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Food security is a major challenge for China at present and will be in the future. Revealing the spatiotemporal changes in cropland and identifying their driving forces would be helpful for decision-making to maintain grain supply and sustainable development. Hainan Island is endowed with rich agricultural resources due to its unique climatic conditions and is facing tremendous pressure in cropland protection due to the huge variation in natural conditions and human activities over the past few decades. The purpose of this study is to assess the spatiotemporal changes in and driving forces of cropland on Hainan Island in the past and predict future cropland changes under different scenarios. Key findings are as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the cropland area on Hainan Island decreased by 956.22 km2, causing the center of cropland to shift southwestward by 8.20 km. This reduction mainly transformed into construction land and woodland, particularly evident in coastal areas. (2) Among anthropogenic factors, the increase in the human footprint is the primary reason for the decrease in cropland. Land use changes driven by population growth, especially in economically active and densely populated coastal areas, are key factors in this decrease. Natural factors such as topography and climate change also significantly impact cropland changes. (3) Future scenarios show significant differences in cropland area changes. In the natural development scenario, the cropland area is expected to continue decreasing to 597 km2, while in the ecological protection scenario, cropland conversion is restricted to 269.11 km2; however, in the cropland protection scenario, the trend of cropland reduction is reversed, increasing by 448.75 km2. Our findings provide a deep understanding of the driving forces behind cropland changes and, through future scenario analysis, demonstrate the potential changes in cropland area under different policy choices. These insights are crucial for formulating sound land management and agricultural policies to protect cropland resources, maintain food security, and promote ecological balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall erosivity (RE), a pivotal external force driving soil erosion, is impacted by El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Studying the spatiotemporal variations in RE and their response to ENSO is essential for regional ecological security. In this study, a daily RE model was identified as a calculation model through an evaluation of model suitability. Daily precipitation data from 1971 to 2020 from 38 meteorological stations on Hainan Island, China, were utilized to calculate the RE. The multivariate ENSO index (MEI), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), and Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) were used as the ENSO characterization indices, and the effects of ENSO on RE were investigated via cross-wavelet analysis and binary and multivariate wavelet coherence analysis. During the whole study period, the average RE of Hainan Island was 15,671.28 MJ·mm·ha−1·h−1, with a fluctuating overall upward trend. There were spatial and temporal distribution differences in RE, with temporal concentrations in summer (June–August) and a spatial pattern of decreasing from east to west. During ENSO events, the RE was greater during the El Niño period than during the La Niña period. For the ENSO characterization indices, the MEI, SOI, and ONI showed significant correlations and resonance effects with RE, but there were differences in the time of occurrence, direction of action, and intensity. In addition, the MEI and MEI–ONI affected RE individually or jointly at different time scales. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the influence of ENSO on RE and can provide important insights for the prediction of soil erosion and the development of related coping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This review outlines the use of metabolomics to detect biomarkers for bovine mastitis, offering insights into disease prediction and early diagnosis. It details the use of various biological samples for metabolomic analysis, including milk, blood, urine, rumen fluid, feces, and mammary tissue. Bovine mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the mammary glands, and its pathogenesis and diagnosis are complicated. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of small-molecule metabolites, the metabolomics technique plays an important role in finding biomarkers and studying the metabolic mechanism of bovine mastitis. Therefore, this paper reviews the predictive and diagnostic biomarkers of bovine mastitis that have been identified using metabolomics techniques and that are present in samples such as milk, blood, urine, rumen fluid, feces, and mammary tissue. In addition, the metabolic pathways of mastitis-related biomarkers in milk and blood were analyzed; it was found that the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle was the most significant (FDR = 0.0015767) pathway in milk fluid, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism was the most significant (FDR = 0.0081994) pathway in blood. The purpose of this review is to provide useful information for the prediction and early diagnosis of bovine mastitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emulation of human multisensory functions to construct artificial perception systems is an intriguing challenge for developing humanoid robotics and cross‐modal human–machine interfaces. Inspired by human multisensory signal generation and neuroplasticity‐based signal processing, here, an artificial perceptual neuro array with visual‐tactile sensing, processing, learning, and memory is demonstrated. The neuromorphic bimodal perception array compactly combines an artificial photoelectric synapse network and an integrated mechanoluminescent layer, endowing individual and synergistic plastic modulation of optical and mechanical information, including short‐term memory, long‐term memory, paired pulse facilitation, and "learning‐experience" behavior. Sequential or superimposed visual and tactile stimuli inputs can efficiently simulate the associative learning process of "Pavlov's dog". The fusion of visual and tactile modulation enables enhanced memory of the stimulation image during the learning process. A machine‐learning algorithm is coupled with an artificial neural network for pattern recognition, achieving a recognition accuracy of 70% for bimodal training, which is higher than that obtained by unimodal training. In addition, the artificial perceptual neuron has a low energy consumption of ∼20 pJ. With its mechanical compliance and simple architecture, the neuromorphic bimodal perception array has promising applications in large‐scale cross‐modal interactions and high‐throughput intelligent perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microporous polyethylene (PE) membrane is a representative lithium‐ion battery (LIB) separators but regularly shrinks especially in high‐temperature conditions, and is facilely pierced while growing Li dendrites, leading to severe consequences such as short circuits, thermal runaway, and even explosion. Herein, this article reports a quasi‐continuous strategy that utilizes in situ enamel mineralization engineering followed by thermal treatment to easily develop a large‐area, 3D interlaced hydroxyapatite nanosheets array‐reinforced PE nanocomposite separator with robust mechanical properties and excellent resistance to thermal shrinkage. Specifically, the 120 °C‐heated nanocomposite possesses excellent breaking stress, an ultrahigh toughness of ≈434.4 MJ m−3, and an enhanced friction coefficient of ≈0.69, which are distinctly higher than those of commercial PE separators, respectively, and far exceeding those of reported ceramic modified‐PE separators. The elongation of the resultant nanocomposite can achieve an extraordinary ≈2456.4% without any fracture under a 180 °C‐heating temperature. In situ observation and finite element simulation indicate that the impressive mechanical and thermostable integration profits from the co‐effect of efficient energy dissipation at organic–inorganic interfaces and mechanically interlocked, mutually‐supported hybrid microstructure. The enamel‐inspired separator can be potentially applied in safer high‐temperature LIBs and this strategy provides a valuable guide to develop other high‐performance polymer‐based nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: We report the occurrence of Blastocystis spp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi, and Giardia duodenalis infections in Leizhou black goats in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China. The total prevalence rates of Blastocystis spp., E. bieneusi, and G. duodenalis were 33.63% (76/226), 17.7% (40/226), and 24.78% (56/226), respectively. Four Blastocystis spp. subtypes (ST5, ST10, ST14, and ST21), four E. bieneusi genotypes (CHG3, CM21, CHG1, and ET-L2) and two assemblages (A and E) of G. duodenalis were identified. The detection of zoonotic pathogen species, genotypes, and assemblages in Leizhou black goats implied their potential involvement in the transmission of zoonotic parasitic diseases. Blastocystis spp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi, and Giardia duodenalis are three common zoonotic intestinal parasites that cause severe diarrhea and enteric diseases. Leizhou black goats are characterized by a high reproductive rate, fast growth, and good meat quality, making them one of the pre-eminent goat breeds in China. Goats are reportedly common reservoirs of these three intestinal pathogens, but no information on their prevalence or genotypic distributions in black goats in Guangdong Province, China, is available. A total of 226 fecal samples were collected from goats in Zhanjiang city and genomic DNA was extracted from them. The presence of the three pathogens was detected using nested PCR targeting the sequences encoding SSU rRNA (Blastocystis spp.), the internal transcribed spacer of rRNA (ITS; E. bieneusi), as well as beta-giardin, glutamate dehydrogenase, and triosephosphate isomerase (G. duodenalis). All PCR products were sequenced to determine the species and genotypes of the organisms. The total prevalence rates of Blastocystis spp., E. bieneusi, and G. duodenalis were 33.63% (76/226), 17.70% (40/226), and 24.78% (56/226), respectively. Four subtypes of Blastocystis spp. were detected: ST5 (n = 6), ST10 (n = 50), ST14 (n = 14), and ST21 (n = 6). Among them, ST10 was the dominant genotype, accounting for 65.79% of strains, followed by the genotypes ST14 (18.42%), zoonotic ST5 (7.89%), and ST21 (7.89%). Four genotypes of E. bieneusi were detected: CHG3 (n = 32), CM21 (n = 4), CHG1 (n = 2), and ET-L2 (n = 2). Among these, CHG3 was the dominant genotype. Assemblage E (n = 54) and concurrent assemblages A and E (n = 2) were identified in the G. duodenalis-positive goats using multilocus genotyping. Blastocystis spp., E. bieneusi, and G. duodenalis infections were common in Leizhou black goats, all of which have zoonotic genotypes, indicating the potential risk of zoonotic transmission. Our results provide basic data for the prevention and control of these three intestinal pathogens. Further studies are required to better understand their genetic characteristics and zoonotic potential in Guangdong Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Mastitis is one of the most common diseases in the dairy industry in the world, and its treatment cost is also the most expensive of all diseases in the dairy industry. The research on the rapid diagnosis of cow mastitis is of great significance to the development of the dairy cow industry all over the world. In this study, we use microbiology and metabolomics techniques to explore the differential microbiota and metabolites in cow milk at different somatic levels, to find new biomarkers for the diagnosis of cow mastitis and provide a new plan for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mastitis in the future. Dairy cow mastitis is one of the common diseases of dairy cows, which will not only endanger the health of dairy cows but also affect the quality of milk. Dairy cow mastitis is an inflammatory reaction caused by pathogenic microorganisms and physical and chemical factors in dairy cow mammary glands. The number of SCC in the milk of dairy cows with different degrees of mastitis will increase in varying degrees. The rapid diagnosis of dairy cow mastitis is of great significance for dairy cow health and farm economy. Based on the results of many studies on the relationship between mastitis and somatic cell count in dairy cows, microflora, and metabolites in the milk of Holstein cows with low somatic cell level (SCC less than 200,000), medium somatic cell level (SCC up to 200,000 but less than 500,000) and high somatic cell level (SCC up to 5000,00) were analyzed by microbiome and metabolic group techniques. The results showed that there were significant differences in milk microbiota and metabolites among the three groups (p < 0.05), and there was a significant correlation between microbiota and metabolites. Meanwhile, in this experiment, 75 differential metabolites were identified in the H group and L group, 40 differential metabolites were identified in the M group and L group, and six differential microorganisms with LDA scores more than four were found in the H group and L group. These differential metabolites and differential microorganisms may become new biomarkers for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cow mastitis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prognostics and health management (PHM) has emerged as an essential approach for improving the safety, reliability, and maintainability of composite structures. However, an obstacle remains in its damage state estimation and lifetime prediction due to unknown inputs. Thus, a self-calibration Kalman-filter-based framework for residual life prediction is proposed, which involves unknown input items in the fatigue damage evolution model and employs health-monitoring data to estimate and compensate for them. Combined with the time-varying structural failure threshold, the remaining useful life (RUL) of composite laminates subjected to fatigue loading is predicted, providing a novel solution to the problem of unknown inputs in PHM. The simulation results demonstrate that the developed method can estimate the performance degradation state well, and its RUL prediction accuracy is within 5% with existing unknown inputs such as foreign impact damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamonds are thought to be excellent candidates of next-generation semiconductor materials for high power and high frequency devices. A two-dimensional hole gas in a hydrogen-terminated diamond shows promising properties for microwave power devices. However, high sheet resistance and low carrier mobility are still limiting factors for the performance improvement of hydrogen-terminated diamond field effect transistors. In this work, the carrier scattering mechanisms of a two-dimensional hole gas in a hydrogen-terminated diamond are studied. Surface roughness scattering and ionic impurity scattering are found to be the dominant scattering sources. Impurity scattering enhancement was found for the samples after a high-temperature Al2O3 deposition process. This work gives some insight into the carrier transport of hydrogen-terminated diamonds and should be helpful for the development of diamond field effect transistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various approaches have been exploited to copy nacreous structure into human‐made structural nanocomposites with similar structure and impressive mechanical performance. However, it is still facing a great challenge to produce large‐sized, strong, and tough, biopolymer‐based nanocomposite, especially for further scale‐up in practical application. Herein, a large‐sized and nacre‐inspired nanocomposite paper can be successfully prepared via a simple evaporation‐induced self‐assembly technique, based on assembling hybrid graphene oxide/sodium alginate (GO/SA) building blocks. Through optimizing the lamellar hybrid interfacial interactions derived from hydrogen‐bonding network, the nacre‐inspired nanocomposite achieves a unique integration of high strength (up to 350.3 MPa) and high toughness (22.4 ± 2.9 MJ m−3), are superior to natural nacre, almost all GO and SA‐related composites, and many engineering materials. The hydrogen bond‐property correlation, combined with a simple assembling technique, will provide a powerful path for the large‐scale production of lightweight, biopolymer‐based materials with excellent mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Y 2 O 3 film deposited on chemical oxidation diamond substrate exhibited high adhesion strength and survived thermal shock at 800 °C. Oxygenated functionalization of the diamond surface had been successfully achieved via wet chemical oxidation with the increase in O/C atomic ratio from 0.04 to 0.13. The surface energy of the diamond substrate was significantly improved from 35.7 mJ/m 2 to 61.4 mJ/m 2 . After depositing Y 2 O 3 film on the diamond substrate, the C O Y bonds were observed at the interface. In addition, the quantity of C O Y bonds significantly increased with the chemisorbed oxygen concentration increasing. The critical scratch load of Y 2 O 3 film deposited on chemical oxidation diamond substrate increased from 22.5 N to 34.1 N. Furthermore, the Y 2 O 3 film deposited on chemical oxidation diamond substrate can withstand harsh thermal change and protect the diamond substrate from elevated temperature oxidation in atmospheric air without showing degradation of infrared optical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Y 2 O 3 anti-reflection films were deposited on freestanding CVD diamond substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The thermal shock resistance and oxidation resistance of Y 2 O 3 /diamond/Y 2 O 3 samples at 727 °C and 800 °C in atmospheric air were investigated. No delamination of the Y 2 O 3 films occurred after thermal shock, thereby demonstrating extreme adhesion to freestanding diamond substrates. After thermal shock, Y atoms in the films were almost fully oxidized. Moreover, the majority of monoclinic phase in the Y 2 O 3 films transformed into cubic phase, crystallinity was enhanced, and the average grain size significantly increased. The maximum transmittance in the 8–12 μm long-wave IR range of the Y 2 O 3 /diamond/Y 2 O 3 samples increased from 81.3% ± 0.3% to 84.7% ± 0.2% and 83.6% ± 0.4%. These findings indicated that the Y 2 O 3 anti-reflection films displayed good resistance to thermal shock and provided sufficient protection for diamond substrates against elevated temperature oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of titanium (Ti) interlayer was verified to reduce the residual stress of diamond films by self-fracturing and facilitate the harvest of a crack-free free-standing diamond film prepared by direct current (DC) arc plasma jet. In this study, the evolution of the Ti interlayer between large-area diamond film and substrate was studied and modeled in detail. The evolution of the interlayer was found to be relevant to the distribution of the DC arc plasma, which can be divided into three areas (arc center, arc main, and arc edge). The formation rate of titanium carbide (TiC) in the arc main was faster than in the other two areas and resulted in the preferred generation of crack in the diamond film in the arc main during cooling. Sandwich structures were formed along with the growth of TiC until the complete transformation of the Ti interlayer. The interlayer released stress via self-fracture. Avoiding uneven fragile regions that formed locally in the interlayer and achieving cooperatively released stress are crucial for the preparation of large crack-free diamond films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demands for detailed design of composite aircraft structures, the method of covering all damages with low design allowables cannot meet the current requirements for aircraft structure design. Herein, this paper proposes a novel algorithm for design allowable determination of composite laminates by combining the damage distribution with damage factor model of design allowable, so as to provide different structures with more accurate design allowables based on their initial damages. For the composite laminates with initial delaminations, a model describing the effect of delamination size and depth position on the compression design allowable is developed and the compression design allowable of different aircraft structures are individually determined by employing abundant initial delamination statistics. Compared with the design allowable offered by the single-point method, the design allowable based on the initial damage can be increased by at least 5% to 20%, greatly improving the economic benefits of the aircraft structures and providing an important support for the damage tolerance design of the composite structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the mammary glands, and its pathogenesis and diagnosis are complicated. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of small-molecule metabolites, the metabolomics technique plays an important role in finding biomarkers and studying the metabolic mechanism of bovine mastitis. Therefore, this paper reviews the predictive and diagnostic biomarkers of bovine mastitis that have been identified using metabolomics techniques and that are present in samples such as milk, blood, urine, rumen fluid, feces, and mammary tissue. In addition, the metabolic pathways of mastitis-related biomarkers in milk and blood were analyzed; it was found that the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle was the most significant (FDR = 0.0015767) pathway in milk fluid, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism was the most significant (FDR = 0.0081994) pathway in blood. The purpose of this review is to provide useful information for the prediction and early diagnosis of bovine mastitis.

Blastocystis spp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi , and Giardia duodenalis are three common zoonotic intestinal parasites that cause severe diarrhea and enteric diseases. Leizhou black goats are characterized by a high reproductive rate, fast growth, and good meat quality, making them one of the pre-eminent goat breeds in China. Goats are reportedly common reservoirs of these three intestinal pathogens, but no information on their prevalence or genotypic distributions in black goats in Guangdong Province, China, is available. A total of 226 fecal samples were collected from goats in Zhanjiang city and genomic DNA was extracted from them. The presence of the three pathogens was detected using nested PCR targeting the sequences encoding SSU rRNA ( Blastocystis spp.), the internal transcribed spacer of rRNA (ITS; E. bieneusi ), as well as beta-giardin, glutamate dehydrogenase, and triosephosphate isomerase ( G. duodenalis ). All PCR products were sequenced to determine the species and genotypes of the organisms. The total prevalence rates of Blastocystis spp., E. bieneusi , and G. duodenalis were 33.63% (76/226), 17.70% (40/226), and 24.78% (56/226), respectively. Four subtypes of Blastocystis spp. were detected: ST5 ( n = 6), ST10 ( n = 50), ST14 ( n = 14), and ST21 ( n = 6). Among them, ST10 was the dominant genotype, accounting for 65.79% of strains, followed by the genotypes ST14 (18.42%), zoonotic ST5 (7.89%), and ST21 (7.89%). Four genotypes of E. bieneusi were detected: CHG3 ( n = 32), CM21 ( n = 4), CHG1 ( n = 2), and ET-L2 ( n = 2). Among these, CHG3 was the dominant genotype. Assemblage E ( n = 54) and concurrent assemblages A and E ( n = 2) were identified in the G. duodenalis -positive goats using multilocus genotyping. Blastocystis spp., E. bieneusi , and G. duodenalis infections were common in Leizhou black goats, all of which have zoonotic genotypes, indicating the potential risk of zoonotic transmission. Our results provide basic data for the prevention and control of these three intestinal pathogens. Further studies are required to better understand their genetic characteristics and zoonotic potential in Guangdong Province.

Dairy cow mastitis is one of the common diseases of dairy cows, which will not only endanger the health of dairy cows but also affect the quality of milk. Dairy cow mastitis is an inflammatory reaction caused by pathogenic microorganisms and physical and chemical factors in dairy cow mammary glands. The number of SCC in the milk of dairy cows with different degrees of mastitis will increase in varying degrees. The rapid diagnosis of dairy cow mastitis is of great significance for dairy cow health and farm economy. Based on the results of many studies on the relationship between mastitis and somatic cell count in dairy cows, microflora, and metabolites in the milk of Holstein cows with low somatic cell level (SCC less than 200,000), medium somatic cell level (SCC up to 200,000 but less than 500,000) and high somatic cell level (SCC up to 5000,00) were analyzed by microbiome and metabolic group techniques. The results showed that there were significant differences in milk microbiota and metabolites among the three groups ( p < 0.05), and there was a significant correlation between microbiota and metabolites. Meanwhile, in this experiment, 75 differential metabolites were identified in the H group and L group, 40 differential metabolites were identified in the M group and L group, and six differential microorganisms with LDA scores more than four were found in the H group and L group. These differential metabolites and differential microorganisms may become new biomarkers for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cow mastitis in the future.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a worldwide public health concern. Mobile health management platforms could be a potential way to achieve effective glycemic control., Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of the Lilly Connected Care Program (LCCP) platform in glycemic control among patients with T2DM in China., Methods: This retrospective study included Chinese patients with T2DM (aged ≥18 years) from April 1, 2017, to January 31, 2020, for the LCCP group and from January 1, 2015, to January 31, 2020, for the non-LCCP group. Propensity score matching was used to match the LCCP and non-LCCP groups to reduce confounding, with covariates including age, sex, the duration of diabetes, baseline hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ), and the number of oral antidiabetic medication classes. HbA 1c reduction over 4 months, the proportions of patients achieving an HbA 1c reduction of ≥0.5% or ≥1%, and the proportions of patients reaching to target HbA 1c level of ≤6.5% or <7% were compared between the LCCP and non-LCCP groups. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess factors associated with HbA 1c reduction., Results: A total of 923 patients were included, among whom 303 pairs of patients were well matched after propensity score matching. HbA 1c reduction during the 4-month follow-up was significantly larger in the LCCP group than the non-LCCP group (mean 2.21%, SD 2.37% vs mean 1.65%, SD 2.29%; P=.003). The LCCP group had a higher proportion of patients with an HbA 1c reduction of ≥1% (209/303, 69% vs 174/303, 57.4%; P=.003) and ≥0.5% (229/303, 75.6% vs 206/303, 68%; P=.04). The proportions of patients reaching the target HbA 1c level of ≤6.5% were significantly different between the LCCP and non-LCCP groups (88/303, 29% vs 61/303, 20.1%; P=.01), whereas the difference in the proportions of patients reaching the target HbA 1c level of <7% was not statistically significant (LCCP vs non-LCCP: 128/303, 42.2% vs 109/303, 36%; P=.11). LCCP participation and higher baseline HbA 1c were associated with a larger HbA 1c reduction, whereas older age, longer diabetes duration, and higher baseline dose of premixed insulin analogue were associated with a smaller HbA 1c reduction., Conclusions: The LCCP mobile platform was effective in glycemic control among patients with T2DM in China in the real world., (©Benli Su, Yu Chen, Xingping Shen, Jianchao Guo, Yuchen Ding, Xiao Ma, Yuxin Yang, Dongfang Liu. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 25.04.2023.)

In this paper, an improved multiple-image authentication based on optical interference by wavelength multiplexing is proposed, which has high security and easy optical implementation. The Fresnel spectra of original images are diffracted from the same axial position but by different wavelengths, which makes the optical implementation easy and stable without any mechanical translation. Then, the Fresnel spectra are sparsely sampled by predesigned binary amplitude masks and diffracted again, and all spectra are multiplexed into one synthetized spectrum. Finally, the synthetized spectrum is analytically decomposed into one phase-only mask and one amplitude-only mask by an improved interference-based encryption (IBE) scheme. Benefiting from the wavelength multiplexing, the encryption capacity is enlarged, and the optical implementation for decryption becomes easy. With the aid of the sparse sampling, every decrypted image could be entirely unrecognizable but authenticated by nonlinear correlation. Moreover, instead of a conventional IBE, an improved IBE is used in this scheme, which can attenuate the information leakage and further enhance the security. Various numerical simulation results are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this scheme.

Background: Paclitaxel is an effective chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer patients. Accumulating evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in the occurrence and development of human cancers. However, there are few studies on interactions between paclitaxel and circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Materials and Methods: Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and colony formation assay were conducted to determine cell proliferation. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. The expression levels of circRNA baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 6 (circ-BIRC6), microRNA-877-5p (miR-877-5p), and tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, zeta ( YWHAZ ) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The mice xenograft model was established to investigate the roles of circ-BIRC6 and paclitaxel in vivo. The interaction between miR-877-5p and circ-BIRC6 or YWHAZ was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Western blot assay was applied for measuring the protein expression of YWHAZ., Results: Paclitaxel suppressed HCC tumorigenesis through decreasing cell proliferation and accelerating apoptosis. Circ-BIRC6 and YWHAZ were upregulated, and miR-877-5p was downregulated in HCC tissues and cells. Paclitaxel treatment inhibited the expression of circ-BIRC6 and YWHAZ while promoted the expression of miR-877-5p. Circ-BIRC6 overexpression or miR-877-5p interference reversed the inhibitory effect of paclitaxel on HCC tumorigenesis. Moreover, miR-877-5p could specially bind to YWHAZ , and its knockdown abated the suppressive effect of circ-BIRC6 depletion on HCC tumorigenesis. Additionally, YWHAZ was identified as a direct target of miR-877-5p. Besides, circ-BIRC6 functioned as a molecular sponge of miR-877-5p to regulate YWHAZ expression., Conclusion: Paclitaxel limited HCC tumorigenesis via modulating circ-BIRC6/miR-877-5p/ YWHAZ axis, providing a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of HCC., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest for this work., (© 2020 Liu et al.)

High-quality graphene materials and high-performance graphene transistors have attracted much attention in recent years. To obtain high-performance graphene transistors, large single-crystal graphene is needed. The synthesis of large-domain-sized single-crystal graphene requires low nucleation density; this can lead to a lower growth rate. In this study, a Ni-foam assisted structure was developed to control the nucleation density and growth rate of graphene by tuning the flow dynamics. Lower nucleation density and high growth rate (∼50 μm min -1 ) were achieved with a 4 mm-gap Ni foam. With the graphene transistor fabrication process, a pre-deposited Au film as the protective layer was used during the graphene transfer. Graphene transistors showed good current saturation with drain differential conductance as low as 0.04 S mm -1 in the strong saturation region. For the devices with gate length of 2 μm, the intrinsic cut-off frequency f T and maximum oscillation frequency f max were 8.4 and 16.3 GHz, respectively, with f max / f T = 1.9 and power gain of up to 6.4 dB at 1 GHz. The electron velocity saturation induced by the surface optical phonons of SiO 2 substrates was analyzed. Electron velocity saturation and ultra-thin Al 2 O 3 gate dielectrics were thought to be the reasons for the good current saturation and high power gain of the graphene transistors., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Recent studies have demonstrated that Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) decreased glutamate levels subsequent to cerebral ischemia. Glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and glutamine synthetase (GS), which are located in astrocytes, mainly contribute to glutamate transportation, thus reducing glutamate concentration. BYHWD has previously been demonstrated to upregulate GLT-1 and GS following ischemia in vivo . However, whether BYHWD can directly influence astrocytic GLT-1/GS levels remains unknown. In the present study, the effect of BYHWD containing serum (BYHWD-CS) on GLT-1/GS levels in astrocytes following oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) was investigated. The results revealed that BYHWD-CS enhanced the expression levels of GLT-1 and GS in cultured astrocytes, which reduced glutamate concentration in the culture medium. Meanwhile, increased p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) was phosphorylated (activation form) by BYHWD-CS in cultured astrocytes, and the specific p38 inhibitor SB203580 blocked the increase of GLT-1/GS accompanied by decreased cell viability. Furthermore, SB203580 suppressed the effect of BYHWD-CS on the level of glial fibrillary acidic protein (an astrocytic marker), thus confirming that astrocytes are directly involved in the protective role of BYHWD after OGD/R. These findings suggest that BYHWD upregulates GLT-1 and GS via p38 MAPK activation, and protects cultured astrocytes from death caused by OGD/R (typical in vitro model), which complemented the role of astrocytes in the protective effect of BYHWD.

The lower-extremity vascular injuries and neuropathy are the most salient complications of diabetes which could lead to the poor prognosis, especially for the type II diabetes. The lower extremity vascular injuries and neuropathy usually coexist, yet their correlation in the pathogenesis of lower extremity lesions has received little attention in previous studies. To investigate the correlation between the degree of lower-extremity arterial injuries and lower-extremity neurological functional status in patients with type II diabetes, 32 patients with type II diabetes were examined for the mean flow velocity of the femoral artery and popliteal artery of lower extremeties, while the motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) of the bilateral common peroneal nerve, sural nerve and posterior tibial nerve were simultaneously examined. Results showed that there was moderate correlation between the mean flow velocity of lower-extremity arteries and MCV/SCV. In particular, the MCV of the right tibial nerve was strongly correlated with the average velocity of the right popliteal artery (P < 0.05).