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Abstract Objective This study aims to investigate the effect of CD206 on the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the regulation of the tumour immune microenvironment. Methods A subcutaneous mouse model of HCC was established and treated with CD206-overexpressing adenovirus by tail vein injection or CD206 antibody C068C2 by intratumoral injection. The hepatocarcinoma-bearing mice were divided into four groups (IgG+ tail vein adenovirus group, IgG group, C068C2+ tail vein adenovirus group and C068C2 group) to observe the changes in tumour weight and volume with different expression levels of CD206. The proportion of M2-type tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) was detected by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. The apoptosis of tumour cells was detected using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) staining, and inflammatory factors in serum and tissues were detected using the ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY. Results Compared with the mice with low CD206 expression, the hepatocarcinoma-bearing mice with high CD206 expression in HCC exhibited faster tumour growth and more aggressive progression. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining revealed that the expression level of CD206-positive M2-type TAMs was highest in the IgG + adenovirus group and lowest in the C068C2 group (p

Abstract Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant public health concern among adolescents with major depressive disorders (MDD). Although previous research has linked child maltreatment (CM) to NSSI, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between CM, cognitive reappraisal (CR), negative coping styles (NC) and NSSI in adolescents with MDD, from the perspectives of both Latent Variable Theory and the Network Theory of Mental Disorder. Methods A sample of 651 adolescents with MDD was recruited from January to December 2023. Data on CM, CR, NC, and NSSI were collected through paper-based self-reported questionnaires. Data analysis primarily involved structural equation modeling and network analysis. Results The reporting rate of NSSI among adolescents with MDD was 48.2%. CM showed a significant positive correlation with NSSI. NSSI was affected by CM through three paths: the mediating role of CR, the mediating role of NC, and the chain mediating role of both CR and NC. Emotional abuse (EA) was the central node, while NSSI, EA, and “The urge to cry quietly when faced with troubles“(NC10) were the key bridge nodes. Conclusions This study is the first to use both structural equation modeling and network analysis to explore the explore the relationship between CM, CR, NC, and NSSI in adolescents with MDD, providing a theoretical basis for future early prevention and targeted interventions for adolescents with MDD.

With the rapid development of the civil aviation industry, flight delays caused by convective weather are becoming increasingly severe. In terminal airspace with complex traffic environments, these delays can propagate to subsequent arrivals and departures, thereby affecting the operational efficiency of the terminal airspace and potentially disrupting the entire air traffic system. Accurate short-term forecasting of convective weather can help reduce flight delays, improve airspace utilization, and decrease the workload of air traffic controllers. This study, grounded in supervised deep learning, addresses civil aviation operational requirements by developing a short-term forecasting model for convective weather based on a Convolutional Neural Network-Transformer (CNN-Transformer). The model leverages eight types of weather products from civil aviation weather radar and ERA5, including basic reflectance, echo top, vertically integrated liquid, relative humidity, temperature, U-component of wind, V-component of wind, and vertical velocity. The training was conducted using 241 datasets, totaling 23,881 samples. To evaluate the model’s validity, ablation studies were performed on each parameter, and its performance was compared with the Centroid Method, Optical Flow, CNN-CNN, and CNN-Long Short-Term Memory (CNN-LSTM). According to six evaluation indicators, traditional radar echo extrapolation showed better forecast accuracy within 1 hour, while the CNN-Transformer-based short-term forecasting model for convective weather demonstrated superior performance for 2-6 hour forecasts.

Cyclobalanopsis gilva, a valuable timber species in China, holds significant importance for understanding the constraints imposed by climate change on the dynamic geographic distribution of tree species. This study utilized the MaxEnt maximum entropy model to reconstruct the migratory dynamics of C. gilva geographical distribution since the Last Glacial Maximum. The objective was to comprehend the restrictive mechanisms of environmental factors on its potential geographical distribution, aiming to provide insights for mid-to-long-term afforestation planning of C. gilva. The optimized MaxEnt model exhibited a significantly high predictive accuracy, with an average AUC value of 0.949 ± 0.004 for the modern suitable habitat model of C. gilva. The total suitable habitat area for C. gilva in contemporary times was 143.05 × 104 km2, with a highly suitable habitat area of 3.14 × 104 km2. The contemporary suitable habitat was primarily located in the southeastern regions of China, while the highly suitable habitat was concentrated in eastern Fujian and central-eastern Taiwan. Bioclimatic variables such as mean diurnal range (Bio2), min temperature of coldest month (Bio6), precipitation of driest quarter (Bio17), and precipitation of driest month (Bio14) predominantly influenced the modern geographic distribution pattern of C. gilva, with temperature factors playing a leading role. With global climate warming, there is a risk of fragmentation or even loss of suitable habitat for C. gilva by 2050 and 2090. Therefore, the findings of this study can significantly contribute to initiating a habitat conservation campaign for this species.

The polysaccharides in honeysuckle leaves (PHL) were separated and characterized for the first time. The nano-emulsion stabilized by PHL and whey protein isolate (WPI) were also fabricated based on the ultrasonic method. The results indicated that PHL was mainly composed of glucose (47.40 mol%), galactose (19.21 mol%) and arabinose (20.21 mol%) with the weight-average molecular weight of 137.97 ± 4.31 kDa. The emulsifier concentration, WPI-to-PHL ratio, ultrasound power and ultrasound time had significant influence on the droplet size of PHL-WPI nano-emulsion. The optimal preparation conditions were determined as following: emulsifier concentration, 1.7%; WPI/PHL ratio, 3:1; ultrasonic power, 700 W; ultrasonic time, 7 min. Under the above conditions, the median diameter of the obtained nano-emulsion was 317.70 ± 5.26 nm, close to the predicted value of 320.20 nm. The protective effect of PHL-WPI emulsion on β-carotene against UV irradiation was superior to that of WPI emulsion. Our results can provide reference for the development of honeysuckle leaves.

Exacum affine Balf.f. ex Regel is a traditional medicinal plant in Yemen and also a popular potted plant. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of E. affine on the Illumina HiSeq Platform. The plastome sequence is 153,311 bp in length with a typical quadripartite structure, containing a pair of inverted repeated (IR) regions of 26,079 bp that are separated by a large single copy (LSC) region of 83,724 bp, and a small single copy (SSC) region of 17,509 bp. The GC content of the whole cp genome was 43.14%. A total of 132 functional genes were annotated, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The complete plastome sequence of E. affine will provide genetic and genomic information to promote its horticulture, officinal utilisation and systematics research of Gentianaceae (especially the tribe Exaceae).

Background • Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor, which is difficult to treat and has a poor prognosis. Immunotherapy has been a hot topic in liver cancer treatment in recent years, and macrophages play an important role in liver cancer immunotherapy. In this paper, we will use bioinformatics to analyze the significance of macrophage-associated genes (Mags) in hepatocellular carcinoma. Our goal is to determine the impact of macrophage-related genes on the immunotherapy, prognosis, and tumor microenvironment of HCC patients. Methods • 343 HCC patients with complete survival data were selected from RNA sequencing data from the Cancer Genome Atlas Hepatocellular carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) database. Using univariate Cox regression analysis and Lasso regression analysis to identify macrophage-related genetic markers for prognostic HCC and constructed risk scores. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis helped to determine the relationship between genetic markers and overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare OS in stratified high-risk and low-risk groups. Risk scores and other clinical features were included to develop a prognostic profile of HCC. The accuracy of the model was evaluated by the receiver operating curve and calibration curve, respectively. Results • A prognostic risk model consisting of 7 Mags was constructed to accurately predict OS in the TCGA cohort. In univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, risk scores were prognostic factors independent of other clinical factors. The prognostic histogram showed that risk score had a good prognostic effect on survival risk stratification. The expression of immunotherapy markers such as CTLA4 and TNFRSF9 was upregulated in high-risk patients, indicating an underlying immunotherapy response in these patients. Conclusion • Our study constructs a macrophageassociated genetic marker for predicting OS in HCC patients, which may help guide clinical immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The epigenetic regulation of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) has attracted considerable interest in tumor research, but the potential roles of m6A regulator-related genes, remain largely unknown within the context of gastric cancer (GC) and tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, a comprehensive strategy of data mining and computational biology utilizing multiple datasets based on 28 m6A regulators (including novel anti-readers) was employed to identify m6A regulator-related genes and patterns and elucidate their underlying mechanisms in GC. Subsequently, a scoring system was constructed to evaluate individual prognosis and immunotherapy response. Three distinct m6A regulator-related patterns were identified through the unsupervised clustering of 56 m6A regulator-related genes (all significantly associated with GC prognosis). TME characterization revealed that these patterns highly corresponded to immune-inflamed, immune-excluded, and immune-desert phenotypes, and their TME characteristics were highly consistent with different clinical outcomes and biological processes. Additionally, an m6A-related scoring system was developed to quantify the m6A modification pattern of individual samples. Low scores indicated high survival rates and high levels of immune activation, whereas high scores indicated stromal activation and tumor malignancy. Furthermore, the m6A-related scores were correlated with tumor mutation loads and various clinical traits, including molecular or histological subtypes and clinical stage or grade, and the score had predictive values across all digestive system tumors and even in all tumor types. Notably, a low score was linked to improved responses to anti-PD-1/L1 and anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy in three independent cohorts. This study has expanded the important role of m6A regulator-related genes in shaping TME diversity and clinical/biological traits of GC. The developed scoring system could help develop more effective immunotherapy strategies and personalized treatment guidance.

AbstractThe oxidation of unsaturated lipids, facilitated by the enzyme Arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15), is an essential element in the development of ferroptosis. This study combined a dual-score exclusion strategy with high-throughput virtual screening, naive Bayesian and recursive partitioning machine learning models, the already established ALOX15 inhibitor i472, and a docking-based fragment substitution optimisation approach to identify potential ALOX15 inhibitors, ultimately leading to the discovery of three FDA-approved drugs that demonstrate optimal inhibitory potential against ALOX15. Through fragment substitution-based optimisation, seven new inhibitor structures have been developed. To evaluate their practicality, ADMET predictions and molecular dynamics simulations were performed. In conclusion, the compounds found in this study provide a novel approach to combat conditions related to ferroptosis-related injury by inhibiting ALOX15.

In this study, taking the Jurassic Lianggaoshan Formation (J1l) tight sandstones in the eastern Sichuan Basin as an example, the types and well-logging responses of main sedimentological and diagenetic facies in the lacustrine delta-front are investigated based on summarizing the sedimentary characteristics and reservoir properties. Subsequently, further validation and application are conducted in the study area through machine learning. Research results show that the J1l lacustrine delta-front in the eastern Sichuan Basin mainly develops subaqueous distributary channels and mouth bar sand bodies, exhibiting typical densification reservoirs, with porosity and permeability distributed between 0.48% and 11.24% (av. 3.87%) and 0.0003–0.653 × 10−3 μm2 (av. 0.026 × 10−3 μm2), respectively. Strong compaction and strong cementation are the primary factors leading to densification, whereas chlorite coatings and weak dissolution play constructive roles in preserving some primary pores, creating a small amount of dissolution pores, and enhancing permeability. In terms of manifestation, the pore-throat content with a radius greater than 0.006 μm governs the reservoir quality. Furthermore, five types of diagenetic facies are identified in the J1l subaqueous distributary channels and mouth bars: strong compaction facies (Type I), strong cementation facies (Type II), chlorite-coating and intergranular pore facies (Type III), weak dissolution and intragranular pore facies (Type IV), and medium compaction and cementation facies (Type V). Overall, the thick and coarse-grained subaqueous distributary channels can be considered as the preferred exploration targets for tight oil and gas, with type III and type IV diagenetic facies being the most favorable reservoirs, characterized by well-logging responses of high AC and low GR, DEN, and RT. Based on the fine division of sedimentological and diagenetic facies, establishing well-logging interpretation models and then employing machine learning to achieve sweet spot reservoir prediction can provide valuable insights for tight oil and gas exploration in regions lacking core data.

Various phthalic acid esters (PAEs) such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) co-exist with nanopollutants in aquatic environment. In this study, Daphnia magna was exposed to nano-CuO and DBP or BBP at environmental relevant concentrations for 21-days to investigate these combined toxic effects. Acute EC50 values (48 h) of nano-CuO, DBP, and BBP were 12.572 mg/L, 8.978 mg/L, and 4.785 mg/L, respectively. Results showed that co-exposure with nano-CuO (500 μg/L) for 21 days significantly enhanced the toxicity of DBP (100 μg/L) and BBP (100 μg/L) to Daphnia magna by 18.37% and 18.11%, respectively. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase were enhanced by 10.95% and 14.07%, 25.63% and 25.91%, and 39.93% and 35.01% in nano-CuO+DBP and nano-CuO+BBP treatments as compared to the individual exposure groups, verifying that antioxidative defense responses were activated. Furthermore, the co-exposure of nano-CuO and PAEs decreased the population richness and diversity microbiota, and changed the microbial community composition in Daphnia magna. Metabolomic analysis elucidated that nano-CuO + PAEs exposure induced stronger disturbance on metabolic network and molecular function, including amino acid, nucleotides, and lipid metabolism-related metabolic pathways, as comparison to PAEs single exposure treatments. In summary, the integration of physiological, microflora, and untargeted metabolomics analysis offers a fresh perspective into the potential ecological risk associated with nanopollutants and phthalate pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive value of mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet count (PC) in branch atheromatous disease (BAD). Methods This retrospective study included 216 patients with BAD‐stroke within 48 h of symptom onset. These patients were divided into good and poor prognosis groups according to their 3‐month modified Rankin scale scores after discharge. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate independent predictors of poor prognosis in BAD‐stroke patients. Receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to estimate the predictive value of MPV and PC on BAD‐stroke. Results Our research showed that a higher MPV (aOR, 2.926; 95% CI, 2.040–4.196; p

Oil content and the movability of shale oil are important indicators for the evaluation of continental shale oil. In recent years, the sandwiched shale oil in the fourth member of the Shahejie Formation in the Liaohe Western Depression area of the Bohai Bay Basin has shown great exploration potential, while the understanding of shale oil content and the movability of shale oil is weak. In this study, through a combination of core observations and experiments, we clarified the shale lithofacies types in the fourth member of the Shahejie Formation in the Liaohe Western Depression and explored the influencing factors of the characteristics in the oil-bearing and movability of shales in different lithofacies. The results of the study show that the organic matter content of the shale is high (TOC = 2.2–4.3%), but the maturity of thermal evolution is low (Ro = 0.38–0.55%), and the mineral component is dominated by clay minerals (30.3–72.7%), with quartz, feldspar, and other feldspar minerals developing secondarily. According to the content of organic matter, the mineral component, and the sedimentary structure, five types of lithofacies can be classified: organic-rich laminated clay-bearing felsic shale lithofacies (LS1), organic-rich laminated clay felsic mixed shale lithofacies (LS2), organic-rich layered clay felsic mixed shale lithofacies (LS3), organic-containing massive felsic-bearing clay shale lithofacies (LS4), and organic-containing massive clay felsic mixed shale lithofacies (LS5). The oil content of shale is mainly affected by the organic matter. The rate of increase in oil content of shale is fastest when the organic matter content is between 2 and 4%. The movability of shale oil is mainly controlled by the sedimentary structure, mineral component, and microscopic pore structure; the more the shale laminae is developed, the lower the clay content is, and the more the pore space is developed, the better the movability of shale oil is. Combined with the results of the shale oil content and mobility analysis in the study area, LS2 and LS3 are the dominant lithofacies in the fourth member of the Shahejie Formation in the study area, followed by LS1 >LS5 >LS4, so shale oil exploration should focus on the development of LS2 and LS3.

Abstract Insufficient immune cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment (TME) greatly compromises the clinical application of immune‐checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)‐based immunotherapy. Recent findings have shown that activation of the cyclic GMP‐AMP synthase‐stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS‐STING) pathway can enhance natural immunity and increase lymphocyte infiltration into the TME, which presents a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. In this study, we constructed hydroxyapatite nanoparticles co‐loaded with curcumin and L‐oxaliplatin (Cur/L‐OHP@HAP NPs). We analyzed the particle‐size distribution, zeta potential, spectral characteristics (Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy), and drug‐release properties of the Cur/L‐OHP@HAP NPs. The cellular uptake of the Cur/L‐OHP@HAP NPs detected by flow cytometry and confocal laser‐scanning microscopy. We comprehensively evaluated the anti‐tumor properties and immune‐activating effects of the NPs, both in vitro and in vivo. Physicochemical characterizations demonstrated that the Cur/L‐OHP@HAP NPs were successfully synthesized and were capable of pH‐dependent drug release. Notably, the Cur/L‐OHP@HAP NPs efficiently entered cancer cells, after which the released L‐OHP induced nuclear DNA (nDNA) damage to some extent. HAP promoted the release of intracellular Ca2+ stores in cancer cells, and curcumin inhibited Ca2+ efflux, resulting in intracellular Ca2+ overload and the release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Damage to both nDNA and mtDNA greatly stimulated the cGAS‐STING pathway, thereby activating natural immunity, accompanied by immune cell recruitment to the TME. In summary, the Cur/L‐OHP@HAP NPs show good prospects for improving cancer immunotherapy.

The application of constructal networks to cool a heat‐generating volume has been the subject of many research studies in the past decade. However, the current volume‐point constructs mainly include rectangular, triangular, and parabolic‐shaped constructs, and none of them are similar to the constructs of common plant leaves in nature. A bionic quadrilateral volume based on the shape of common leaf veins is proposed, and the heat‐conductive model of the quadrilateral volume is established. The analysis results show that the minimal peak temperature difference can be as low as 1.3k when the porosity α1 of the quadrilateral volume is equal to 0.15; the recommended value of interval number n of central link is 30, the optimal value of exponent m1 of the width of central link is about 0.9; and the optimal value of the aspect ratio H1/L1 remains nearly constant at 0.7. When the quadrilateral volume obtains highest heat conductivity, the branching cooling links should be perpendicular to the central link. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have suggested that intransitive competition, as opposed to hierarchical competition, allows more species to coexist. Furthermore, it is recognized that the prevalent paradigm, which assumes that species interactions are exclusively pairwise, may be insufficient. More importantly, whether and how habitat loss, a key driver of biodiversity loss, can alter these complex competition structures (and therefore species coexistence) remain unclear. We thus present a new, simple yet comprehensive metapopulation framework that can account for any competition pattern and more complex higher-order interactions (HOIs) among species. We find that competitive intransitivity increases community diversity and that HOIs generally enhance this effect. Essentially, intransitivity promotes species richness by preventing the dominance of a few species, unlike the hierarchical competition, while HOIs facilitate species coexistence through stabilizing community fluctuations. However, variation in species' vital rates and habitat loss can weaken or even reverse such higher-order effects, as their interaction can lead to a more rapid decline in competitive intransitivity under HOIs. Thus, it is essential to correctly identify the most appropriate interaction model for a given system before models are used to inform conservation efforts. Overall, our simple model framework provides a more parsimonious explanation for biodiversity maintenance than the existing theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current models emphasize that membrane voltage (Vm) depolarization-induced Ca2+ influx triggers the fusion of vesicles to the plasma membrane. In sympathetic adrenal chromaffin cells, activation of a variety of G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) can inhibit quantal size (QS) through the direct interaction of G protein Giβγ subunits with exocytosis fusion proteins. Here we report that, independently from Ca2+, Vm (action potential) per se regulates the amount of catecholamine released from each vesicle, the QS. The Vm regulation of QS was through ATP-activated GPCR-P2Y12 receptors. D76 and D127 in P2Y12 were the voltage-sensing sites. Finally, we revealed the relevance of the Vm dependence of QS for tuning autoinhibition and target cell functions. Together, membrane voltage per se increases the quantal size of dense-core vesicle release of catecholamine via Vm → P2Y12(D76/D127) → Giβγ → QS → myocyte contractility, offering a universal Vm-GPCR signaling pathway for its functions in the nervous system and other systems containing GPCRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new excitation control of variable speed pumped storage unit (VSPS) for electromechanical transient modeling is presented. Compared with the traditional VSPS excitation control based on current source, the inner loop control of rotor current is retained. The new VSPS excitation control model considers the rotor flux dynamics and represents it as a second-order system. The effectiveness of the proposed excitation control model is verified by the comparison between electromagnetic transient simulation and electromechanical transient simulation. The electromechanical transient simulation of VSPS based on current source and VSPS based on voltage source is compared to verify the necessity of considering rotor flux dynamics. The proposed VSPS excitation control model reflects the characteristics of controllable voltage source and can provide more accurate reactive power and voltage simulation results in transient stability analysis.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the risk predictors for early neurological deterioration (END) in isolated acute pontine infarction without any causative artery stenosis. Methods In this retrospective study, patients with isolated acute pontine infarction within 72 h of symptom onset were enrolled between October 2017 and December 2021. END was defined as an increase in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥ 2 points within the first week postadmission. Patients were divided into the END and the non-END groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate independent predictors of END in patients with isolated acute pontine infarction. Results A total of 153 patients were included in the final study (62 females; mean age, 67.27 ± 11.35 years), of whom 28.7% (47 of 153) experienced END. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that infarct volume (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.003; 95% CI, 1.001–1.005; P = 0.002) and basilar artery branch disease (aOR, 3.388; 95% CI, 1.102–10.417; P = 0.033) were associated with END. The combined ROC analysis of the infarct volume and basilar artery branch disease for predicting END showed that the sensitivity and specificity were 80.9% and 72.6%, respectively. Conclusion Basilar artery branch disease and infarct volume were associated with END in acute isolated pontine infarction and may be useful prognostic factors for neurological progression.

ObjectivesTo investigate the associations between risk factors and depression symptoms in ischemic stroke (IS) survivors and the effect of IS survivors’ depression status and functional outcomes on caregiver burden in Chengdu, China.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we recruited a convenience sample of patients with IS and paired caregivers living in Chengdu from February 2022 to May 2022. Depression symptoms were assessed using the 17-item Chinese Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the social support of patients was assessed using the perceived social support scale (PSSS), caregiver burden was assessed using the Zarit burden interview (ZBI). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the data between risk factors and depression symptoms, and multiple linear regression models were constructed to examine the depression symptoms and functional outcomes of stroke survivors, and caregiver burden.ResultsIn total, 966 IS survivors and paired caregivers were included in this study. Among IS survivors, 35.51% (343/966) experienced depression. Age [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.02; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00–1.04; p = 0.036], the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (aOR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.47–1.68; p

Action potential-induced vesicular exocytosis is considered exclusively Ca2+ dependent in Katz's Ca2+ hypothesis on synaptic transmission. This long-standing concept gets an exception following the discovery of Ca2+-independent but voltage-dependent secretion (CiVDS) and its molecular mechanisms in dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons. However, whether CiVDS presents only in sensory cells remains elusive. Here, by combining multiple independent recordings, we report that [1] CiVDS robustly presents in the sympathetic nervous system, including sympathetic superior cervical ganglion neurons and slice adrenal chromaffin cells, [2] uses voltage sensors of Ca2+ channels (N-type and novel L-type), and [3] contributes to catecholamine release in both homeostatic and fight-or-flight like states; [4] CiVDS-mediated catecholamine release is faster than that of Ca2+-dependent secretion at the quantal level and [5] increases Ca2+ currents and contractility of cardiac myocytes. Together, CiVDS presents in the sympathetic nervous system with potential physiological functions, including cardiac muscle contractility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamin 1 (dynl) is required for clathrin-mediated endocytosis in most secretory (neuronal and neuroendocrine) cells. There are two modes of Ca2+-dependent catecholamine release from single dense-core vesicles: full-quantal (quantal) and subquantal in adrenal chromaffin cells, but their relative occurrences and impacts on total secretion remain unclear. To address this fundamental question in neurotransmission area using both sexes of animals, here we report the following: (1) dynl -KO increased quantal size (QS, but not vesicle size/content) by⩾250% in dynl-KO mice; (2) the KO-increased QS was rescued by dynl (but not its deficient mutant or dyn2); (3) the ratio of quantal versus subquantal events was increased by KO; (4) following a release event, more protein contents were retained in WT versus KO vesicles; and (5) the fusion pore size (dp) was increased from ⩽9 to ⩾9 nm by KO. Therefore, Ca2+ -induced exocytosis is generally a subquantal release in sympathetic adrenal chromaffin cells, implying that neurotransmitter release is generally regulated by dynamin in neuronal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectiveBranch atheromatous disease (BAD) makes patients prone to early neurological deterioration (END), resulting in poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between SUA/SCr and END in BAD stroke patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study that included 241 patients with BAD-stroke within 48 h of symptom onset. We divided the patients into the END group and the no END group. END was defined as an NIHSS score increase of more than 2 points within 1 week. SUA/SCr was calculated by the concentration of serum uric acid and creatine (serum uric acid/serum creatine) on admission. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify independent predictors of END in BAD-stroke patients.ResultsEND was observed in 24.1% (58/241) of the patients in our study. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that SUA/SCr (aOR, 0.716; 95% CI, 0.538–0.952; P = 0.022) and female sex (aOR, 0.469; 95% CI, 0.245–0.898; P = 0.022) were associated with END after adjusting for confounding factors. The predicted value of SUA/Scr for END was a sensitivity of 79.3%, a specificity of 44.8%, and an AUC of 0.609 (95% CI, 0.527–0.691, P < 0.05). The optimal cut-off value was 4.76.ConclusionSUA/SCr was negatively associated with the risk of END in BAD stroke patients.

BackgroundPhyllanthus urinaria L. is extensively used as ethnopharmacological material in China. In the local marketplace, this medicine can be accidentally contaminated, deliberately substituted, or mixed with other related species. The contaminants in herbal products are a threat to consumer safety. Due to the scarcity of genetic information on Phyllanthus plants, more molecular markers are needed to avoid misidentification.MethodsIn this study, the complete chloroplast genome of nine species of the genus Phyllanthus was de novo assembled and characterized.ResultsThis study revealed that all of these species exhibited a conserved quadripartite structure, which includes a large single copy (LSC) region and small single copy (SSC) region, and two copies of inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb), which separate the LSC and SSC regions. And the genome structure, codon usage, and repeat sequences were highly conserved and showed similarities among the nine species. Three highly variable regions (trnS-GCU-trnG-UCC, trnT-UGU-trnL-UAA, and petA-psbJ) might be helpful as potential molecular markers for identifying P. urinaria and its contaminants. In addition, the molecular clock analysis results showed that the divergence time of the genus Phyllanthus might occur at ~ 48.72 Ma.ConclusionThis study provides valuable information for further species identification, evolution, and phylogenetic research of Phyllanthus.

ObjectivesTo estimate the prevalence of depression symptoms and quality of life (QoL) and examined the influence of factors in the empty nest elderly.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study, which was conducted from February 2022 to May 2022. We recruited a convenience sample of no empty-nest elderly and empty-nest elderly (≥60 years) living in Chengdu. QoL was assessed using WHOQOL-BREF, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was used to assess depression symptoms. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze data between independent variables with depression symptoms.ResultsTwo thousand twenty-six participants were included in this study, 39.0% (660/1,082) experienced depression symptoms among empty-nest elderly. Age (aOR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00–1.04; P = 0.046), chronic disease≥2 (aOR, 3.29; 95% CI, 2.50–4.33; P < 0.001) were associated with increased risk of depression symptoms, and physical activity (aOR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.40–0.87; P = 0.008), physical health (aOR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88–0.99; P = 0.026), psychological health (aOR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87–0.98; P = 0.013), and total score (aOR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.96–0.99; P < 0.001) were associated with decreased risk of depression symptoms among empty-nest elderly.ConclusionsDepression symptoms are common mental health problems among empty-nest elderly. We found that age, chronic disease ≥2 and physical activity were important factors that have an impact on depressive symptoms. Empty-nest elderly would have lowered QoL score.

For the second member of the Permian Lucaogou Formation in Malang Sag, Santanghu Basin, we used field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cryogenic nitrogen gas adsorption, and the micro/nano CT method, combined with the fractal theory, to depict the dense reservoir space types of the reservoir and the microcosmic pore structure characteristics, perform the quantitative evaluation of aperture size, pore shape, and connectivity, and to analyze the mineral composition of the micropore structure of the reservoir. The results show that the area is dominated by sandy/argillaceous dolomite, and the reservoir space types mainly develop dissolved intergranular pores and intergranular pores, a few microfractures, and parallel plate and slit nanoscale pores. There is a positive correlation between pore volume and specific surface area, with micropore volume accounting for 14.95%, mesopore volume at 82.47%, and macropore volume at 2.58%. The mesoporous volume provides the main pore storage space. The combined specific surface area of micropores and mesoporous pores accounts for more than 99% of the total specific surface area, providing almost all the pore surface area, which is the main site for shale oil and gas adsorption. The fractal dimension D value of the samples is between 2.39 and 2.49, and the pore distribution of shale is relatively uniform, mainly developing mesoporous pores. The specific surface area and average radius are positively correlated with the content of dolomite in mineral components. The results of the CT experiment also confirm that the pore throat of samples with high dolomite content is mostly a coarse tubular and banded distribution in three-dimensional space, with good connectivity.

The research on pore structure and heterogeneity of shale reservoirs has always been a hotspot in the study of unconventional reservoir characteristics. China is a country dominated by continental shale. Compared with marine shale, continental shale has lower maturity and stronger reservoir heterogeneity. In this study, Sha-4 shale in the Liaohe Western Depression was selected for low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy and other experiments revealing the pore structure and fractal characteristics of continental low mature organic-rich shale. The fractal dimension was calculated by the FHH model and the effects of TOC and mineral composition on pore structure and fractal characteristics were discussed. The results show that the Sha-4 shale in the study area is mainly mesoporous and the main pore types are inorganic pores with relatively large pore diameters, such as intergranular pores and inter-crystalline pores. The pore morphology is very complex, mainly narrow slit and flat pore, and the pore is often filled with organic matter. The fractal dimensions D1 range from 2.58 to 2.87 and D2 range from 2.18 to 2.55, and the pore structure shows obvious dual fractal characteristics. The pore structure and fractal characteristics of shale are mainly affected by TOC and quartz due to the low degree of the thermal evolution of shale and their effects are different from those of marine shale reservoirs. The increase in TOC reduces the heterogeneity of the shale reservoir. In addition, mineral particles with strong weathering resistance and stability such as quartz can protect the pore structure of shale, improve the pore structure and reduce the reservoir heterogeneity. This study can provide support for the study of low maturity continental shale reservoir heterogeneity in the Sha-4 member of the Liaohe Western Depression.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent lipid peroxidative form of cell death that is distinct from apoptosis and necrosis. ALOX15, also known as arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenase, promotes ferroptosis by converting intracellular unsaturated lipids into oxidized lipid intermediates and is an important ferroptosis target. In this study, a naive Bayesian machine learning classifier with a structure-based, high-throughput screening approach and a molecular docking program were combined to screen for three compounds with excellent target-binding potential. In the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity characterization, three candidate molecules were predicted to exhibit drug-like properties. The subsequent molecular dynamics simulations confirmed their stable binding to the targets. The findings indicated that the compounds exhibited excellent potential ALOX15 inhibitor capacity, thereby providing novel candidates for the treatment of inflammatory ischemia-related diseases caused by ferroptosis.

Background: CDK4/6 (Cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6) are the key promoters of cell cycle transition from G1 phase to S phase. Thus, selective inhibition of CDK4/6 is a promising cancer treatment. Methods: A total of 52,765 marine natural products were screened for CDK4/6. To screen out better natural compounds, pharmacophore models were first generated, then the absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicity (ADMET) were tested, followed by molecular docking. Finally, molecular dynamics simulation was carried out to verify the binding characteristics of the selected compounds. Results: Eighty-seven marine small molecules were screened based on the pharmacophore model. Then, compounds 41369 and 50843 were selected according to the ADMET and molecular docking score for further kinetic simulation evaluation. Finally, through molecular dynamics analysis, it was confirmed that compound 50843 maintained a stable conformation with the target protein, so it has the opportunity to become an inhibitor of CDK4/6. Conclusion: Through structure-based pharmacophore modeling, ADMET, the molecular docking method and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, marine natural compound 50843 was proposed as a promising marine inhibitor of CDK4/6.

This paper presents an end-to-end approach for locating faults on high-voltage dc (HVDC) transmission lines. Different from traditional methods which rely on communications between different measuring units or feature extraction of post fault transients, the proposed algorithm takes the raw data of locally detected traveling current surges as the only-input and outputs the fault locations directly. Especially, the stacked auto-encoder (SAE) is utilized to model the relationship between fault currents and fault locations. The SAE-based method is performed in time domain and tested with a simulated HVDC transmission line modeled in PSCAD/EMTDC. The simulation results show that this method is effective in locating faulted points and robust against attenuation, overlapping of traveling surges, and various ground resistances.

Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) aims to minimize liquid waste generation whilst extend water supply, and this industrial strategy has attracted renewed interest worldwide in recent years. In spite of the advantages such as reduced water pollution and resource recovery from waste, there are several challenges to overcome prior to wider applications of ZLD. This study will examine the main processes involved in ZLD, and analyze their limitations and potential solutions. This study also differs from past reviews on the subject, by providing a summary of the challenges that were found light of in prevalent studies. To fulfill the sustainable vision, future research that can bridge the gap between the theoretical study and industrial practice is highlighted.

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause fatal bacterial infections. MurD catalyzes the formation of peptide bond between UDP-N-acetylehyl-l-alanine and d-glutamic acid, which plays an important role in the synthesis of peptidoglycan and the formation of cell wall by S. aureus. Because S. aureus is resistant to most existing antibiotics, it is necessary to develop new inhibitors. In this study, Schrodinger 11.5 Prime homology modeling was selected to prepare the protein model of MurD enzyme, and its structure was optimized. We used a virtual screening program and similarity screening to screen 47163 compounds from three marine natural product libraries to explore new inhibitors of S. aureus. ADME provides analysis of the physicochemical properties of the best performing compounds during the screening process. To determine the stability of the docking effect, a 100 ns molecular dynamics was performed to verify how tightly the compound was bound to the protein. By docking analysis and molecular dynamics analysis, both 46604 and 46608 have strong interaction with the docking pocket, have good pharmacological properties, and maintain stable conformation with the target protein, so they have a chance to become drugs for S. aureus. Through virtual screening, similarity screening, ADME study and molecular dynamics simulation, 46604 and 46608 were selected as potential drug candidates for S. aureus.

This article presented processing-mechanical property relationship of thin microcellular poly(ethylene terephthlate) (PET) sheet prepared by compression molding. The results showed that the saturation time and the lower-plate temperature had more effects on the mechanical property. The upper-plate temperature and the PET thickness also had some effects on the mechanical property. The upper-plate temperature had more pronounced effect on the specific tensile strength than on any other mechanical parameters. Besides, there was little dependence of the mechanical property on the saturation pressure and the blowing agent content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The most prevalent fungal infection of humans is candidiasis which is caused by species of Candida that are typical members of the commensal microbial flora of the oral mucosa and other body surfaces. Since species of Candida differ in virulence properties and susceptibilities to anti-fungal drugs, understanding the human commensal yeast flora will have a significant impact on designing treatment and prevention strategies against yeast infections. However, although there is a global interest in Candida species, the global distributions of Candida species remain largely unknown, especially among healthy hosts. Here we report the oral yeast flora from the surveys of over 1,000 medical students in China. Our results showed that this population had a yeast carriage rate (4.5%) much lower than other population samples reported previously from Mainland China (40–70%). In addition, C. albicans was isolated at a much higher frequency than those from other Chinese samples, with a frequency (80.9%) more similar to those in developed regions such as North America. The oral yeast carriage rates and yeast species compositions were similar between male and female students and between the hosts borne and raised on Hainan Island and those borne and raised on Mainland China. Furthermore, the sequence variation at the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene cluster was analyzed for strains of the dominant species, C. albicans. Our analysis identified 14 ITS types among the 41 Hainan isolates of C. albicans. However, only four of the 14 ITS types were identical to those in reference strains from Europe and North America. Taken together, our analyses suggest that the oral yeast flora among host populations in China is highly heterogeneous and that there is a high ITS sequence diversity in the Hainan population of C. albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the thin microcellular poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) sheets, having the controlled structures, were prepared by compression molding. The effects of the processing conditions on the microcellular PET tensile properties have been investigated. By comparing the importance of the individual processing parameters, the saturation time was the most important factor to determine tensile modulus, whereas the saturation time and the upper-plate temperature were the most important processing parameters that influence the tensile strength and specific tensile strength. The effects of the microstructure on the tensile properties of microcellular PET were also investigated systematically. The results indicated that the tensile modulus and strength increased with increasing foam density, but decreased slightly with increasing cell size. Following the experimental data, a new model was built to relate the tensile modulus and tensile strength with the foam density and the cell size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-voltage DC (HVDC) transmission plays an important role in power transmission projects due to its advantages of large transmission power and good control performance. As the main protection of the DC transmission line, transient protection uses the high-frequency signal generated by fault transient to detect faults, having the characteristics of fast response and high accuracy. However, the HVDC transmission line has complex conditions along the route and is vulnerable to lightning strikes and other accidents, resulting in the occurrence of a variety of transients in the line, which increases the difficulty of fault identification. Being able to reveal signal time-frequency characteristic, wavelet entropy is an effective tool of signal recognition. This study proposes a method of transient signal identification based on the wavelet entropy and support vector machine (SVM). Firstly, the transient processes of three kinds of signals, including unipolar faults, lightning strike faults, and lightning disturbances, are briefly introduced. Then the time−frequency features of three kinds of transient signals under different scenes are analysed by wavelet entropy. Finally, the training set was used to train the SVM classification model with the signal wavelet entropy being taken as the eigenvector, and the test results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The air pressure in a drainage stack of a high-rise building test platform (HBTP) is mathematically modeled by unsteady one-dimensional () partial differential equations, in which an additional term is introduced to reflect the gas-liquid interphase interaction, the stack top-base effect. This model is crucial for understanding the characteristics of air pressure variation, which is significant for the recognition of the HBTP's operational performance. A time-splitting based characteristic line method is used to solve the type governing equations, with the model parameters being calibrated by the measured data obtained on the HBTP. It is concluded that the generally used Saint-Venant equations should be extended appropriately so that the stack air pressure can be satisfactorily predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weft knitted fabrics are widely used in clothing textiles and technical applications,such as sweater and underwear,etc. The geometrical modeling of weft knitted structures is useful to predict fabrics properties and for creating physical models. How to realize the realistic computer simulation of plain knitted structures, much research is still needed. By measuring the loop structure size of fabrics produced by the circular machine and flat machine, a 3D geometrical model of plain loop with combination of empirical and theoretical was developed. The loop model has a total of 17 data points. Cubic NURBS curve was used to generate central path of yarn in plain loop. The circle was selected as the cross-section of yarn. In Visual C++ and OpenGL environment, then the 3D computer simulation of plain knitted fabric was realized. The simulation results distinctly show the intermeshed loops effects of knitted structures in 3D space.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection based on transient information is the primary protection of high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems. As a major part of protection function, accurate identification of transient surges is quite crucial to ensure the performance and accuracy of protection algorithms. Recognition of transient surges in an HVDC system faces two challenges: signal distortion and small number of samples. Entropy, which is stable in representing frequency distribution features, and support vector machine (SVM), which is good at dealing with samples with limited numbers, are adopted and combined in this paper to solve the transient recognition problems. Three commonly detected transient surges—single-pole-to-ground fault (GF), lightning fault (LF), and lightning disturbance (LD)—are simulated in various scenarios and recognized with the proposed method. The proposed method is proved to be effective in both feature extraction and type classification and shows great potential in protection applications.