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Bearings are regarded as a crucial element that impacts the overall performance of the seismic analysis of bridges. The assessment of seismic performance in bridges heavily depends on the nonlinear features of bridge bearings. Therefore, it is essential to simulate the nonlinear mechanical behavior of bridge bearings to attain the required accuracy of seismic analysis. This paper examines the friction features of pot bearings using the Bouc-Wen hysteretic model, based on which a nonlinear model of pot bearings is proposed. The proposed model can rapidly and effectively analyze the nonlinear mechanical behaviors of bridge bearings under horizontal earthquakes by adequately simplifying the mechanical properties of these bearings. The accuracy of the model for horizontal seismic effects analysis is validated using a numerical simulation method. The simulation compares the nonlinear model seismic effects of the bearing with a linear-elastic model that ignores the bearing frictional effects under horizontal seismic action. The results demonstrated that in the proposed nonlinear model, the ratio of the composite bending moment and yield bending moment of the pier bottom section (demand capacity ratio) is lower than that of the linear elastic model, leading to a more accurate analysis of horizontal seismic effects and thus preventing overestimation of seismic consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The FeCoNiMnV HEA/ N -CNTs catalyst was prepared by a one-step pyrolysis. • The multi-metal synergy favored the ORR catalytic performance. • Clustered N -CNTs had rich shared boundaries and interstitial space to expedite the charge/mass transfer. • The built battery showed high OCV, large power density and long-term durability. Efficient and stable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts are essential for constructing reliable energy conversion and storage devices. Herein, we prepared noble metal-free FeCoNiMnV high-entropy alloy supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (FeCoNiMnV HEA/ N -CNTs) by a one-step pyrolysis at 800 °C, as certificated by a set of characterizations. The graphitization degree of the N -CHTs was optimized by tuning the pyrolysis temperature in the control groups. The resultant catalyst greatly enhanced the ORR characteristics in the alkaline media, showing the positive onset potential (E onset) of 0.99 V and half-wave potential (E 1/2) of 0.85 V. More importantly, the above FeCoNiMnV HEA/ N -CNTs assembled Zn-air battery exhibited a greater open-circuit voltage (1.482 V), larger power density (185.12 mW cm−2), and outstanding cycle stability (1698 cycles, 566 h). This study provides some valuable insights on developing sustainable ORR catalysts in Zn-air batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spray pyrolysis of magnesium nitrate is a way to prepare magnesium oxide solid particles. The gas–solid flow process after the generation of solid particles inside the pyrolysis furnace was studied in this article. Six different inlet modes of hot-carrier gas were designed, and the hot-carrier gas enters the pyrolysis furnace at the same flow rate through the six different inlet modes. The influence of varying inlet methods on the actual running distance of gas flow and the particle sedimentation rate was deeply studied in this article. The longer the distance the hot-carrier gas runs in the pyrolysis furnace, the more conducive it is to full contact with the material. The higher the particle settling rate, the more magnesium oxide particles are collected in the pyrolysis furnace. ANSYS Fluent was used for numerical simulation in this study. The results indicate that when using a tangential inlet, the actual running distance of the hot-carrier gas in the pyrolysis furnace is longer than that of the normal inlet. The actual running distance of the thermal carrier gas at the three tangential inlets is 46.5 m, and that at a single normal inlet is 24.7 m. The former is 88% more than the latter. The sedimentation rate of solid particles at three tangential inlets is 32.24%, and that at a single normal inlet is 12.06%. The former is 167% higher than the latter. The three tangential inlet mode is the best way to increase the actual running distance of the hot-carrier gas and improve the solid particle settling rate in the pyrolysis furnace. The pyrolysis furnace with multiple tangential inlets has two advantages. On the one hand, increasing the running distance of the hot-carrier gas in the furnace is conducive, thereby making the contact between the hot-carrier gas and the material more sufficient. On the other hand, it can increase the capture rate of product particles, improve the product yield, and reduce the dust content of pyrolysis tail gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is usually believed that doping with photosensitizers capable of generating singlet oxygen (1O2) plays a pivotal role in enhancing the afterglow performance of semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs). However, the effect of doping photosensitizer bearing electron‐withdrawing groups has not been reported. Here we report the effect of doping with six photosensitizers possessing different electron‐withdrawing groups on the afterglow performance of SPNs using poly[(9,9‐di(2‐ethylhexyl)‐9H‐fluo‐rene‐2,7‐vinylene)‐co‐(1‐methoxy‐4‐(2‐ethylhexyloxy)‐2,5‐phenylenevinylene)] (PF‐MEHPPV) as substrate. It was found that the afterglow performance of SPNs was significantly influenced by doping with photosensitizers bearing electron‐withdrawing groups. For the doped photosensitizers with strong electron‐withdrawing groups, the stronger the electron‐withdrawing ability of the group, the worse of the afterglow performance of the SPN regardless of the 1O2 generation ability of the photosensitizer. When the doped photosensitizer exhibited weak or none electron‐withdrawing effect, the 1O2 generation ability of the photosensitizer played a dominant role on the afterglow performance of the SPNs. This work deepens the understanding of the design and synthesis of SPNs with different afterglow properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cases Conclusions Most published reports on SAMD9L‐related ataxia‐pancytopenia syndrome (ATXPC) have emphasized the hematologic findings. Fewer details are known about the progression of neurologic manifestations and methods for monitoring them.We present six individuals from two families transmitting a heterozygous variant in SAMD9L, exhibiting clinical variations in their hematologic and neurologic findings. Serial motor function testing was used to monitor motor proficiency over a 2 to 3 year period in the proband and his father from Family 1.Our case series focuses on the neurologic progression in patients with heterozygous variants in SAMD9L. Patients with ATXPC should be followed to evaluate a wide range of neurologic manifestations. Serial motor function testing using a standardized method is helpful to track changes in balance and coordination in children and adults with ATXPC and could aid in a future extended natural history study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Larvae of Melolonthinae (white grubs) are usually considered as serious pests for some of them attacking plant roots and causing great losses of agriculture and forestry. However, not all the white grubs are pest species. In this study, the adult Apogonia cupreoviridis were observed to feed on gramineous grasses and fallen ginkgo leaves, while their larvae were frequently collected in the lawn. The larvae were reared in the laboratory and observed using scanning electron microscopy. The larvae have the plegmatia expanded in the middle; distal antennomere with an apical process bearing one bifurcated sensilla and nine sensilla basiconica on the apex; the palidia are V‐shaped and each palidium bearing five to nine pali. The V‐shaped palidia are found in the known larvae of Diplotaxini, as to genera Apogonia and Liogenys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jones matrix and the Mueller matrix of the coherent Rayleigh backscattering (RB) in single-mode fibers (SMFs) have been derived recently. It has been shown that both matrices depict two polarization effects—birefringence and polarization-dependent loss (PDL)—although the SMF under investigation is purely birefringent, having no PDL. In this paper, we aim to perform a theoretical analysis of both matrices using polar decomposition. The derived sub-Jones/Mueller matrices, representing birefringence and PDL, respectively, can be used to investigate the polarization properties of the coherent RB. As an application of the theoretical results, we use the derived formulas to investigate the polarization properties of the optical signals in phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (φ-OTDR). For the first time, to our knowledge, by using the derived birefringence–Jones matrix, the common optical phase of the optical signal in φ-OTDR is obtained as the function of the forward phase and birefringence distributions. By using the derived PDL–Mueller matrix, the optical intensity of the optical signal in φ-OTDR is obtained as the function of the forward phase and birefringence distributions as well as the input state of polarization (SOP). Further theoretical predictions show that, in φ-OTDR, the common optical phase depends on only the local birefringence in the first half of the fiber section, which is occupied by the sensing pulse, irrelevant of the input SOP. However, the intensity of the φ-OTDR signal is not a local parameter, which depends on the input SOP and the birefringence distribution along the entire fiber section before the optical pulse. Moreover, the PDL measured in φ-OTDR is theoretically proven to be a local parameter, which is determined by the local birefringence and local optical phase distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the induction effect of LncRNA-CIR6 on MSC differentiation into cardiogenic cells in vitro and in vivo. In addition to pretreatment with Ro-3306 (a CDK1 inhibitor), LncRNA-CIR6 was transfected into BMSCs and hUCMSCs using jetPRIME. LncRNA-CIR6 was further transfected into the hearts of C57BL/6 mice via 100 μL of AAV9-cTnT-LncRNA-CIR6-ZsGreen intravenous injection. After three weeks of transfection followed by AMI surgery, hUCMSCs (5 × 105/100 μL) were injected intravenously one week later. Cardiac function was evaluated using VEVO 2100 and electric mapping nine days after cell injection. Immunofluorescence, Evans blue-TTC, Masson staining, FACS, and Western blotting were employed to determine relevant indicators. LncRNA-CIR6 induced a significant percentage of differentiation in BMSCs (83.00 ± 0.58)% and hUCMSCs (95.43 ± 2.13)% into cardiogenic cells, as determined by the expression of cTnT using immunofluorescence and FACS. High cTNT expression was observed in MSCs after transfection with LncRNA-CIR6 by Western blotting. Compared with the MI group, cardiac contraction and conduction function in MI hearts treated with LncRNA-CIR6 or combined with MSCs injection groups were significantly increased, and the areas of MI and fibrosis were significantly lower. The transcriptional expression region of LncRNA-CIR6 was on Chr17 from 80209290 to 80209536. The functional region of LncRNA-CIR6 was located at nucleotides 0–50/190–255 in the sequence. CDK1, a protein found to be related to the proliferation and differentiation of cardiomyocytes, was located in the functional region of the LncRNA-CIR6 secondary structure (from 0 to 17). Ro-3306 impeded the differentiation of MSCs into cardiogenic cells, while MSCs transfected with LncRNA-CIR6 showed a high expression of CDK1. LncRNA-CIR6 mediates the repair of infarcted hearts by inducing MSC differentiation into cardiogenic cells through CDK1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elektron‐Phonon‐Wechselwirkungen, die in kondensierter Materie von entscheidender Bedeutung sind, werden in metallorganischen Gerüstverbindungen (MOFs) selten beobachtet. In Lanthanoid‐ oder Actinoid‐basierten Verbindungen gelingt der Nachweis dieser Wechselwirkungen typischerweise über die Analyse der Lumineszenz. Frühere Studien zu Ln‐ und Ac‐basierten MOFs bei hohen Temperaturen ergaben zusätzliche Lumineszenzsignale, die jedoch zu schwach für eine gründliche Analyse waren. Im Rahmen unserer Untersuchungen haben wir mithilfe eines Schicht‐für‐Schicht‐Verfahrens eine hochgeordnete, kristalline uranbasierte MOF‐Dünnschicht (KIT‐U‐1) hergestellt. Unter UV‐Licht zeigte diese Schicht zwei ausgeprägte „heiße Banden", die auf eine starke Elektron‐Phonon‐Wechselwirkung hinweisen. Während bei 77 K keine Emissionsbanden sichtbar waren, erschien bei 300 K eine Emissionsbande mit der halben Intensität der Hauptbande. Überraschenderweise tauchte oberhalb von 320 K eine zweite, sogenannte heiße Bande auf, die von früheren Ergebnissen aus Seltenerd‐Verbindungen abweicht. Wir haben eine detaillierte ab initio‐Analyse mithilfe der zeitabhängigen Dichtefunktionaltheorie durchgeführt, um dieses ungewöhnliche Verhalten zu verstehen und die für die starke Elektron‐Phonon‐Kopplung verantwortliche Gitterschwingung zu identifizieren. Die heißen Emissionsbanden der KIT‐U‐1‐Schicht wurden dann dazu genutzt, ein hochempfindliches optisches Einkomponenten‐Thermometer zu entwickeln. Diese Ergebnisse belegen das Potenzial hochwertiger MOF‐Dünnschichten bei der Nutzung der einzigartigen Lumineszenz von Lanthanoiden und Actinoiden für neuartige Anwendungen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron‐phonon interactions, crucial in condensed matter, are rarely seen in Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs). Detecting these interactions typically involves analyzing luminescence in lanthanide‐ or actinide‐based compounds. Prior studies on Ln‐ and Ac‐based MOFs at high temperatures revealed additional peaks, but these were too faint for thorough analysis. In our research, we fabricated a high‐quality, crystalline uranium‐based MOF (KIT‐U‐1) thin film using a layer‐by‐layer method. Under UV light, this film showed two distinct "hot bands," indicating a strong electron‐phonon interaction. At 77 K, these bands were absent, but at 300 K, a new emission band appeared with half the intensity of the main luminescence. Surprisingly, a second hot band emerged above 320 K, deviating from previous findings in rare‐earth compounds. We conducted a detailed ab‐initio analysis employing time‐dependent density functional theory to understand this unusual behaviour and to identify the lattice vibration responsible for the strong electron‐phonon coupling. The KIT‐U‐1 film's hot‐band emission was then utilized to create a highly sensitive, single‐compound optical thermometer. This underscores the potential of high‐quality MOF thin films in exploiting the unique luminescence of lanthanides and actinides for advanced applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human beings encompass sophisticated microcirculation and microenvironments, incorporating a broad spectrum of microfluidic systems that adopt fundamental roles in orchestrating physiological mechanisms. In vitro recapitulation of human microenvironments based on lab-on-a-chip technology represents a critical paradigm to better understand the intricate mechanisms. Moreover, the advent of micro/nanorobotics provides brand new perspectives and dynamic tools for elucidating the complex process in microfluidics. Currently, artificial intelligence (AI) has endowed micro/nanorobots (MNRs) with unprecedented benefits, such as material synthesis, optimal design, fabrication, and swarm behavior. Using advanced AI algorithms, the motion control, environment perception, and swarm intelligence of MNRs in microfluidics are significantly enhanced. This emerging interdisciplinary research trend holds great potential to propel biomedical research to the forefront and make valuable contributions to human health. Herein, we initially introduce the AI algorithms integral to the development of MNRs. We briefly revisit the components, designs, and fabrication techniques adopted by robots in microfluidics with an emphasis on the application of AI. Then, we review the latest research pertinent to AI-enhanced MNRs, focusing on their motion control, sensing abilities, and intricate collective behavior in microfluidics. Furthermore, we spotlight biomedical domains that are already witnessing or will undergo game-changing evolution based on AI-enhanced MNRs. Finally, we identify the current challenges that hinder the practical use of the pioneering interdisciplinary technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyl radical (•OH) detection is pivotal in medicine, biochemistry and environmental chemistry. Yet, electrochemical method–specific detection is challenging because of hydroxyl radicals' high reactivity and short half-life. In this study, we aimed to modify the electrode surface with a specific recognition probe for •OH. To achieve this, we conducted a one-step hydrothermal process to fabricate a CoZnMOF bimetallic organic framework directly onto conductive graphite paper (Gp). Subsequently, we introduced salicylic acid (SA) and methylene blue (MB), which easily penetrated the pores of CoZnMOF. By selectively capturing •OH by SA and leveraging the electrochemical signal generated by the reaction product, we successfully developed an electrochemical sensor Gp/CoZnMOF/SA + MB. The prepared sensor exhibited a good linear relationship with •OH concentrations ranging from 1.25 to 1200 nM, with a detection limit of 0.2 nM. Additionally, the sensor demonstrated excellent reproducibility and accuracy due to the incorporation of an internal reference. It exhibited remarkable selectivity for •OH detection, unaffected by other electrochemically active substances. The establishment of this sensor provides a way to construct MOF-modified sensors for the selective detection of other reactive oxygen species (ROS), offering a valuable experimental basis for ROS-related disease research and environmental safety investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is an extremely rare condition, and its rupture causes acute symptoms such as chest pain and dyspnea. Ruptured SVA is frequently associated with other congenital defects. Case presentation: A 37-year-old male presented with SVA originating from the left coronary sinus that ruptured into the interventricular septum. SVA was diagnosed by echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and confirmed during the operation. Conclusions: SVA is a rare cardiac abnormality which can lead to severe clinical symptoms upon rupture. Immediate surgery is necessary to repair the ruptured SVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the pairing symmetry is a crucial theoretical aspect in the study of unconventional superconductivity for interpreting experimental results. Here we study superconductivity of electron systems with both spin and pseudospin-1/2 degrees of freedom. By solving linearized gap equations, we derive a weak coupling criterion for the even-parity spin-singlet pseudospin-triplet pairing. It can generally mix with the on-site s-wave pairing since both of them belong to the same symmetry representation (A1g) and their mixture could naturally give rise to anisotropic intra-band pairing gap functions with or without nodes. This may directly explain why some of the iron-chalcogenide superconductors are fully gapped (e.g. FeSe thin film) and some have nodes (e.g. LaFePO and LiFeP). We also find that the anisotropy of gap functions can be enhanced when the principal rotation symmetry is spontaneously broken in the normal state such as nematicity, and the energetic stabilization of pseudospin-triplet pairings indicates the coexistence of nematicity and superconductivity. This could be potentially applied to bulk FeSe, where gap anisotropy has been experimentally observed. The underlying symmetry of a given system dictates the material properties from the electronic band structure to its spontaneous symmetry broken ordering. Here, the authors consider the effects of symmetry breaking and investigate spin-singlet orbital triplet pairings in unconventional superconductors with electronic nematicity, they apply their results to iron-based superconductors and twisted bilayer graphene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propofol has been shown to inhibit oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) progression. However, it is not clear whether propofol mediates OSCC progression through regulating circular RNA (circRNA) network. Quantitative real‐time PCR was used to detect circ_0008898, miR‐545‐3p, and CT10 regulator of kinase‐like protein (CRKL) expression. Cell functions were determined using CCK8 assay, Edu staining, MTT assay, transwell assay, wound healing assay, tube formation assay, and flow cytometry. Protein levels were examined by western blot analysis. RNA interaction was confirmed by dual‐luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay. Our data showed that propofol repressed OSCC cell proliferation, invasion, migration, angiogenesis, and promoted apoptosis. circ_0008898 was highly expressed in OSCC, and its expression could be decreased by propofol. circ_0008898 silencing aggravated the suppressive effect of propofol on OSCC progression. In the mechanism, circ_0008898 could target miR‐545‐3p to positively regulate CRKL. MiR‐545‐3p inhibitor abolished the regulation of circ_0008898 silencing on propofol‐mediated OSCC cell progression. MiR‐545‐3p inhibited the progression of propofol‐treated OSCC cells, and this effect was reversed by CRKL overexpression. Also, circ_0008898 knockdown reduced OSCC tumor growth by regulating miR‐545‐3p/CRKL. In conclusion, propofol suppressed OSCC progression, which was achieved through regulating the circ_0008898/miR‐545‐3p/CRKL axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce a new family of parametric Kantorovichtype operators on the half-bounded interval. The convergence properties of these new operators are investigated. The Voronovskaja-type weak inverse theorem and the rate of uniform convergence are obtained. Furthermore, we obtain some shape preserving properties of these operators, including monotonicity, convexity, starshapeness, and semi-additivity preserving properties. Finally, some numerical illustrative examples show that these new operators have a better approximation performance than the classical ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FAM64A is a mitotic regulator which promotes cell metaphase-anaphase transition and is highly expressed in a cell-cycle-dependent manner. In this study, we examined the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of FAM64A mRNA expression in gynecological cancers. We conducted a bioinformatics analysis of FAM64A mRNA expression using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), xiantao, The University of ALabama at Birmingham CANcer data analysis Portal (UALCAN), and Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter databases. FAM64A expression was elevated in breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers when compared with normal tissue. Expression was positively correlated with white race, low T stages, infiltrating ductal carcinoma, or favourable PAM50 classification in breast cancer patients, and with clinical stage, histological grade and TP53 mutation, and endometrial cancer serous subtype. FAM64A expression was negatively associated with overall and/or recurrence-free survival rates in breast and endometrial cancer patients, while the opposite was observed in cervical and ovarian cancer patients. FAM64A functioned as an independent predictor of overall and disease-specific survival in breast cancer patients. FAM64A-correlated genes were involved in ligand-receptor interactions, and chromosomal, cell cycle, and DNA replication processes in breast, cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancers. Top hub genes primarily included cell cycle-related proteins in breast cancer, mucins and acetylgalactosaminyl transferases in cervical cancer, kinesin family members in endometrial cancer, and synovial sarcoma X and the cancer/testis antigen in ovarian cancer. FAM64A mRNA expression was positively related to Th2 cell infiltration, but negatively associated with neutrophil and Th17 cell infiltration in breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. FAM64A expression may be considered a potential biomarker reflecting carcinogenesis, histogenesis, aggressive behaviour, and prognosis in gynecological cancers. What is already known on this subject? FAM64A is located in cell nucleolar and nucleoplasmic regions, and during mitosis it putatively controls metaphase-to-anaphase transition. FAM64A appears to regulate different physiological processes, including apoptosis, tumorigenesis, neural differentiation, stress responses, and the cell cycle. Whatthe results of this study add?FAM64A expression was up-regulated in breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers, and positively correlated with white race, low T stages, infiltrating ductal carcinoma, or favourable PAM50 classification in breast cancer patients, and with clinical stage, histological grade, and TP53 mutation, and a serous subtype in endometrial cancer. FAM64A expression was negatively associated with overall and/or recurrence-free survival rates in breast and endometrial cancer patients, while the opposite was observed in cervical and ovarian cancer patients. FAM64A functioned as an independent predictor of overall and disease-specific survival in breast cancer. FAM64A-correlated genes were involved in ligand-receptor interactions, chromosomal, cell cycle, and DNA replication processes, while FAM64A mRNA expression was positively related to Th2 cell infiltration but negatively correlated with neutrophil and Th17 cell infiltration in four gynecological cancers. Whatthe implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? In the future, abnormal FAM64A mRNA expression may serve as a biomarker of carcinogenesis, histogenesis, aggressiveness, and prognosis in gynecological malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This investigation seeks to explore the mechanism of quercetin in oral cancer by incorporating network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking. Methods: First, we use the network pharmacology analysis to discover possible core targets for quercetin and oral cancer. We subsequently utilized the docking of molecules techniques to calculate the affinities of critical targets and quercetin for verification. Results: TCMSP and the Swiss Target Prediction database found 190 quercetin action targets, while GeneCards, OMIM, PharmGkb, and the Therapeutic Target Database found 8971 oral cancer-related targets. Venny 2.1.0 online software conducted an intersection analysis of quercetin-related target information with information about oral cancer, and 172 putative quercetin-anti-oral cancer targets were examined. Six prospective core targets for quercetin treatment of oral cancer were identified from the PPI network topology analysis of 172 putative therapeutic targets. These targets include AKT1, PIK3R1, MYC, HIF1A, SRC, and HSP90AA1. GO enrichment function analysis showed that 2372 biological processes, 98 cell components, and 201 molecular functions were involved. Through enrichment analysis of the KEGG pathway, 172 signal pathways were obtained. A few examples are PI3K-AKT, HIF-1, IL-17, and other signaling pathways. The molecular docking scores of quercetin and the primary therapeutic targets AKT1, HIF1A, HSP90AA1, MYC, PIK3R1, and SRC are all less than -0.7 points, demonstrating good compatibility between the medicine and small molecules and suggesting that quercetin may affect oral cancer through the primary target. Conclusion: This study explores quercetin's mechanism and possible targets for oral cancer treatment, offering novel approaches. Quercetin may be a multitarget medication against oral cancer in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The clinical assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood is known to show non-trivial base rates of noncredible performance and requires thorough validity assessment. (2) Objectives: The present study estimated base rates of noncredible performance in clinical evaluations of adult ADHD on one or more of 17 embedded validity indicators (EVIs). This study further examines the effect of the order of test administration on EVI failure rates, the association between cognitive underperformance and symptom overreporting, and the prediction of cognitive underperformance by clinical information. (3) Methods: A mixed neuropsychiatric sample (N = 464, ADHD = 227) completed a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment battery on the Vienna Test System (VTS; CFADHD). Test performance allows the computation of 17 embedded performance validity indicators (PVTs) derived from eight different neuropsychological tests. Further, all participants completed several self- and other-report symptom rating scales assessing depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning. The Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory-II were administered to derive embedded symptom validity measures (SVTs). (4) Results and conclusion: Noncredible performance occurs in a sizeable proportion of about 10% up to 30% of individuals throughout the entire battery. Tests for attention and concentration appear to be the most adequate and sensitive for detecting underperformance. Cognitive underperformance represents a coherent construct and seems dissociable from symptom overreporting. These results emphasize the importance of performing multiple PVTs, at different time points, and promote more accurate calculation of the positive and negative predictive values of a given validity measure for noncredible performance during clinical assessments. Future studies should further examine whether and how the present results stand in other clinical populations, by implementing rigorous reference standards of noncredible performance, characterizing those failing PVT assessments, and differentiating between underlying motivations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous surveillance revealed that t203-like G9 (tentatively designated subtype G9-VI) rotaviruses re-emerged in 2010 in Beijing and rapidly prevailed over the G9-III subtype (the most common G9 subtype globally) and previously predominant G genotypes over the following two years. G9-VI belongs to the VP7 evolutionary lineage VI, which includes unusual and sporadic human rotaviruses from China (t203) and Japan. To obtain insight into the epidemiology, evolution, and transmission advantages of G9-VI rotavirus, we performed follow-up surveillance (2014-2017) and whole-genome analysis of 12 representative G9 strains. The results showed that the G9 genotype was predominant (77.4%), with a marked increase in prevalence (previously 43.5%). Within the G9 genotype, subtype G9-VI accounted for the majority (98.3%) of cases. The most prevalent P-genotype was P[8] (93.7%), within which subtype P[8]b was rare (0.7%). Phylogenetically, the G9-VI subtype strains in this study clustered closely with contemporary emerging human rotaviruses from many other countries in VP7 lineage VI, indicating that this subtype is capable of spreading globally. These currently emerging G9-VI rotaviruses formed a distinct monophyletic subcluster when compared to early G9-VI rotaviruses. Furthermore, four specific amino acid substitutions and synonymous codon substitutions were observed in the VP7 genes between the current G9-VI and globally common G9-III rotaviruses. The remaining nine genes of all of the analyzed representative G9 strains, whether G9-VI or G9-III, combined with the P[8]a, P[8]b, or P[6] genotype and exhibited the same Wa-like backbone constellation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Design of efficient and durable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts still remains challenge in sustainable energy storage and conversion devices. To achieve sustainable development, it is of importance to prepare high-quality carbon-derived ORR catalysts from biomass. Herein, Fe 5 C 2 nanoparticles (NPs) were facilely entrapped in Mn, N, S-codoped carbon nanotubes (Fe 5 C 2 /Mn, N, S-CNTs) by a one-step pyrolysis of the mixed lignin, metal precursors and dicyandiamide. The resulting Fe 5 C 2 /Mn, N, S-CNTs had open and tubular structures, which exhibited positive shifts in the onset potential (E onset = 1.04 V) and high half-wave potential (E 1/2 = 0.85 V), showing excellent ORR characteristics. Further, the typical catalyst-assembled Zn-air battery showed a high power density (153.19 mW cm−2) and good cycling performance as well as obvious cost advantage. The research provides some valuable insights for rational construction of low-cost and environmentally sustainable ORR catalysts in clean energy field, coupled by offering some valuable insights for reusing biomass wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of the state of polarization (SOP) and the degree of polarization (DOP) of Rayleigh backscattered light (RBL) in single-mode fibers (SMF) are investigated theoretically and experimentally when the incident probe is a perfectly coherent continuous-wave (CW) light. It is concluded that the instantaneous DOP of the coherently superposed RBL is always 100%, and the instantaneous SOP is determined by the distributions of the birefringence and the optical phase along the SMF. Therefore, the instantaneous SOP of the coherently superposed RBL does not have a constant relationship with the SOP of the incident CW probe. Furthermore, the instantaneous SOP varies randomly with time because the optical phase is very sensitive to ambient temperature and vibration even in the lab environment. Further theoretical derivation and experimental verification demonstrate, for the first time, that the temporally averaged SOP of the coherently superposed RBL has a simple constant relationship with the SOP of the incident CW probe, and the temporally averaged DOP is 1/3 in an SMF with low and randomly distributed birefringence. The derived formulas and obtained findings can be used to enhance the modelling and improve the performances of phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry and other Rayleigh backscattering based fiber-optic sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simply supported bridges are the main bridge types in many transportation systems, and their damage can significantly reduce their load-carrying capacity. To detect possible damage, the time history and spatial distribution of the static responses of bridges (deflection, rotation, and strain influence lines/deformation curves) have recently been proposed as important indicators due to their good local damage detection ability and low testing cost. This paper attempts to establish connections between different static curve-based damage indicators through the various forms of Maxwell-Betti's law. Damage indicators related to seven static curves are then rewritten as a unified framework. The framework states that all these static curves are directly related to the flexural stiffness distribution of the main girder for the simply supported bridge. Then, the theoretical formulations for the difference between the static curves of bridges in intact and damaged states are derived, and the response difference surfaces (RDSs) are plotted to visualize the sensitivity of different static curves to damage. Sensor placement suggestions for stiffness degradation evaluation are presented based on the damage sensitivity analysis at the end of this paper. The results of this study provide comprehensive theoretical support for static response-based damage identification of simply supported bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertex and link residual closeness are two new measures of network vulnerability due to the failure of individual vertices and links, respectively. We identify those graphs with maximum vertex/link residual closeness over all n-vertex connected graphs with fixed fractional matching number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a very important and active component of organic carbon, the role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in a karst dynamic system is worthy of in-depth investigation. Here, we investigated the parameters that affect DOC in the cave waters of Mahuang Cave (wild cave) and Dafeng Cave (show cave) in southwest China during a monitoring period spanning August 2020 to August 2021. Such analysis was conducted by continuously monitoring several environmental indices, including air temperature, precipitation, water temperature, DOC, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), pH, pCO2, electrical conductivity (EC), and anions and cations. Our results revealed that high levels of DOC in cave water appeared after a short dry period in late Autumn 2020 and May 2021. The variation of DOC concentration was mainly controlled by meteorological conditions and was strongly associated with water–rock–air interactions during the monitoring period. However, no significant connection was observed between variations in DOC concentration and caves. We conclude that DOC in cave water could be used as a paleoclimate proxy and that its relevance with karst carbon sink is considerable. Research highlights: Seasonality of DOC variation is controlled by different factors. Type of caves and waters exhibit little influence on variation of DOC concentrations. In addition to meteorological factors, the influence of water-rock interaction on DOC is also significant. DOC in cave water could be used as a paleoclimate proxy and its relevance with karst carbon sink is considerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The association between Parkinson's disease (PD) and age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) has been shown in previous reports. However, the association between the severity of AMD and PD development is unknown. The aim was to evaluate the association of AMD with/without visual disability (VD) with the risk of PD occurrence using the National Health Insurance data in South Korea. Methods: A total of 4,205,520 individuals, 50 years or older and without a previous diagnosis of PD, participated in the Korean National Health Screening Program in 2009. AMD was verified using diagnostic codes, and participants with VD were defined as those with loss of vision or visual field defect as certified by the Korean Government. The participants were followed up until 31 December 2019, and incident cases of PD were identified using registered diagnostic codes. The hazard ratio was calculated for groups (control and AMD with/without VD) using multivariable adjusted Cox regression analysis. Results: In total, 37,507 participants (0.89%) were diagnosed with PD. Amongst individuals with AMD, the risk of PD development was higher in individuals with VD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–1.67) than in those without (aHR 1.22, 95% CI 1.15–1.30) compared with controls. Additionally, an increased risk of PD was observed in individuals with AMD compared with controls, regardless of the presence of VD (aHR 1.23, 95% CI 1.16–1.31). Conclusions: Visual disability in AMD was associated with the development of PD. This suggests that neurodegeneration in PD and AMD may have common pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The B e ´ zier-type operator has become a powerful tool in operator theory, neural networks, curve and surface design and representation because of its good shape-preserving properties. Motivated by the improvements of the operator in computational disciplines, we investigate some elementary properties of two kinds of modified Sz a ´ sz type basis functions, depending on non-negative parameters. Using the derivative, the symmetry of variables, the modulus of continuity and the concave continuous modulus, we study some shape preserving properties of these operators concerning monotonicity, convexity, starshapedness, semi-additivity and the preservation of smoothness. Moreover, some illustrative examples are provided to demonstrate the approximation behavior of the proposed operators and the classical ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Gut microbiota is relevant to the pathogenesis of mental disorders including depression. This study aimed to investigate the influence of fluoxetine (FLX) on the gut microbiota in rats with Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stresses (CUMS)-induced depression. Results: We confirmed that the 28-day CUMS-induced depression rat model. Chronic FLX administration weakly improved depressive-like behaviors in rats. Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing on rat feces showed CUMS increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes (60.31% vs. 48.09% in Control, p < 0.05) and Lactobacillus genus (21.06% vs. 6.82% in control, p < 0.05); FLX and CUMS increased Bacilli class (20.00% ~ 24.08% vs. 10.31% in control, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Collectively, our study showed that both CUMS and FLX changed the compositions of gut microbiota in rats. FLX and CUMS distinctly regulated the gut microbiota in depressed rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The data center network HSDC is a superior candidate for building large-scale data centers, and strikes a good balance among diameter, bisection width, incremental scalability and other important characteristics in contrast to the state-of-the-art data center network architectures. The Hamiltonian property is an important indicator to measure the reliability of a network. In this paper, we study the Hamiltonian properties of HSDC's logic graph |$H_n$|⁠. Firstly, we prove that |$H_n$| is Hamiltonian-connected for |$n\geq 3$|⁠. Secondly, we propose an |$O(NlogN)$| algorithm for finding a Hamiltonian path between any two distinct nodes in |$H_n$|⁠ , where |$N$| is the number of nodes in |$H_n$|⁠. Furthermore, we consider the Hamiltonian properties of |$H_n$| with faulty elements, and prove that |$H_n$| is |$(n-3)$| -fault-tolerant Hamiltonian-connected and |$(n-2)$| -fault-tolerant Hamiltonian for |$n\geq 3$|⁠. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodiophilic micro‐composite films of sodium‐chalcogenide intermetallics (Na2Te and Na2S) and Cu particles are fabricated onto commercial copper foam current collectors (Na2Te@CF and Na2S@CF). For the first time a controllable capacity thermal infusion process is demonstrated. Enhanced wetting by the metal electrodeposition leads to state‐of‐the‐art electrochemical performance. For example, Na2Te@CF‐based half‐cells demonstrate stable cycling at 6 mA cm−2 and 6 mAh cm−2, corresponding to 54 µm of Na electrodeposited/electrodissolved by geometric area. Sodium metal batteries with Na3V2 (PO4)3 cathodes are stable at 30C (7 mA cm−2) and for 10 000 cycles at 5C and 10C. Cross‐sectional cryogenic focused ion beam (cryo‐FIB) microscopy details deposited and remnant dissolved microstructures. Sodium metal electrodeposition onto Na2Te@CF is dense, smooth, and free of dendrites or pores. On unmodified copper foam, sodium grows in a filament‐like manner, not requiring cycling to achieve this geometry. Substrate–metal interaction critically affects the metal–electrolyte interface, namely the thickness and morphology of the solid electrolyte interphase. Density functional theory and mesoscale simulations provide insight into support‐adatom energetics, nucleation response, and early‐stage morphological evolution. On Na2Te sodium atomic dispersion is thermodynamically more stable than isolated clusters, leading to conformal adatom coverage of the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridge influence lines can reflect the performance status of bridge structures and are an important tool to evaluate high-speed railway bridges. Because a high-speed train can cause large dynamic response on a bridge, it is difficult to identify the static influence line of the bridge. To extract the static bridge influence lines for bridge evaluation, this paper proposes a low-pass filter design method for static influence line identification. By maximizing the difference in bridge static and dynamic energy, the relationship between the frequency domain characteristics of the bridge dynamic response and the filter parameters is established. Based on this relationship, reasonable values of the low-pass filter parameters can be determined. After filtering the dynamic response, the quasi-static response can be effectively obtained, and the bridge static influence line can be identified through the least square regularization method. Finally, a numerical example of the vehicle–bridge interaction model is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the low-pass filter designed through the proposed principle can accurately remove the dynamic effects, and its stability and robustness are good. The research results provide a reliable method for the static influence line identification of high-speed railway bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding a Z-eigenpair of a symmetric tensor is equivalent to finding a Karush–Kuhn–Tucker point of a sphere constrained minimization problem. Based on this equivalency, in this paper, we first propose a class of iterative methods to get a Z-eigenpair of a symmetric tensor. Each method can generate a sequence of feasible points such that the sequence of function evaluations is decreasing. These methods can be regarded as extensions of the descent methods for unconstrained optimization problems. We pay particular attention to the Newton method. We show that under appropriate conditions, the Newton method is globally and quadratically convergent. Moreover, after finitely many iterations, the unit steplength will always be accepted. We also propose a nonlinear equations-based Newton method and establish its global and quadratic convergence. In the end, we do several numerical experiments to test the proposed Newton methods. The results show that both Newton methods are very efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on cathode severely suffers from sluggish kinetics in zinc-air batteries. Therefore, substantial efforts have been made to prepare advanced electrocatalysts for facilitating the ORR. Herein, we synthesized FeCo alloyed nanocrystals entrapped in N-doped graphitic carbon nanotubes on nanosheets (FeCo-N-GCTSs) by 8-aminoquinoline coordination-induced pyrolysis, whose morphology, structures, and property were characterized in details. Impressively, the obtained FeCo-N-GCTSs catalyst showed a positive onset potential (E onset = 1.06 V) and half-wave potential (E 1/2 = 0.88 V), revealing excellent ORR activity. Further, the FeCo-N-GCTSs assembled zinc-air battery displayed the maximum power density of 133 mW cm−2 and negligible gap change in the discharge–charge voltage plot over 288 h (ca. 864 cycles) at 5 mA cm−2, outperforming the Pt/C + RuO 2 based counterpart. This work provides a facile route for construction of high-efficiency, durable and low-cost nanocatalysts for the ORR in fuel cells and rechargeable Zn-air batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functions of the tire can be fully performed only under the appropriate inflation pressure. Tire inflation pressure loss rate (IPLR) is an important indicator used to evaluate tire inflation pressure retention performance. When the tire is under a rolling state, the temperature will increase leading to an accelerated oxidation process. Standard tire IPLR test is costly and time-consuming. In order to simulate the tire IPLR under the steady rolling state, the permeability parameters of rubbers and rubber-cord components (belts & carcass) are tested. Moreover, the oxidation reaction is coupling with the IPLR model based on the basic autoxidation scheme (BAS). The simulation results show that the IPLR of the tire under rolling state increases obviously. A novel calculation method of rubber oxygen consumption is proposed and applied to the oxygen consumption of different parts of the tire. Two approaches are adopted to reduce tire IPLR based on the innerliner structure design. This simulation method can predict tire IPLR not only under steady rolling state but also under static state and even under tire aging condition in oven. It also provides an important model basis for tire aging and life prediction research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key research topic in the field of robotics is the formation control of a group of robots in trajectory tracking problems. Using organized robots has many advantages over using them individually, such as efficient use of resources, increased reliability due to cooperation, and better resistance against defects. To achieve this, a controller is proposed that steers the leader robot and subsequent follower robots asymptotically to a reference trajectory. The basic controller is feedback linearization. To ensure stability against perturbations, a compensator based on type-3 fuzzy logic systems (T3-FLSs) and a data-driven control strategy is designed. The approach involves employing a finite number of open-loop data and using the model-based predictive controller (MPC) approach to acquire sufficient criteria for stability. An infinite-horizon function is minimized online, which allows the data-based control policy to be considered the optimal control method. The gains of the constrained data-based control signal are computed at each time step to enhance accuracy. Applying the data-based state feedback controller to the system yields positive and stable state trajectories with appropriate transient responses. The suggested data-driven compensator is guaranteed to handle constraints. A practical example is simulated to evaluate the proposed strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase transition of atmospheric plasma-sprayed yttria-stabilized zirconia (APS YSZ) coating over delamination cracks in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) was addressed by gradient thermal cycling test at 1150 °C to illustrate the coupling effect of delamination cracks and vertical cracks in TBCs on the phase transition. Phase structure of 15 dot-matrix micro-regions across YSZ thickness was examined by Raman spectroscopy. Three two-dimensional models were built to elaborate the local temperature evolution in the YSZ coating. The phase transition of YSZ had a markedly time-space characteristic with application duration, depending on the temperature increment. The phase-transition quantity decreased radioactively from the delamination crack center to its tip and gradually decreased from the YSZ free surface to the YSZ/bond coat interface. Compared with YSZ coating only containing delamination cracks or only vertical cracks, the temperature in the YSZ coating was significantly elevated by the combination of vertical cracks and delamination cracks. The increment was in 75 °C–295 °C when the delamination crack propagated from 0.5 mm to 4.0 mm. Consequently, due to the coupling effect of delamination cracks and vertical cracks, serious sintering and phase transition of the YSZ coating would occur once the delamination crack length was beyond 0.5 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a gradient-index lens is designed to implement an acoustic Bessel beam. Here, the wave from the point source is reshaped to the Bessel beam with the energy concentrated near the axial direction and almost no divergence. The two-dimensional distribution of the gradient refractive index is obtained based on the analysis of the impedance matching theory. The interface reflection is reduced significantly due to the impedance matching with air. The effect of the acoustic Bessel lens is found to work in a broadband with the use of the subwavelength unit cell and the finite-element simulations. Our results may provide the potential applications for medical ultrasound imaging and signal detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenotypes we found in I OsUCH3R i lines and CRISPR mutants demonstrated that tapetal differentiation is sensitive to the change of expression level of I OsUCH3 i and protein deubiquitination is an importance factor for proper tapetum differentiation. Keywords: OsUCH3; Oryza sativa; Male sterility; ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase; Tapetum EN OsUCH3 Oryza sativa Male sterility ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase Tapetum 1314 1316 3 06/22/23 20230701 NES 230701 The tapetum is a special tissue within the stamen that supplies nutrients to support microspore differentiation. Rice tapetum differentiation is sensitive to downregulation of OsUCH3, a ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: This article reports that RBM15 is correlated with pancreatic cancer progression and is an essential prognostic biomarker in pancreatic cancer patients and is correlated with progression by bioinformatic integrated analysis, clinical information statistical analysis and wet experiments. (1) Background: Pancreatic cancer is increasingly becoming the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. In eukaryotic cells, m6A is the most abundant mRNA methylation modification. (2) Methods: We performed a bioinformatic multidimensional analysis using files containing the clinical data of patients and m6A-related gene expression differences downloaded from web-based databases, and performed a statistical analysis and image mapping mainly using R-package. Next, we studied the RBM15 expression in cancer and paracancerous tissues. We then validated these findings in two cell lines by western blot, PCR, Transwell, CCK-8, and EDU animal models. (3) Results: We discovered that RBM15 was highly expressed in pancreatic cancer patients and that it is a significant cause of poor prognosis. Its association with lymphatic T cell family aggregation was established through immune infiltration analysis. A retrospective analysis of data from clinical patient specimens revealed that high expression of RBM15 in patients was closely and positively correlated with preoperative glucose values, gender, and lymphocyte counts. Results from cellular experiments and animal experiments indicated that when the RBM15 gene was silenced, cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis were inhibited. (4) Conclusions: We propose that RBM15 plays a key role in the progression of pancreatic cancer by promoting tumor proliferation, migration and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deterioration of concrete structures is closely related to their service environment. Under different environmental conditions, the durability performance of structures will be different. To perform durability design based on local conditions and extend the service life of structures, it is necessary to divide their service environment based on the prevailing deterioration mechanism. In this study, considering Guangdong Province as an example, the environmental conditions affecting the durability of concrete structures are investigated and the geographical distribution of environmental conditions is analyzed, including ambient temperature, precipitation, corrosive gas, acid rain, and salt fog. The weights of the regional durability indexes are calculated by combining fuzzy clustering analysis with information entropy using rough set theory. Based on the assessment data of 1324 existing concrete structures, the durability geographic division map of Guangdong Province, including three regions (Chloride corrosion region, Acid rain‐carbonation coupling region, and Carbonation region), is constructed. This geographic division map is divided into a total of eight subregions by considering the subordinate factors in each region. The environmental characteristics of each region and its dominating deterioration mechanism for concrete structures are analyzed, and suggestions for durability design are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a red-eared slider turtle is used as the prototype for the bionic design of the foamed silicone rubber sandwich structure. The effect of impact angle on the performance of the foamed silicone rubber sandwich structure against low-velocity impact is studied by the finite element method. The numerical model uses the intrinsic structure model of foamed silicone rubber with porosity and the three-dimensional Hashin fiberboard damage model. The validity of the model was verified after experimental comparison. Based on the finite element simulation of different impact angles and velocities, the relationship between impact velocity and residual velocity, as well as the penetration threshold at various impact angles are obtained, and the change law of impact resistance of foamed silicone rubber sandwich structure with impact angle and velocity, as well as the damage pattern of sandwich structure at different impact angles and velocities are given. The results can provide a basis for the impact resistance design of the bionic foamed silicone rubber sandwich structure. The results show that, at a certain impact speed, the smaller the impact angle, the longer the path of the falling hammer along the plane of the sandwich structure, the lighter the damage to the sandwich structure and the greater the absorbed energy, so that avoiding the impact from the frontal side of the sandwich structure can effectively reduce the damage of the sandwich structure. When the impact angle is greater than 75°, the difference in impact resistance performance is only 2.9% compared with 90°, and the impact angle has less influence on the impact resistance performance at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squamous cell carcinomas are the most common head and neck malignancies. Significant progress has been made in standard therapeutic methods combining surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Nevertheless, the 5-year survival rate remains at 40–50%. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a new strategy for treating head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Still, the overall response and effective rates are poor, as HNSCCs are 'cold' tumors with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), limiting ICI's beneficial effects. In this case, transforming the tumor suppression microenvironment before using ICIs could be helpful. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) can transform cold tumors into hot tumors, improving the situation. Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), oncolytic immunotherapy authorized for advanced melanoma, also showed good safety and antitumor activity in treating head and neck cancer and pancreatic cancer. In combination with pembrolizumab, T-Vec may have more anticancer efficacy than either drug alone. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underpinning OVs and their potential synergism with ICIs could benefit patients with HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FAM64A is a mitotic regulator which promotes cell metaphase-anaphase transition and is highly expressed in a cell-cycle-dependent manner. In this study, we examined the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of FAM64A mRNA expression in gynecological cancers. We conducted a bioinformatics analysis of FAM64A mRNA expression using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), xiantao, The University of ALabama at Birmingham CANcer data analysis Portal (UALCAN), and Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter databases. FAM64A expression was elevated in breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers when compared with normal tissue. Expression was positively correlated with white race, low T stages, infiltrating ductal carcinoma, or favourable PAM50 classification in breast cancer patients, and with clinical stage, histological grade and TP53 mutation, and endometrial cancer serous subtype. FAM64A expression was negatively associated with overall and/or recurrence-free survival rates in breast and endometrial cancer patients, while the opposite was observed in cervical and ovarian cancer patients. FAM64A functioned as an independent predictor of overall and disease-specific survival in breast cancer patients. FAM64A-correlated genes were involved in ligand-receptor interactions, and chromosomal, cell cycle, and DNA replication processes in breast, cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancers. Top hub genes primarily included cell cycle-related proteins in breast cancer, mucins and acetylgalactosaminyl transferases in cervical cancer, kinesin family members in endometrial cancer, and synovial sarcoma X and the cancer/testis antigen in ovarian cancer. FAM64A mRNA expression was positively related to Th2 cell infiltration, but negatively associated with neutrophil and Th17 cell infiltration in breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. FAM64A expression may be considered a potential biomarker reflecting carcinogenesis, histogenesis, aggressive behaviour, and prognosis in gynecological cancers. What is already known on this subject? FAM64A is located in cell nucleolar and nucleoplasmic regions, and during mitosis it putatively controls metaphase-to-anaphase transition. FAM64A appears to regulate different physiological processes, including apoptosis, tumorigenesis, neural differentiation, stress responses, and the cell cycle. Whatthe results of this study add?FAM64A expression was up-regulated in breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers, and positively correlated with white race, low T stages, infiltrating ductal carcinoma, or favourable PAM50 classification in breast cancer patients, and with clinical stage, histological grade, and TP53 mutation, and a serous subtype in endometrial cancer. FAM64A expression was negatively associated with overall and/or recurrence-free survival rates in breast and endometrial cancer patients, while the opposite was observed in cervical and ovarian cancer patients. FAM64A functioned as an independent predictor of overall and disease-specific survival in breast cancer. FAM64A-correlated genes were involved in ligand-receptor interactions, chromosomal, cell cycle, and DNA replication processes, while FAM64A mRNA expression was positively related to Th2 cell infiltration but negatively correlated with neutrophil and Th17 cell infiltration in four gynecological cancers. Whatthe implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? In the future, abnormal FAM64A mRNA expression may serve as a biomarker of carcinogenesis, histogenesis, aggressiveness, and prognosis in gynecological malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R-CDAs have been synthesized in a one-pot solvothermal procedure starting from 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid in an acidic medium. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that R-CDAs nanoparticles exhibited a much larger diameter of 7.2–28.8 nm than traditional monodisperse carbon dots. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed the presence of polar functional groups (hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl) on the surface of R-CDAs. Upon excitation with visible light (550 nm), R-CDAs emit stable, red fluorescence with a maximum at 610 nm. Under the optimum conditions, Cu2+ ions quench the fluorescence of this probe, and the signal is linear in a concentration range of copper ions between 5 and 600 nM with the detection limit of only 0.4 nM. Recoveries from 98.0 to 105.0% and relative standard deviations (RSD) from 2.8 to 4.5% have been obtained for detection of Cu2+ in real water samples. Furthermore, the R-CDAs fluorescent probe showed negligible cytotoxicity toward HeLa cells and good bioimaging ability, suggesting its potential applicability as a diagnostic tool in biomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracting magnesium resources from Salt Lakes industrial waste bischofite by pyrolysis technology has become a feasible waste utilization method. High-temperature corrosion has become a safety issue during bischofite pyrolysis. Thus, pyrolysis behavior and kinetic analysis are essential to control pyrolysis reactions. In this study, a thermogravimetric analyzer was used to understand the pyrolysis behavior of bischofite. TG-DTG curves show that the bischofite pyrolysis includes dehydration and coexistence stages. Thermal hazards caused by corrosive gases appear in the temperature range of 174.8–202.3 °C. The kinetic parameters were calculated using three model-free methods (FWO, KAS, and FR) and a master plots method. The results show that the activation energy of the dehydration stage is smaller than the coexistence stage. The reliability of the master plots method was also investigated. The results show that the reaction models for the dehydration (II-1, II-2, and II-3) and coexistence stages (IV-3) were credible. In addition, the isothermal method was used to predict the reaction time under different temperature programs. The results show that controlling the reaction temperature at 700–800 ℃ can improve the conversion efficiency and product quality. This work provides basic data for promoting the development of bischofite pyrolysis technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource analysis is one of the important methods and tools to solve inventive problems in TRIZ. Effective use of resources is the key to form product functional principle innovations and generate technical solutions. In view of the problems that the conceptual design process requires too much experience of designers and is not systematic, the conceptual design is combined with resource analysis method in this paper. Considering the influence of attribute similarity and position weight between components in technical system, an innovative resource analysis method is proposed to accurately exploit available resources in system and super-system to assist the process of conceptual design. The abstract process of resource exploiting in conventional resource analysis methods can be transformed into a specific process of calculating resource similarity by this method. It has the advantages of high computability, strong standardisation and systematisation. The method can not only effectively improve the efficiency and quality of conceptual design, but also lay a theoretical research foundation for the development of computer aided innovation (CAI) software in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of common vetch starch (CVS) substitution on rice noodle quality were investigated, aiming to improve their texture and reduce starch digestibility. The CVS had larger granule sizes, higher amylose content and more long branch chains compared with rice starch (RS). When the CVS substitution level was 20 %, the rice noodles had the best texture quality, as the mixtures with more total starch and amylose could form denser gel structures. Moreover, the starch chains were easier to rearrange to form double helix ordered structures, resulting in a slower digestion rate. With the further increase of CVS, the noodle structure weakened and the starch digestion rate increased. This was due to the formation of looser gel structures and less ordered structures as RS granules could be easily separated into different parts by large amount of CVS with larger granule sizes, and RS with more short chains tended to be cross-linked with RS during retrogradation. With increasing CVS substitution level, the estimated glycemic index (eGI) of rice noodles decreased and then tended to be stable. Therefore, appropriate CVS substitution could improve the texture quality of rice noodles and reduce the eGI value, and the best substitution level was 20 %. • CVS had large granule sizes, high amylose content and long branch chains. • 20 % CVS substitution could improve texture quality and reduce starch digestibility. • Excessive CVS weakened gel network structure and increased starch digestion rate. • Digestible starch content decreased with the increase of CVS substitution level. • Rice noodles with 20 % CVS substitution had the best comprehensive quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare disease, which is frequently misdiagnosed or its diagnosis can be missed. This study aimed to analyse the characteristics of four-limb blood pressure (4LBP) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in patients with TA, which could be useful in disease detection. Materials and Methods: We consecutively enrolled 182 patients with TA at Fuwai Hospital between January 2013 and January 2016. Pulse pressure (PP), pulsatile index (PI), inter-arm systolic blood pressure (SBP) difference (IASBPD), inter-leg SBP difference (ILSBPD), ankle–brachial index (ABI), baPWV, and inter-side baPWV difference (ΔbaPWV) were analysed and compared with those of age-, sex-, and SBP-matched participants without cardiovascular diseases. Results: In the TA group, the diastolic blood pressure was lower (67.4 ± 23.7 vs 84.1 ± 15.0 mmHg), PP was larger (69.7 ± 23.6 vs 53.7 ± 10.6 mmHg), PI was higher (1.3 ± 2.1 vs. 0.6 ± 0.1 mmHg), IASBPD was larger (18.2 ± 24.1 vs 4.2 ± 3.3 mmHg), and ILSBPD was larger (10.7 ± 15.0 vs 5.3 ± 4.1 mmHg) than those of the controls (all p < 0.01). Moreover, the proportions of PP >70 mmHg (36.8% vs 4.4%), PI > 1.0 (40.1% vs 2.2%), IASBPD >15 mmHg (34.6% vs. 0%), highest ABI >1.4 (17.6% vs. 0%), ILSBPD >15 mmHg (14.8% vs. 3.3%), lowest ABI < 0.9 (24.7% vs 2.2%), and ΔbaPWV > 185 cm/s (28.6% vs. 1.1%) were significantly greater in the TA group than in the control group (all p < 0.01). Approximately 80.8% of patients with TA (vs. 10.4% of controls) presented with at least one of these seven parameters (p = 0.000). Conclusion: The characteristics of 4LBP and baPWV in most patients with TA were abnormal, which helped us perform non-invasive primary screening and comprehensive evaluation of vascular lesions in such patients. In daily life, many people measure the blood pressure of the arm but measuring the blood pressure of a single arm is inadequate because some hypertension and vascular diseases cannot be detected this way. Synchronous limb blood pressure measurements may be used to close this gap. Measuring synchronous limb blood pressure is very convenient and helps patients understand the value of limb blood pressure and examine many other useful parameters, such as the blood pressure differences between the two arms and two legs, as well as the ankle arm index. These values and derived parameters can also help detect many vascular diseases. Takayasu arteritis is a rare disease in young women. However, the aorta and branches of these patients are narrow or occluded. Patients often experience vague and ambiguous symptoms, such as hypertension or dizziness, so they are likely to be overlooked or misdiagnosed. Our study summarises the results of synchronous limb blood pressure measurements in patients with Takayasu arteritis and compares their results with those of a control population. Synchronous limb blood pressure measurements are easy and convenient and can detect vascular problems, which may improve the ability to diagnose Takayasu arteritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Modal frequencies are widely used for vibration‐based structural health monitoring (SHM) and for capturing the dynamics of a monitored structure to reveal possible failures. However, changing environmental and operational conditions (i.e., temperature, humidity, wind load, and traffic load) may submerge the modal variability induced by structural damage, thereby falsely identifying damage of interest. This paper presents a comprehensive summary review of SHM for the prediction of modal frequency and the elimination of environment‐induced masking effects based on the data normalization method. The influence mechanisms of external variations on modal frequencies extensively reported in the literature are first described. Next, the research progress in predicting and eliminating the operational modal variability is reviewed emphatically; this progress can be primarily divided into an input–output method that focuses on the establishment of the relationship model between structural frequency and environmental conditions and an output‐only method that separates the embedded environmental variable‐induced changes depending on whether the environmental measurements are measured. Finally, the conclusions and future studies are summarized and discussed. As an overview, the major contribution of this paper is to provide objective technical references for engineers and owners and to further evaluate structural safety conditions more effectively and in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain size is a key agronomic trait that determines the yield in plants. Regulation of grain size by brassinosteroids (BRs) in rice has been widely reported. However, the relationship between the BR signaling pathway and grain size still requires further study. Here, we isolated a rice mutant, named small grain2 (sg2), which displayed smaller grain and a semi‐dwarf phenotype. The decreased grain size was caused by repressed cell expansion in spikelet hulls of the sg2 mutant. Using map‐based cloning combined with a MutMap approach, we cloned SG2, which encodes a plant‐specific protein with a ribonuclease H‐like domain. SG2 is a positive regulator downstream of GLYCOGEN SYNTHASE KINASE2 (GSK2) in response to BR signaling, and its mutation causes insensitivity to exogenous BR treatment. Genetical and biochemical analysis showed that GSK2 interacts with and phosphorylates SG2. We further found that BRs enhance the accumulation of SG2 in the nucleus, and subcellular distribution of SG2 is regulated by GSK2 kinase activity. In addition, Oryza sativa OVATE family protein 19 (OsOFP19), a negative regulator of grain shape, interacts with SG2 and plays an antagonistic role with SG2 in controlling gene expression and grain size. Our results indicated that SG2 is a new component of GSK2‐related BR signaling response and regulates grain size by interacting with OsOFP19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]