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Scimitar syndrome (SS) is a rare entity with an incidence of approximately 1–3 in 200 000 people. It is typically characterized by complete or partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage from the right lung into the systemic venous circulation, most commonly the inferior vena cava (IVC). For the first time, we report the diagnosis of SS in a fetus in utero using four‐dimensional (4D) spatiotemporal image correlation combined with high‐definition live flow rendering mode (STIC‐HD live flow). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the influence on performance of radial straight blade hydraulic turbine is studied with radial meridional flow channel and mixed-flow meridional flow channel. Firstly, the theoretical models are suggested for radial straight blade hydraulic turbine. Secondly, runners are designed based on two different types of meridional flow channels. Finally, the numerical simulation is carried out for different schemes, while the performance and flow field are analyzed and compared. Results show that the two different schemes adapt to ultra-small discharge and head with large fluctuation. Moreover, the best numerical predicted efficiency is 81.4% for radial straight blade hydraulic turbine with the mixed-flow meridional flow channel, which is 1.8% more than the radial meridional flow channel. Meanwhile, with a larger conveyance capacity, the optimal efficiency is verified for the hydraulic turbine with mixed-flow meridional channel, and it can meet the needs of hydraulic energy recovery with ultra-small discharge. The conclusions serve as a reference in the design of hydraulic energy recovery turbine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the elastic properties of the entropy-stabilized oxide (Mg, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn)O using experimental and first principles techniques. Our measurements of the indentation modulus on grains with a wide range of crystallographic orientations of the entropy-stabilized oxide revealed a high degree of elastic isotropy at ambient conditions. First principles calculations predict mild elastic anisotropy for the paramagnetic structure, which decreases when the system is considered to be non-magnetic. When the antiferromagnetic state of CoO, CuO, and NiO is accounted for in the calculations, a slight increase in elastic anisotropy is observed, suggesting a coupling between magnetic ordering and the orientation dependent elastic properties. Furthermore, an examination of the local structure reveals that the isotropy is favored through local ionic distortions of Cu and Zn—due to their tendencies to form tenorite and wurtzite phases. The relationships between the elastic properties of the multicomponent oxide and those of its constituent binary oxides are reviewed. These insights open up new avenues for controlling isotropy for technological applications through tuning composition and structure in the entropy-stabilized oxide or the high-entropy compounds in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNA (miR)-143-3p is a potential regulatory molecule in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI), wherein its expression and pathological effects remains controversial. Thus, a mouse MI/RI and cell hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) models were built for clarifying the miR-143-3p's role in MI/RI. Following myocardial ischemia for 30 min, mice underwent reperfusion for 3, 6, 12 and 24 h. It was found miR-143-3p increased in the ischemic heart tissue over time after reperfusion. Cardiomyocytes transfected with miR-143-3p were more susceptible to apoptosis. Mechanistically, miR-143-3p targeted B cell lymphoma 2 (bcl-2). And miR-143-3p inhibition reduced cardiomyocytes apoptosis upon H/R, whereas it was reversed by a specific bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-737. Of note, miR-143-3p inhibition upregulated bcl-2 with better mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm), reduced cytoplasmic cytochrome c (cyto-c) and caspase proteins, and minimized infarction area in mice upon I/R. Collectively, inhibition of miR-143-3p might alleviate MI/RI via targeting bcl-2 to limit mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. To our knowledge, this study further clarifies the miR-143-3p's pathological role in the early stages of MI/RI, and inhibiting miR-143-3p could be an effective treatment for ischemic myocardial disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the demands of white noise waves with different and higher energy spectral density, a new white noise wave generation method was proposed and a corresponding wave-making system controlled by a rotary valve was developed. The theoretical model of the new method was established, and the hydraulic transmission function of the wave-making system was solved. After the control parameters of the white noise waves in the wave-making system were obtained, the experiment tests were carried out to generate the white noise waves, and its energy spectral density was analyzed by Fourier analysis. The results show that white noise waves with different amplitudes have different energy spectral densities. And the energy spectral density of the generated waves is approximately a constant. Therefore, the present white noise wave generation method is feasible in marine engineering tests, and the wave with variable amplitude and higher energy spectral density can be generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The first study of HSP70 genes in the cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne). • Six HSP70 genes from L. serricorne are identified. • L. serricorne HSP70 s exhibit developmental-stage-specific expression. • Transcription of HSP70 s is induced by temperature stress. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play essential roles in stress tolerance in insects, such as the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne , which is an important pest of stored products. However, the function of HSPs in environmental stress response in L. serricorne is poorly understood. In this study, six cDNAs encoding putative HSP70s were identified in L. serricorne (LsHSP70-1 to LsHSP70-6). The LsHSP70 proteins identified have signature motifs of insect HSP70s and exhibit high amino-acid identity with their respective orthologs from other insect species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these LsHSP70s fall into three major clans: HSP70 in the cytosol (four genes), endoplasmic reticulum (one gene), and mitochondria (one gene). LsHSP70 genes are differentially expressed in different developmental stages. LsHSP70-4 and LsHSP70-5 are mainly expressed at the larval stage, while LsHSP70-3 shows the highest level at the pupal stage. The other genes are ubiquitously expressed. Furthermore, the expression levels of LsHSP70-1 and LsHSP70-4 are significantly upregulated upon exposure to temperatures of both 0 and 15 °C, while LsHSP70-3 is inducible at 15 °C and LsHSP70-6 at 0 °C. In addition, treatment at 0 °C causes significant downregulation of LsHSP70-2 and LsHSP70-3. Exposure to a temperature of 30 °C upregulates LsHSP70-1 expression, while 35 and 40 °C treatments result in significantly enhanced transcription of all the LsHSP70 genes. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on the sequence characteristics, phylogenetic relationships, and expression profiles of HSP70 genes in L. serricorne. The cold- and heat-inducible regulation of LsHSP70 s suggests that these genes are related to tolerance of abnormal temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bemisia tabaci is a pest that poses a significant threat to the survival of Nicotiana tabacum and leads to decreased production and economic losses. However, it is still unknown whether proteomic changes occur in resistant N. tabacum in response to B. tabaci stresses. In the present study, iTRAQ was performed to unmask the regulating networks mediated by candidate proteins involved in resistance against B. tabaci. A total of 357 differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) responsible for B. tabaci infestation were identified, including 178 upregulated and 179 downregulated proteins. The majority of DAPs were involved in the regulation of ROS production, cell expansion, citrate cycle (TCA cycle), photosynthesis, carbon fixation, and metabolic pathways. Moreover, the expression patterns of several genes encoding DAPs were validated by qRT-PCR. Our results indicate these proteins play a significant role in the resistance of N. tabacum against B. tabaci infestation. These findings also provide a valuable proteomic resource for the elucidation of the mechanism of resistance against B. tabaci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terahertz unidirectional resonant absorption in a finite one-dimensional defective superconducting photonic crystal is theoretically investigated. We consider an asymmetric photonic crystal (AB)ND(BA) M, where A is a dielectric, B is a superconductor, D is the dielectric defect, and N, M are the stack numbers, respectively. At $N \ne M$, it is found that the resonant absorption for the structure exhibits the unidirectional property. The unidirectional resonant absorption points increase as the difference between N and M increases. We also investigate the unidirectional property as a function of angle of incidence. The results show that the unidirectional absorption is nearly independent of the polarization at a given angle of incidence. The proposed structure can be used to design a polarization-independent optical device which may be technically used in superconducting photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

[Display omitted] • This study characterized a heat-inducible Hsp70 from Myzus persicae. • The Hsp70 gene is highly expressed in M. persicae adults. • Knockdown of Hsp70 impairs thermal tolerance in M. persicae. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are encoded by Hsp genes and are important in insect tolerance to heat stress. The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae , is an important agricultural pest. The functions of Hsp genes in the thermal tolerance of M. persicae are unknown. This study identified an Hsp70 gene (MpHsp70a) and analyzed its role in protection against high-temperature stress. MpHsp70a encoded a protein consisting of 659 amino acid residues. The protein had three signature motifs of the HSP70 family and was predicted to be localized in the cytoplasm. The highest expression level of MpHsp70a was in adults, and differences in the mRNA levels between apterous and alate adults were not significant. Exposure to high temperatures (30, 35 and 40 °C) for one hour and treatment with 40 °C for different times (0.5, 1 and 2 h) all resulted in a greatly elevated expression level of MpHsp70a , suggesting that the gene is heat-inducible. The transcriptional level of MpHsp70a was suppressed by injection with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), and knockdown of MpHsp70a significantly increased the susceptibility of apterous adults to 40 °C. These results indicate that MpHsp70a is required for tolerance to high-temperature stress in M. persicae. Our findings highlight the molecular mechanism underlying Hsp70 -mediated thermal adaptation in M. persicae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The number of elderly patients with biliary stones is increasing. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP) is considered to be an effective treatment for biliary stones. Having a sound knowledge of the risk factors can help reduce the incidence and severity of complications for ERCP. Furthermore, limited research has been published on patients aged over 85 years undergoing endoscopic biliary stone removal. This study aims to determine the risk factors that lead to complications of ERCP in patients over 85 years of age., Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study. We analyzed 156 patients aged ≥ 85 years with biliary stones who underwent their first ERCP at Chinese PLA General Hospital from February 2002 to March 2021. Logistic regression models were employed to identify the independent risk factors for complications., Results: A total of 13 patients (8.3%) had complications. Thereinto, pancreatitis, cholangitis, bleeding, and other complications occurred in 4 cases (2.6%), 1 cases (0.6%), 4 cases (2.6%), and 4 cases (2.6%), respectively. There was no perforation or death related to ERCP. Independent risk factors for complications were acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) ( P  = 0.017) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) ( P  = 0.019). Significantly, reasons for incomplete stone removal at once were large stone (>10 mm) ( P  < 0.001) and higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation scoring system (APACHE-II) ( P  = 0.005)., Conclusions: ERCP was recommended with caution in patients ≥ 85 years of age with ABP or higher CCI undergoing endoscopic biliary stone removal. In patients with ABP without cholangitis or biliary obstruction we recommend against urgent (within 48 h) ERCP. Patients with higher CCI who can tolerate ERCP can undergo rapid ERCP biliary stenting or nasobiliary implantation with later treatment of stones, and patients who cannot tolerate ERCP are treated promptly with PTCD and aggressive conservative treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2022 Zhang, Zhai, Zhang, Chen, Wu, Chen and Li.)

In this work, the photonic band gap (PBG) structure in a one-dimensional ferroelectric photonic crystal (PC) is theoretically investigated. We consider a PC, air/(AB) N /air, in which layer A is a dielectric of MgO and layer B is taken to be a ferroelectric of Ba 0.55 Sr 0.45 TiO 3 (BSTO). With an extremely high value in the dielectric constant in BSTO, the calculated photonic band structure at microwave frequencies exhibits some interesting features that are significantly different from those in a usual dielectric-dielectric PC. First, the photonic transmission band consists of multiple and nearly discrete transmission peaks. Second, the calculated bandwidth of the PBG is nearly unchanged as the angle of incidence varies in the TE wave. The bandwidth will slightly reduce for the TM mode. Thus, a wide omnidirectional PBG can be obtained. Additionally, the effect of the thickness of the ferroelectric layer on the PBG is much more pronounced compared to the dielectric layer thickness. That is, the increase of ferroelectric thickness can significantly decrease the PBG bandwidth.

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) causes significant losses in many economically important crops. Contaminated soils may play roles as reservoirs and sources of transmission for TMV. In this study we report the development of an immunocapture real-time RT-PCR (IC-real-time RT-PCR) assay for direct detection of TMV in soils without RNA isolation. A series of TMV infected leaf sap dilutions of 1:101, 1:102, 1:103, 1:104, 1:105 and 1:106 (w/v, g/mL) were added to one gram of soil. The reactivity of DAS-ELISA and conventional RT-PCR was in the range of 1:102 and 1:103 dilution in TMV-infested soils, respectively. Meanwhile, the detection limit of IC-real-time RT-PCR sensitivity was up to 1:106 dilution. However, in plant sap infected by TMV, both IC-real-time RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR were up to 1:106 dilution, DAS-ELISA could detect at least 1:103 dilution. IC-real-time RT-PCR method can use either plant sample extracts or cultivated soils, and show higher sensitivity than RT-PCR and DAS-ELISA for detection of TMV in soils. Therefore, the proposed IC-real-time RT-PCR assay provides an alternative for quick and very sensitive detection of TMV in soils, with the advantage of not requiring a concentration or RNA purification steps while still allowing detection of TMV for disease control.