averaged velocity at the section, a greater shear stress acting on the banks on which the cylinder is placed, and a greater increase in the depth-averaged velocity along the concave bank compared to that along the convex bank. When the diameter of the cylinder placed at the 90° section increases, two weaker circulations with the same direction are found near the water surface; for the submerged one, the two weaker circulations appear at the further downstream section, unlike the emergent one. The degree of variation degree in the shear stress acting on the banks is larger than that of the flowrate. As the flowrate increases or the radius of curvature decreases, the secondary flow intensity correspondingly elevates. However, the curvature radius of the curved channel plays a more important role in the secondary flow intensity than the flowrate does. For both the emergent and submergent cylinders, the large cylinder produces a greater secondary flow strength, but the emergent one has a greater secondary flow strength than the submergent one. In summary, the present study provides valuable knowledge on the hydrodynamics of flow around emergent and submergent structures over a curved channel, which could improve the future design of these structures.

Brassinolides (BRs) are phytohormones that play numerous roles in a plants’ response to environmental stress. While BES/BZR transcription factors are essential components in BR signaling, their role in regulating postharvest fruit responses to cold stress is largely unknown. In this study, the application of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) to peaches alleviated chilling injury (CI) during postharvest cold storage. We further characterized a key BES/BZR gene,PpBZR1, which regulates peach cold resistance. Transient expression PpBZR1in peaches showed that PpBZR1 inhibits PpVIN2 expression and VIN activity, resulting in an elevated level of sucrose, which protects fruit from CI. Arabidopsis expressing PpBZR1 had a high germination and seedling survival rate at low temperatures, which may be due to higher level of sucrose and lower oxidative damage. Mechanistically, we confirmed that PpBZR1 directly binds to the PpVIN2 promoter and functions as a negative regulator. In addition, PpCBF1/5/6 were induced by EBR treatment and AtCBFswere upregulated in transgenic Arabidopsis. Combined with previous findings, we hypothesize that PpBZR1 regulates PpVIN2 through a CBF-dependent manner. In conclusion, PpBZR1 expression is induced by EBR treatment during cold storage, and PpBZR1 futher inhibite sucrose degradation gene PpVIN2transcription via direct binding its promoter and indirectly regulating PpVIN2. This CBF-dependent and CBF-independent regulation results in slower sucrose degradation and higher chilling tolerance of peach.

Time-varying biomarkers reflect important information on disease progression over time. Dynamic prediction for event occurrence on a real-time basis, utilizing time-varying information, is crucial in making accurate clinical decisions. Functional principal component analysis (FPCA) has been widely adopted in the literature for extracting features from time-varying biomarker trajectories. However, feature extraction via FPCA is conducted independent of the time-to-event response, which may not produce optimal results when the goal lies in prediction. With this consideration, we propose a novel supervised FPCA, where the functional principal components are determined to optimize the association between the time-varying biomarker and time-to-event outcome. The proposed framework also accommodates irregularly spaced and sparse longitudinal data. Our method is empirically shown to retain better discrimination and calibration performance than the unsupervised FPCA method in simulation studies. Application of the proposed method is also illustrated in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database.

Zingiberis Rhizoma and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma are usually used together for the treatment of ulcerative colitis in clinical practices. However, their compatibility mechanism remains unclear. In this study, a rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for simultaneous quantification of ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, and 6-gingerol in rat plasma after oral administration of Zingiberis Rhizoma-Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma herb pair and its single herb extracts. The calibration curves exhibited good linearity, with correlation coefficients of more than 0.993. The precision deviations of intra- and interday analysis were within 10.66%, and accuracy error ranged from -12.74 to 11.56%. The average recoveries of analytes were higher than 76.60% and the matrix effects were minimal. Thus, the validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of four ingredients in normal and ulcerative colitis rat plasma. The results indicated that the pharmacokinetic parameters of four analytes in normal and model groups showed significant differences. The larger exposure (the mean AUC

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain an in-depth understanding of the research progress, hotspots and future trends in the field of functional clothing.Design/methodology/approachThe records of 4,153 pieces of literature related to functional clothing were retrieved from Web of Science by using a comprehensive retrieval strategy. A piece of software, CiteSpace was used as a tool to visualize the results of specific terms, such as author, institution and keyword. By analyzing the knowledge maps with several indicators, the intellectual basis and research fronts for the functional clothing domain could then be demonstrated.FindingsThe result indicated that functional clothing was a popular research field, with approximately 500 papers published worldwide in 2020. Its main research area was material science and involved public environmental and occupational health, engineering, etc. showing the characteristic of multi-interdisciplinary. Textile Research Journal and International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology were the top two journals in this field. The USA, China, Australia, England and Germany have been active and frequently cooperating with each other. Donghua University, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and NASA, with the largest number of publications, were identified as the main research drivers. According to the co-citation analysis, thermal stress, nanogenerator and electrospinning were the topics of most cited articles during the past 20 years.Practical implicationsThe findings identified smart clothing and protective clothing to be the research frontiers in the field of functional clothing, which deserved further study in the future.Originality/valueThe outcomes offered an overview of the research status and future trends of the functional clothing field. It could not only provide scholars with convenience in identifying research hotspots and building potential cooperation in the follow-up research, but also assist beginners in searching core scholars and literature of great significance.

Detecting and measuring intraluminal thrombus has prognostic and therapeutic implications for stroke patients.To investigate the feasibility of 3D isotropic high-resolution T1w-CUBE imaging to detect and measure intraluminal thrombus in stroke patients.Retrospective.A total of 93 patients with acute (N = 39) and subacute (N = 54) stroke.A 3.0 T/spin-echo echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), high-resolution T1w-CUBE imaging and 3D flow compensated gradient-echo susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI).Data assessment was performed by three neuroradiologists with 11, 13, and 20 years of clinical experience. The accuracy of T1W-CUBE and SWI in diagnosing thrombosis was compared by using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference. For thrombus length measurement, the image quality of proximal and distal thrombus of T1w-CUBE images was first evaluated with a 4-point rating system. Then, the proximal and distal positions to lesions were determined on T1w-CUBE images and compared with those from DSA acquired during endovascular reperfusion therapy. If comparable both locations were found between CUBE and DSA, CUBE imaging can thus be considered for accurate measurement of thrombus length.Fleiss' Kappa; the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC); Pearson's chi-squared test with Yates' continuity correction.Moderate-to-good interobserver agreements were validated with all Kappa coefficients higher than 0.40 in thrombus diagnosis and measurement. CUBE imaging showed higher clinical efficacy than SWI (AUC: 0.966 vs. 0.850) in thrombus diagnosis. Additionally, high quality of CUBE imaging was confirmed with 3 or 4 points rated by all three observers. Compared to intraoperative DSA, T1w CUBE showed consistent proximal and distal positions of thrombi in 16 of the 18 patients, validating the accuracy of T1w-CUBE in measuring thrombus length.T1w-CUBE imaging has potential to facilitate diagnosis and measurement of intraluminal thrombus.4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

The horizontal distribution and periodic accumulation of hydrocarbon in reservoirs are well understood. However, our understanding on the vertical distribution of hydrocarbon accumulation in reservoirs is not clear and remains mysterious to some extent. We proposed a concept of hydrocarbon accumulation depth limit (HADL) to characterize the hydrocarbon’s vertical distribution in petroliferous basins, which is determined by statistical analyses of the variation trends of reservoir layers’ essential properties, including hydrocarbon saturations (So), movable hydrocarbon ratios (Mo) and dry layer ratio (Ko), when the depth is increased. A total of 80,762 drilling results from 12,237 exploration wells in six representative petroliferous basins in China were collected and analyzed. The reservoir layers’ essential properties So, Mo and Ko and their correlations with porosity, permeability, pore throat radius and thermal evolution degree were investigated. The critical values of So, Mo and Ko that define HADL were quantified to be So=0, Mo=0 and Ko=100. Our study indicates that the HADL in petroliferous basins varies from less than 3,000 m to more than 13,000 m deep, depending on the hydrocarbon composition, reservoir lithology, reservoir age, geothermal gradient, tectonic movement, etc. Two factors play an essential role in the formation and variation of HADL: 1) the depletion of hydrocarbon generation potential of source rocks which cuts off hydrocarbon contribution for reservoirs formation and 2) the termination of differential compaction which eliminates capillary pressure difference between the outer surrounding rocks and inner reservoir layers, ending the dominant driven force for hydrocarbon migration and accumulation in deep and tight reservoir layers. All proven oil reserves of 33.95 billion tons equivalent in China, as well as world’s discovered 52,926 oil and gas reservoirs and their unproved potential resources, are distributed above the HADL we defined.