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Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a functional and morphological disorder of the meibomian glands which results in qualitative or quantitative alteration in meibum secretion and is the major cause of evaporative dry eye (EDE). EDE is often characterized by tear film instability, increased evaporation, hyperosmolarity, inflammation, and ocular surface disorder. The precise pathogenesis of MGD remains elusive. It has been widely considered that MGD develops as a result of ductal epithelial hyperkeratinization, which obstructs the meibomian orifice, halts meibum secretion, and causes secondary acinar atrophy and gland dropout. Abnormal self-renewal and differentiation of the acinar cells also play a significant role in MGD. This review summarizes the latest research findings regarding the possible pathogenesis of MGD and provides further treatment strategies for MGD-EDE patients.

Image denoising is a fundamental problem in computer vision and multimedia computation. Non-local filters are effective for image denoising. But existing deep learning methods that use non-local computation structures are mostly designed for high-level tasks, and global self-attention is usually adopted. For the task of image denoising, they have high computational complexity and have a lot of redundant computation of uncorrelated pixels. To solve this problem and combine the marvelous advantages of non-local filter and deep learning, we propose a Convolutional Unbiased Regional (CUR) transformer. Based on the prior that, for each pixel, its similar pixels are usually spatially close, our insights are that (1) we partition the image into non-overlapped windows and perform regional self-attention to reduce the search range of each pixel, and (2) we encourage pixels across different windows to communicate with each other. Based on our insights, the CUR transformer is cascaded by a series of convolutional regional self-attention (CRSA) blocks with U-style short connections. In each CRSA block, we use convolutional layers to extract the query, key, and value features, namely Q , K , and V , of the input feature. Then, we partition the Q , K , and V features into local non-overlapped windows and perform regional self-attention within each window to obtain the output feature of this CRSA block. Among different CRSA blocks, we perform the unbiased window partition by changing the partition positions of the windows. Experimental results show that the CUR transformer outperforms the state-of-the-art methods significantly on four low-level vision tasks, including real and synthetic image denoising, JPEG compression artifact reduction, and low-light image enhancement.

β-catenin is an important signal transduction protein in the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which is widely involved in the development of animals. However, the role of β-catenin in crustaceans is still unclear. In this study, the cDNA of β-catenin from Exopalaemon carinicauda (Holthuis, 1950) was identified and characterized. The open reading frame (ORF) is 2424 bp, which encodes 807 amino acids containing an N-terminal region of a GSK-β consensus phosphorylation site and a central region of 11 armadillo (ARM) repeats. The tissue distribution showed that β-catenin was highly expressed in ovary, testis, hepatopancreas, heart, and gills. During embryonic development, the transcript of β-catenin was relatively high in the zygote, and the thirty-two-cell stage, blastula stage, gastrula stage, and nauplius stage. The transcripts of β-catenin in haemocytes, gills, and hepatopancreas were significantly up-regulated after infection with Vibrio anguillarum Bergeman, 1909. These results indicate that β-catenin participates in the regulation of embryonic development and in the immune response in E. carinicauda.

A donor–acceptor polymer with broad absorption from 300 to 1700 nm as a photothermal material toward highly efficient solar-driven water evaporation.

Thermal conductive polymer composite prepared by 3D printing technology, which has a highly vertically oriented carbon fiber structure.

Oil/water separation by porous materials has received growing interest over the past years since the ever-increasing oily wastewater discharges seriously threaten our living environment. Purification of nano-sized and concentrated emulsions remains a big challenge because of the sharp flux decline by blocking the pores and fouling the surfaces of those porous materials. Herein, we propose a solar-driven evaporator possessing thin-film-composite architecture to deal with these two bottlenecks. Inspired by plant roots, our evaporator composes of a large-pore sponge wrapped by a thin hydrogel film, which is constructed by the contra-diffusion and cross-linking of alginate and calcium ions at the sponge surface. The dense superoleophobic hydrogel layer serves as a selective barrier that prevents oil emulsions but allows water permeation, while the inner sponge with large pores facilitates water transport within the evaporator, ensuring sufficient water supply for evaporation. By splitting the single evaporator into an array, the evaporator performs a high evaporation rate of ∼3.10 kg·m

Thin-film-composite (TFC) nanofiltration membranes have found wide uses in environment remediation and industrial separation. There is a growing trend to avoid the use of organic solvents and toxic chemicals during membrane fabrication. Therefore, the aqueous fabrication of TFC membranes receives considerable interest as a green and sustainable process. However, it remains challenging to construct a defect-free and ultrathin film in a homogeneous aqueous phase without the assistance of an interface. The contra-diffusion process provides a special "interface" to confine the film formation within a narrow space by regulating the competition between precursor diffusion and interfacial reactions. Herein, Fe

Xiaofang Wen,1,&ast; Nan Zeng,1,&ast; Ningbo Zhang,1,2,&ast; Tingting Ou,1 Xiaowei Li,1 Xiaoying Li,1 Wangen Li,1 Kang Xu,3 Tao Du1 1Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Endocrinology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036, People’s Republic of China; 3Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Tao Du; Kang Xu, Email dutao@gzhmu.edu.cn; xukang@mail.sysu.edu.cnBackground: Although flash continuous glucose monitoring systems (FCGM) accuracy has been extensively studied in diabetes, its accuracy is still not fully evaluated in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients in real-world settings. In the present study, we aim to assess the effects of diabetes complications and related comorbidities on FCGM accuracy in T2D patients with diabetes complications and related comorbidities in the real world.Methods: FCGM data were collected at eight-time points daily (3 AM, 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 5 PM, 7 PM, and 9 PM) from 742 patients with T2D and compared with simultaneous fingertip capillary blood glucose (reference blood glucose, REF), and the difference was evaluated using Parkes error grid (PEG), surveillance error grid (SEG), and logistic regression analysis.Results: In total, 25,579 FCGM/REF data pairs were included in the study. The FCGM values were lower than the paired REF values in 75% of the pairs. The maximum bias (− 23.0%) and maximum mean absolute relative difference (24.5%) were observed at 3 AM among eight-time points. SEG analysis also demonstrated the highest percentage of paired readings in moderate and great risk zone (C and D) at 3 AM than PEG analysis (7.33% vs 0.43%, P< 0.001). According to the SEG classification, hypoglycemia, infection, diabetic foot, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hypertension were independent risk factors that impaired FCGM accuracy in patients.Conclusion: FCGM commonly underestimates blood glucose levels. Compared with PEG, SEG analysis seems more conducive to the analysis of FCGM performance. The present data highlights the impairment of diabetes complications and related comorbidities on the FCGM accuracy in T2D patients.Keywords: flash continuous glucose monitoring system, type 2 diabetes, surveillance error grid, Parkes error grid, diabetes complications

D-allulose has attracted much attention because of its special taste and unique physiological functions, and it can be used as an ideal substitute for sucrose. At present, probiotics have been proven to have a variety of excellent physiological functions and are widely used in various fields.

Immobilization of metal nanoparticles (NPs) on flexible substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has received great attention. Anchoring NPs on substrates generally involves the process of surface modification, thanks to its simple, universal, and nondestructive features. 2-Hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (HNQ), a plant-derived compound used to dye hairs and nails, may interact with polyamine or metal ions to form a surface coating. Here, we report the formation of amino-quinone coatings via the co-deposition of HNQ and polyethyleneimine, which provides a functionalized platform to rapidly immobilize Ag NPs on substrates such as a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) film to fabricate Ag-PDMS substrates for SERS detection. The detection concentrations are down to 10

Adipose tissue composition contributes greatly to the quality and nutritional value of meat. Transcriptomic and lipidomic techniques were used to investigate the molecular mechanism of fat deposition difference among Ningxiang, Berkshire and F1 pigs. Transcriptomic analysis identified 680, 592 and 380 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by comparing the groups of Ningxiang pigs vs Berkshire pigs, Berkshire pigs vs F1 pigs, Ningxiang pigs vs F1 pigs. Lipidomic analysis screened 423, 252, and 50 significantly changed lipids (SCLs) by comparing the groups of Ningxiang pigs vs Berkshire pigs, Berkshire pigs vs F1 pigs, Ningxiang pigs vs F1 pigs. Lycine, serine and threonine metabolism pathway, fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism related pathways were siginificant enriched in the groups of Berkshire pigs vs Ningxiang pigs and Berkshire pigs vs F1 pigs. The DEGs (PHGDH, LOC110256000) and the SCLs (Phosphatidylserines) may have a great impact on lycine, serine and threonine metabolism pathway. Moreover, the DEGs (FASN, ACACA, CBR4, SCD, ELOV6, HACD, CYP3A46, CYP2B22, GPX1, GPX3) and the SCLs (palmitoleic acid, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, icosadienoic acid) play important role in fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism. Thus, the fat deposition difference among Ningxiang, Berkshire and F1 pigs may be caused by the difference of the expression pattern of key genes in multiple enrichment KEGG pathways. The research presented multiple lipids that were potentially available biological indicator and screened key genes that were potentially gene targets for molecular design breeding. The research also explored the molecular mechanisms of fat deposition difference among Ningxiang, Berkshire and F1 pigs and provides insight into the selection of backfat thickness and fat composition of adipose tissue for future breeding strategies.

El Niño–Southern Oscillation is the most important source of interannual variability in the tropics; it also exerts great influences on weather and climate systems in local and remote regions through teleconnections. Observed influences of canonical (or eastern Pacific) El Niño on springtime extreme rainfall in East Asia (EA) are studied, and compared with the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) historical runs. Both model and observational data indicate that the anomalous low-level western north Pacific (WNP) anticyclone is the primary contributor to EA springtime extremes during El Niño. On a day-to-day basis, intense daily precipitation is related to enhanced upper-level synoptic-scale waves. Here we use a temperature advection index (TAI) to represent the amount of synoptic-scale activities. It was found that, when EP El Nino occurs, 85% of Yangtze River Basin (YRB)-South Korea (SK)-south of Japan (SP) extreme events are accompanied by instances of positive TAI (as compared to 72% in the climatological sense). However, such a change of association with TAI is not found in CMIP6. Observations further show a stationary wave pattern trapped along the intensified EA westerly jet during EP El Niño, which favors the development of synoptic-scale activity. There is also enhanced moisture transported from WNP to SK-SP, leading to more extreme precipitation in the region. In contrast, the interannual-scale westerly waveguide effect during EP El Niño is poorly simulated in CMIP6 models, resulting in models’ failure in capturing the contemporaneous YRB-SK-SP extreme precipitation changes.

Ningxiang pig is renowned breed for its exceptional meat quality, but it possesses suboptimal carcass traits. To elucidate the genetic architecture of meat quality and carcass traits in Ningxiang pigs, we assessed heritability and executed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) concerning carcass length, backfat thickness, meat color parameters (L.LD, a.LD, b.LD), and pH at two postmortem intervals (45 minutes and 24 hours) within a Ningxiang pig population. Heritability estimates ranged from moderate to high (0.30 ~ 0.80) for carcass traits and from low to high (0.11 ~ 0.48) for meat quality traits. We identified 21 significant SNPs, the majority of which were situated within previously documented QTL regions. Furthermore, the HMGA1 gene emerged as a pleiotropic gene correlated with carcass length and backfat thickness. The ADGRF1, FKBP5, and PRIM2 genes were associated with carcass length, while the NIPBL gene was linked to backfat thickness. These genes hold potential for use in selective breeding programs targeting carcass traits in Ningxiang pigs.

Competition is an important driver of tree mortality and thus affects forest structure and dynamics. Tree architectural traits, such as height-to-diameter (H-D) and branch length-to-diameter (L-d) relationships are thought to influence species competitiveness by affecting light capture. Unfortunately, little is known about how the H vs. D and L vs. d scaling exponents are related to tree performance (defined in the context of growth vigor) in competition.Using data from field surveys of 1547 individuals and destructive sampling of 51 trees with 1086 first-order branches from a high-density Pinus massoniana forest, we explored whether the H vs. D and the L vs. d scaling exponents respectively differed numerically across tree performance and branch vertical position in crowns.The results indicated that (1) the H vs. D scaling exponent decreased as tree performance declined; (2) the L vs. d scaling exponent differed across tree performance classes (i.e., the scaling exponent of "inferior" trees was significantly larger than that of "moderate" and "superior" trees); (3) the L vs. d scaling exponent decreased as branch position approached ground level; and (4) overall, the branch scaling exponent decreased as tree performance improved in each crown layer, but decreased significantly in the intermediate layer.This study highlights the variation within (and linkage among) length-to-diameter scaling relationships across tree performance at the individual and branch levels. This linkage provides new insights into potential mechanisms of tree growth variation (and even further mortality) under competition in subtropical forests.

This study aimed to uncover the microRNA and messenger RNA (miRNA/mRNA) interactions in the pathophysiological process of calcified aortic valve disease (CAVD) of the human aortic valve. RNA sequencing of six selected samples (3 healthy control samples vs. 3 CAVD samples) was performed to obtain mRNA and miRNA sequences, and differential expression (DE) analysis of miRNA and mRNAs was performed. To build a CAVD-specific miRNA-mRNA interactome, the upregulated mRNAs and downregulated miRNAs were selected, followed by the establishment of inverse DE of mRNA-miRNA co-expression network based on Pearson's correlation coefficient using miRanda in the R language software. Subsequently, pathway enrichment analysis was performed to elucidate CAVD-related pathways that were likely mediated by miRNA regulatory mechanisms. In addition, miRNAs with an mRNA correlation greater than 0.9 in the co-expression network were selected for anti-calcification verification in a CAVD cellular model. We identified 216 mRNAs (99 downregulated and 117 upregulated) and 602 miRNAs (371 downregulated and 231 upregulated) that were differentially expressed between CAVD and healthy aortic valves. After applying Pearson's correlation toward miRNA-mRNA targets, a regulatory network of 67 miRNAs targeting 76 mRNAs was created. The subsequent pathway enrichment analysis of these targeted mRNAs elucidated that genes within the focal adhesion pathway are likely mediated by miRNA regulatory mechanisms. The selected hsa-miR-629-3p and TAGLN pair exhibited anti-calcification effects on osteogenic differentiation-induced human aortic valve interstitial cells (hVICs). On integrating the miRNA and mRNA sequencing data for healthy aortic valves and those with CAVD, the CAVD-associated miRNA-mRNA interactome and related pathways were elucidated. Additional cell function data demonstrated anti-calcification effects of the selected hsa-miR-629-3p targeting TAGLN, validating that it is a potential therapeutic target for inhibiting CAVD.

Solid-state lithium-metal (Li

The proposal of the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect shines a light on the practical application of luminescent materials. The AIE-active luminescence microgels (TPEC MGs) with photo-induced color-changing behavior were developed by integrating positively charged AIE luminogens (AIEgens) into the anionic network of microgels, where AIEgens of TPEC were obtained from the quaternization reaction between tetra-(4-pyridylphenyl)ethylene (TPE-4Py) and 7-(6-bromohexyloxy)-coumarin. The aqueous suspensions of TPEC MGs exhibit a significant AIE effect following the enhancement of quantum yield. In addition, further increase in fluorescence intensity and blueshift occur at elevated temperatures due to the collapse of microgels. The distinctive photochromic behavior of TPEC MGs was observed, which presents as the transition from orange-yellow to blue-green color under UV irradiation, which is different from TPEC in good organic solvents. The phenomenon of color changing can be ascribed to the competition between photodimerization of the coumarin part and photocyclization of TPE-4Py in TPEC. The photochromic TPEC MG aqueous suspensions can be conducted as aqueous microgel inks for information display, encryption, and dynamic anticounterfeiting.

Enhancing the terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink (referred to as terrestrial C sink) is an important way to slow down the continuous increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO

Daidzin (DDZ) is a natural brassin-like compound extracted from the soybean, and has been found to have therapeutic potential against tumors in recent years. This study investigates the therapeutic effect of DDZ on hepatocellular carcinoma cells and elucidates the possible mechanisms of action. The viability of HCCLM3 and Hep3B cells was detected by MTT assay. Western blots and qPCR were used to detect the protein and mRNA levels of proliferation and apoptosis related genes. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for metabolome analysis. In vivo antitumor effects were assessed in nude mice engrafted with HCC cell lines. Our results show that DDZ treatment dose-dependently inhibited cell viability, migration, and survival. The expressions of CDK1, BCL2, MYC, and survivin were reduced, while the expressions of BAX and PARP were increased in DDZ treated cells. The differentially expressed metabolites detected in DDZ treated cultures are associated with glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. Bioinformatic analysis identified TPI1, a gene in the glycolysis pathway with prognostic value for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and DDZ treatment downregulated this gene. In vivo experiments show that DDZ significantly reduced the tumor volume and weight, and inhibited Ki67 expression within tumors. This study shows that DDZ interfered with the survival and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, likely via TPI1 and the gluconeogenesis pathway.

A once overlooked source of electrolyte degradation incurred by dissolved manganese (II) species in lithium-ion batteries has been identified recently. In order to deactivate the catalytic activity of such manganese (II) ion, 1-aza-12-crown-4-ether (A12C4) with cavity size well matched manganese (II) ion is used in this work as electrolyte additive. Theoretical and experimental results show that stable complex forms between A12C4 and manganese (II) ions in the electrolyte, which does not affect the solvation of Li ions. The strong binding effect of A12C4 additive reduces the charge density of manganese (II) ion and inhibits its destruction of the PF6− structure in the electrolyte, leading to greatly improved thermal stability of manganese (II) ions-containing electrolyte. In addition to bulk electrolyte, A12C4 additive also shows capability in preventing Mn2+ from degrading SEI on graphite surface. Such bulk and interphasial stability introduced by A12C4 leads to significantly improved cycling performance of LIBs.